I have a spray-in bedliner. I did not really notice that the tailgate was restricted in closing as this was on the truck when I bought it (used, 17k miles).

Yesterday I had the dreaded "squeak-chirp" from the tailgate. Read all about it last night on this forum (this is great by the way). This morning I went out and slammed the tailgate shut. Low and behold, the tailgate DOES close flush with the side panels (before, when I thought it was closed, there was about a quarter inch between the side panels and the tailgate).

Now - the tailgate is shut. However, it takes quite a bit of force to open it (pulling on the latch).

Question: Should I trim the rubber grommets that stop the tailgate or should I try to trim/file the spray-in bedliner?

Just curious how others have fixed the problem.

 

Id check the bedliner first.

This is the aftermarket item and more likely to be out of spec than the grommets.

 

I have been through this before. I posted on it a long time ago.

The problem is that rods under the service panel are binding up with the Line-X over spray.

The fix is taking off the service panel and scraping that stuff off the rods where it is binding.

 

The only "problem" I have with my Line-X is that where the bottom of the tailgate and the bottom of the bed meet, sometimes it gets stuck a tiny bit if I don't open the tailgate for a few days.

 

Can you describe in more detail what you mean? Are you speaking of the rods that connect the tailgate (hinge) to the truck? I cleaned out overspray down in there. The more I think about it the more the problem probably is down lower like where you describe, as when the tailgate won't shut properly, it never even touches the grommets before I get resistance.

Like I said, my main concern is the stress now put on the latches and the latching mechanism due to the pressure of it trying to open!

Thanks for your help and if you had pictures that'd be great!

 

I realize the bedliner is the problem, but my question is how to fix it-- trimming the grommets seemed an easier fix than scraping off adhered bedliner.

However, from the previous post, I think that the binding is lower in the tailgate rather than at the grommets up top.

 

I had this exact same problem when my I had my Toff liner sprayed in. I was worried at first because I really had to pull hard to get it to open, but it is not doing it now. I guess it was still kind of "sticky" when this was happening.

 

On the box side inside of your tailgate there is a "service panel". Take out the screws and remove the cover. TAKE LOOK INSIDE the tailgate at the rods that control the latch and releases. You'll see what I mean....

Line X removes this panel when spraying the bed. Over spray gets on the rods KEEPING IT FROM CLOSING OR OPENING correctly.

I am sure if you remove that cover... and see how the "guts work" you will find the answer to your problems.

 

Thanks a bunch! I now understand what you're talking about! I'll check it out. Any special tips on getting the overspray off?

 

Use a flat head screw driver to scrap down in all the places with LineX overspray where it binds up. It comes off pretty easy.

Be sure to pull and work the tail gate handle, ya know, to see how and where the rods move and bind up.