Hi everyone. On my 2007 I think the tailgate assist is binding or failing. Every once in awhile when I put the tailgate up there is a very loud noise that sounds like a spring pop. Anyone know why? Jim

 

Not sure if it helps but the assist is a torsion bar not a spring (even though technically they offer the same affect). Can you see if where it is secured to the tailgate to achieve resistance through torsion could hav come lose or broken causing it to rotate freely once pressure builds up causing the popping sound?

 

the mechanism just needs some lubrication. spray a little WD40 where the tailgate goes into the hinge. mine did the same thing and after a little WD40 no problems.

 

The tailgate on my 08 Screw has done the same thing recently. Funny thing is, I know it has the tailgate assist torsion bar thing but it has never worked, until this winter! For 4 years now, I have been openeing and closing my tailgate, in the back of my mind wondering why, it was so heavy, seeing as how it was supposed to have this torsion assist. After all, my buddies Tundra with the tailgate assit worked awesome, open the gate, let go and it would ease itself down to the open posision. If I opened mine and let go, it would slam to the open position. Then, one day, 4 years and 45,000 miles later, I opened it, and it eased down, to my my surpirse! Cool! Then, when I shut it, it would make this loud clunk noise like you are describing? It has done it a few times since and I figured it was the torsion assist, which has only worked once or twice in the several hundred times the tailgate has been opened. Likely unrelated, throughout the life of my truck, I have had a squeak that I traced back to the drivers side upper tailgate latch, WD40 or the like sprayed in there shuts it up for a while, but the torsion assist has basically never worked???

 

Rotested, I don't think you understand what the torsion-assist is on the F-150. The tailgate "feels" like it only weighs 10lbs or so when you open/close it due to the internal torsion bar, despite the tailgate probably being 50lbs or more. It does not slowly lower itself when opened, it will slam open to the cable stops if now lowered with your hand to slow it. I believe the Tundra has some additional gas shocks which allow it to lower itself gently.

 

This worked for me as well