Tailgate weight capacity/ Halfway down

[1GladEWAL]

So I've found through a topic search that the max weight is #500. I suppose that info would've been useful a couple of days ago.
I had 80 2x4x8's strapped in, and on the way home the stupid plastic bit that holds the cable broke which consequently dropped the tailgate and let loose a few boards in an intersection. (Head slap). Anyway, aside from my pride nobody was hurt. Which leads me to my next question. Does anybody have a source for a metal replacement? I suppose I can make one, but I don't feel like it.
Also, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume if the payload is listed at #1000, give or take, that it should be able to handle that, (plus a safety factor) without regard to tailgate position. But maybe that's a topic for a different thread...
Anyway, if anybody has a solution besides welding some fender washers together, I'd love to hear it.
Thanks, as always.

Sponsored

 

[Beemer533]

I was thinking about this as well as I was using them this weekend.

Seems like it probably wouldn't be a huge deal to fab something up..

I will say that I don't think even on a heavy duty truck the tailgate is rated for the capacity of the truck, but it would be nice to not worry about the plastic bits

 

[b-roc]

My plastic brackets are a little beat up but still holding ... that said ... I recently found these aluminum replacements... they are being shipped now so I can't speak to the quality yet ... happy to report back late next week ... but it seems like your need is more pressing

https://www.gladiusoffroad.com/product/tailgate-brackets/

 

[Jaxmax]

Gladiusoffroad is pretty quick, ordered mine on 3/19, they are now in Lancaster Pa., 2 hours from my house and will be here tomorrow 3/23 by 9AM. We'll see but pictures looked good and price was ok!.
I can see there being on run on these that makes the latest bank runs look like nothing!.....Jack

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I suppose the point is moot at this point........... but 500 is incorrect -

And if properly secured, they shouldn't break. Common mistake is not forcing the cable into the proper position. It takes some effort to force it hard against the side of the tailgate opening -

Properly loaded, I can't see most loads being that much weight on the tailgate alone. Supported at 3 points (both 2x4s and the tailgate) the weight would be distributed among all 3 support points.
Tailgate flat, I can't see ever hitting 500 pounds! Most weight will be on the floor of the bed.
At half-open, much of the weight should be on the 2x4s setup in the bed and on the wheel wells to support 2/3 of the weight.
How did you end up with that much weight just on the tailgate?
It would mean half the load hanging out the back.

I've hauled scrap iron in mine with 6' of steel hanging out over the tailgate.

 

[Beemer533]

My plastic brackets are a little beat up but still holding ... that said ... I recently found these aluminum replacements... they are being shipped now so I can't speak to the quality yet ... happy to report back late next week ... but it seems like your need is more pressing

https://www.gladiusoffroad.com/product/tailgate-brackets/

Thanks, I should have guessed someone made these.

I can't read this forum for more than 10 minutes without spending money lol..

 

[RudeJeepin]

I suppose the point is moot at this point........... but 500 is incorrect -

Says right there that it's 300 not 500 pounds.

I'm gonna have to think about this.

 

[Gren71]

Properly loaded, I can't see most loads being that much weight on the tailgate alone.

funny you say this I had this exact scenario very recently. I was at my son’s baseball practice and me and another dad were sitting on my tailgate. I’m 240 pounds and the other guy has a big ol’ belly so I’m sure he’s probably around the same weight if not a little heavier. While we were just BSing I had a random thought of how much the cables can probably support.

so I ended up hopping off the tailgate and just leaning against it while we talked.

 

[Gvsukids]

funny you say this I had this exact scenario very recently. I was at my son’s baseball practice and me and another dad were sitting on my tailgate. I’m 240 pounds and the other guy has a big ol’ belly so I’m sure he’s probably around the same weight if not a little heavier. While we were just BSing I had a random thought of how much the cables can probably support.

so I ended up hopping off the tailgate and just leaning against it while we talked.

Wouldn't that weight also be transferred over to the suspension?

 

[Ogre_FL]

funny you say this I had this exact scenario very recently. I was at my son’s baseball practice and me and another dad were sitting on my tailgate. I’m 240 pounds and the other guy has a big ol’ belly so I’m sure he’s probably around the same weight if not a little heavier. While we were just BSing I had a random thought of how much the cables can probably support.

so I ended up hopping off the tailgate and just leaning against it while we talked.

My fear is the cables bent in that manor and not that plastic brackets are the real limit.
If you are braking the brackets you are either doing it wrong (cables not routed correctly) or overloading it.

 

[Gren71]

Wouldn't that weight also be transferred over to the suspension?

yes, it would. And if me and this fella were sitting inside of the bed it’s self our weight wouldn’t be any real impact on the cargo carrying capacity of my JT.

But we were sitting on the tailgate itself so the majority of the weight would be at the top of the “triangle”. The triangle being the bottom pivot point of the tailgate, the end of the tailgate where legs with hangover, and where the cable meets at the bed. So the cable and where the cable connects to the bed would be the failure points limiting the amount of weight the tailgate can hold.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

funny you say this I had this exact scenario very recently. I was at my son’s baseball practice and me and another dad were sitting on my tailgate. I’m 240 pounds and the other guy has a big ol’ belly so I’m sure he’s probably around the same weight if not a little heavier. While we were just BSing I had a random thought of how much the cables can probably support.

so I ended up hopping off the tailgate and just leaning against it while we talked.

Don't worry about the cables.......... the core cable itself is strong and 500 pounds spread over 2 of them isn't even close to the cables' capabilities. I've seen small winches and come-alongs with cables no bigger than these and they had ratings over 500 pounds.
1/8" steel cable has a breaking strength of somewhere around 2,000 pounds. There's two cables here, likely a bit smaller than 1/8" once you dig under the plastic coating, but I'd imagine each cable can handle at least 1,000 pounds and take that times 2............. (I THINK 3/32" steel cable is about 1,000 pounds breaking strength???)
Anyway, it's not the cable I worry about at all - it's going to handle WAAY over 500 pounds, there's two of them.
It's the fact that too many shove the cable behind those half-way points and don't get them shoved hard against the inner-most part. It takes some force - at least on my 2022 - to get those cables back into the strongest areas as shown in the book.
Have only 2 of us ever looked at the book? Guess not since the internet experts say it's 500 pounds, contradicting the book's 300 pounds.

Steel cable at the radius these are subjected to by using the tailgate half-way down point isn't a huge deal. You still have plenty of capacity even if it's reduced a bit from that ~1,000 pounds each cable. Knock it down to 750 pounds each due to the radius, if that's even necessary (where's our engineers!) and you still have 1500 pounds between the two.
Tailgate full down - don't sweat the cables.
But you have the weight spread about, not concentrated, in any case.
That 1,000 pounds of 2x4s isn't all on the tailgate if you load the truck properly.

(I've forgotten almost everything I thought I used to know about cable - had to know for the farm - cables supported augers, and other equipment, and I used to sell it when I worked a hardware store. Customers wanted to know "how strong is this cable. But these days it's a simple Google search to confirm my long-lost memories, thank goodness)

 

[Thistlethunder]

This is what I use.https://www.dgmtailgatesupport.com/

 

[Jaxmax]

I have carried a bunch of lumber in my bed but don’t use the tailgate option as I see that for stuff that doesn’t fit between the wheel wells, the tailgate thing worked good for plywood and drywall thought, and all I did was put the sheets of plywood on the bottom and the sheets of drywall on top no 2x4 boards at all , load sat on wheel wells, did fine for fairly short drive home with a spur of the moment purchase…..Jack

 

[Ogre_FL]

Don't worry about the cables.......... the core cable itself is strong and 500 pounds spread over 2 of them isn't even close to the cables' capabilities. I've seen small winches and come-alongs with cables no bigger than these and they had ratings over 500 pounds.
1/8" steel cable has a breaking strength of somewhere around 2,000 pounds. There's two cables here, likely a bit smaller than 1/8" once you dig under the plastic coating, but I'd imagine each cable can handle at least 1,000 pounds and take that times 2............. (I THINK 3/32" steel cable is about 1,000 pounds breaking strength???)
Anyway, it's not the cable I worry about at all - it's going to handle WAAY over 500 pounds, there's two of them.
It's the fact that too many shove the cable behind those half-way points and don't get them shoved hard against the inner-most part. It takes some force - at least on my 2022 - to get those cables back into the strongest areas as shown in the book.
Have only 2 of us ever looked at the book? Guess not since the internet experts say it's 500 pounds, contradicting the book's 300 pounds.

Steel cable at the radius these are subjected to by using the tailgate half-way down point isn't a huge deal. You still have plenty of capacity even if it's reduced a bit from that ~1,000 pounds each cable. Knock it down to 750 pounds each due to the radius, if that's even necessary (where's our engineers!) and you still have 1500 pounds between the two.
Tailgate full down - don't sweat the cables.
But you have the weight spread about, not concentrated, in any case.
That 1,000 pounds of 2x4s isn't all on the tailgate if you load the truck properly.

(I've forgotten almost everything I thought I used to know about cable - had to know for the farm - cables supported augers, and other equipment, and I used to sell it when I worked a hardware store. Customers wanted to know "how strong is this cable. But these days it's a simple Google search to confirm my long-lost memories, thank goodness)

Have you forgotten the difference between breaking strength and working load?

Sponsored