Warped tailgate issue after hauling load

[Bopper Flopper]

Sure thing!
The appointment isn’t till Sept 13th so it’ll be a while.

Dang, thanks for being a pioneer for the rest of us

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[SentinelOne]

This is an excellent point. We just looked at ours and one support cable is nice and tight when the tailgate is down and the other is loose.
Took a video and added it to our current support appointment next month.

easy fix - torx45 and loosen the 2 bolts on the slack side (top of cable) and adjust up/back (use the other side for reference)....took < 5 minutes and now no slack....somone else posted that on here a few days ago....

 

[TickTock]

I just now looked at mine and confirmed the cable are taught. However, I noticed quite a bit of flex when pressing down on the top of the tailgate (when tailgate is down). I then reviewed the rear washer installation video and it does appear to not be very well reinforced. In this photo, you can see the end of the U-shaped metal panel and it is not reinforced on the end.

At first I thought maybe that grey piece along the length that the cable is passing through was a strut but shortly after, he shows another angle and there are no supports at all along the length:

so it does, indeed, appear the tailgate is very weak to supporting any weight an the top when in the down position.

 

[jf64k]

Both of mine are slack unless I push down slightly/stand on the tailgate.

And my tailgate is flush.

 

[GuyV]

So, if the cables aren't supporting weight to prevent damage, what are they there for?

 

[GuyV]

So, if the cables aren't supporting weight to prevent damage, what are they there for?

OK, I just checked mine. I can see where they are a bit slack when the tailgate is down, but I think it is just that the spring that makes it easy to close doesn't let it open fully flat without a bit of weight on it. Just a little hand pressure pushes it down until they are taut.

It seems to me though that the placement and way they are fastened to the gate, and the panel to the frame, that damage is quite likely from heavy load on the outside edge.

Something for Munro to look at.

 

[jookyone]

I loaded an electric ZTR mower (700lbs) with ramps on the tailgate and I don't have any bend. Both of my cables are tight when folded down (from the factory). I actually backed the truck into a ditch so that the tailgate was about 8" off the ground and kinda dragged it right off the tailgate to unload. I did check the cables before loading.

 

[Crissa]

It looks mis-adjusted, not bent.

Something is clearly not taut.

-Crissa

 

[Spacenoddle]

Here you go...
Yes it still functions properly. Just doesn't shut flush so hopefully it can be adjusted. Maybe I can live with it if it's simply a little bit warped.. will check on the cost for repair/ replacement.

How many piece of boards?

 

[Spacenoddle]

So, if the cables aren't supporting weight to prevent damage, what are they there for?

The cable tighten when the down force being put on. They are slack while the tailgate in down position.

 

[Cyberman]

Boards were as far in bed as possible until the truck accelerated faster than should (using traffic aware cruise). I should have been driving manually very carefully which I did the rest of the way. However, I'm pretty sure when it lurched forward it shifted the load. Note to use chill mode IF using TACC probably would be ok. And yes I'm sure a new tailgate is not cheap...

That's the suck. If you're going to replace the tailgate, I'd like the old one. I'm going to build my Cybertruck from spare parts. At this rate, I should complete it faster than my reservation!

 

[xhawk101]

is it warped in the mid-height so the top doesn't close all the way? I see the top not being closed all the way.

Yes closes all the way with retract mechanism intact though doesn't sit flush

How many piece of boards?

42

 

[TickTock]

So, if the cables aren't supporting weight to prevent damage, what are they there for?

They do support the weight but only at the middle of the tailgate. I don't think you would have any issue with a full stack of 4x8's. I think the OP created a boundary condition Tesla engineers didn't design for. The 4x12's created a very large force at the end of the tailgate. Been 30 years since I took statics so I cheated and found an online calculator. According to it, 3/4ths of the total weight of the stack was put on the edge of the tailgate. So definitely not something we should do on any truck.

 

[xhawk101]

Yes I agree, the center of the load was too far aft and then it shifted even another foot out for a brief moment. It should be fine with 8 or even 10 foot length.

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