Last fall I bought a 2008 Ford F250 Super Duty Lariat truck from a local dealership. I purchased the truck to pull a light weight fifth wheel and livestock/horse trailers. I usually never drive withthe tailgate down and the other day I had hauled a four-wheeler in the bed and didn't put the tailgate up. While driving down the road, the tailgate fell off and was dangling by the cables on each side. Two people flagged me down and helped me put it back on. The only other times that I've driven with the tailgate down was when I was hauling horse feed about 4 miles from home. I'm pretty sure that there has always been weight on the tailgate from the feed sacks. After this happen I took it to the dealership where I purchased it and they say there is no defect in the tailgate and will do nothing about the damaged it caused on the bumper. I was not on a ROUGH road. Their suggestion was to not drive with the tailgate down. I've always lived on a farm and have always driven trucks and this is the first time that anything like this has ever happened. I cannot recall ever having to even worry about the tailgate coming off and on the farm you go in some pretty rought places such as fields, pastures, etc..
After this happened I purposely drove with the tailgate down on a main highway and every little bump made the tailgate "flap". Some bumps would even cause the tailgate to flap or bounce twice. This is on a major highway that traffic is constantly driving on. I have figured out that the tailgate is VERY light and can be lifted with a couple of fingers. I had a F150 before this truck and the tailgate on it was not nearly this light. For me to close it i would use both hands. The new F250 has the step in the tailgate, which I really enjoy. It's a big help getting this out of the bed when you need to, instead of trying to reach over to get something you need.
I paid $50k for thi truck and I find it hard to believe that I shouldn't drive with the tailgate down or it may fly off like a kite. It just is too ridiculous to comprehend that I work truck cannot be driven with the tailgate down.

Has anyone else had a problem with the 2008 Ford Super Duty Lariat tailgate????????????? I really need some advice on this one. And obviously it's not the advice from our local dealership. Any knowledge on this crazy subject is most appreciative.

Thanks in advance,
Equine Chick

 

Sounds like another victim of Ford tyranny. I haven't heard of this problem before, but I too live on a farm and between the three trucks we own, all three are worked and the tailgate is almost always down. Never a problem. In fact we have never had a problem like that with any of the 18 trucks we have owned in my lifetime

 

did you have it at an angle because to put it on and off as you saw when you put it back on you put it in one side then angle it and slide it onto the other. or was it just all of the way down?

 

No it wasn't at an angle. I had it all the way down. In fact, I had the four-wheeler ramps in the body and when I stopped to put the tailgate back on, the ramps were laing in the body just like I put them in there. It was very odd that they would stay exactly where I put them and the tailgate had come off by itself. I'm getting ready to leave now to go and pick up feed and I think I will drive with in down. I have no doubts that it will come off again. Maybe the sedrvice department would take it more seriously if I drive in their dealership with the tailgate hanging down.

 

haha. i can see it now.
and just out of curiosity how much weight did you have on it before it happened?

 

There wasn't any weight on it right before it happened. i think that's why it did happen. It's so light weight unless you have something on it holding it down, it flaps up when you're driving.

 

You might put a hose clamp on either side around the hinge point. This will keep the tailgate from bouncing out of the slots.

 

this is fords simple way of trying to make a truck more user friendly (making the tailgate easier to lift). Trucks are supposed to be tough and made to bounce around and get beat up, i understand exactly why your angry. As far as fixing it i would go with DieselDad's advice

 

for you ford guys ...i build fords ground up. call me 909-680-9024 and lets see what we can do with yours