Broken tailgate hinge

This just happen, opened the tailgate and heard a snap. Wondering if anyone knows the part number and if its worth claiming under warranty or just doing it myself.

 

Warranty time

 

Okay so I was able to get the hinge off and unfortunately the bushing is not a separate part and the whole hinge needs to be replaced about $40, not worth the dealer trip. Only issue is I also lost the ball stud that the top of the lift assist strut attaches to, must have broke off at the same time. Can anyone supply a photo of what the bolt looks like? I cant tell of its supposed to thread into a bolt or a nut threads into it since all I have is the hole. If anyone can take off thier left tail light, you'll see the strut attached where I circle. If you take a screw driver and pull out the black retaining strap at the top of the strut you can pull it off, would be a huge help.

 

Oh lol I had that ball stud break off yesterday! I was able to order a new one from the dealership for $4 it should be here on Thursday and I can get you a part number then. @Joe333x

 

You're a life saver! I found a part #68961-0C030 that looks like its probably it but it's just a threaded ball stud and I imagine it must also need a nut unless it just threads into the hole.

 

There has to be a nut, the sheetmetal is so thin it bolts onto.

I can’t believe we both lost that stud the same weekend and are online at midnight lol. What are the chances?

 

Yeah thats the same thing I was thinking. For me I heard a crack when I opened the tailgate. Probably doesn't help that my dogs constantly push on it when I open it till let them out, I have a cap and keep them in the bed. I tried to diagnose the problem when it happened and all I seen was the cracked bushing. Obviously after further diagnosis I seen the ball stud also missing. I have driven the truck since so the ball is definitely gone and any nut it attaches too. It took me hours of PB blaster and a torch to get the bolts out of the hinge, its so easy to strip the torx bolts that they use, no idea why they torqued them so hard. I was just so happy to get them out. You might want to take a look at your bushing since if there was enough force to break the ball stud it might have also cracked the plastic bushing. On first gens you could replace just the plastic piece but on 2nd and up the bushing is attached and you need to replace the whole thing. Anyways glad to have a fellow member with the same exact issue at the same time, gotta love the Tundra community.

 

Good to know I didn’t think to look at my bushings. I’m not sure why mine ended up breaking but it came down hard when it popped. It even bent the bracket where the ball stud bolts too…. I’ll tear it apart on Thursday when the new stud arrives.

 

You'll be able to see if the bushing is intact easily. If it isn't it'll look something like the pic in the OP. For your sake I hope it is because removing those hinge bolts is a major pain. Looking forward to seeing what the dealership ordered for you and if you get a nut with the bolt. Thank again.

 

Don't know if this is a possibility for you but in the past I have been able to obtain warranty parts and install them myself. It's to the dealerships advantage since they still get paid for the labor without twisting a wrench.

 

So the part came in today and I’m kinda disappointed. Yes 3.99$ but its a press fit piece. And the section that presses in is super thin, no wonder mine fell out. I’m going to weld a stainless bolt to the back of mine and use a nut. I’ll have to check clearances but it should be fine. Here is the piece and part number.

 

@Joe333x here is the pic

 

Back view

 

Hmm, so what holds it in place?

 

Your broken hinge makes no sense to me, I put my 4-wheeler on the tailgate 10x a year and drive well over 500 miles each time, and never once has this happened in the last 3 years on my 2019. Has your new hinge repair held up?

 

The hinge bushing doesn't break from having weight on the tailgate, the bushing generally fails from letting the tailgate drop. Even though it has the lift assit strut, that bushing is absorbing all of the twisting force when the tailgate is dropped. When mine broke I made a few bushings out of delrin to do some tests to see why they break.

When parked on an uphill incline, the bushing tends to break when dropping the tailgate.

When pulling/pushing down on the tailgate when opening, the bushing tends to break

Sometimes when you just drop the tailgate so many times, the bushing breaks.

This isn't the end all be all test. Just something I've done out of curiosity. Take it for what's it's worth, but I dont know anyone else who tested it before. I believe the bushing is there to help save the ball stud from breaking off (even though it does still happen from time to time) it's it's weakest link in the opening mechanism, and easy to change.

The plastic isn't that strong, and the great amount of twisting force the bushing is put through every cycle the tailgate is opened and closed will eventually break it.

I've found the helping the tailgate down when lowering causes the least amount of stress on the tailgate bushing, and will make it last longer.

 

Good info... my 3ton jack took care of my bushing long ago

 

Sumo91 pretty much said it all. In my instance the bushing snapped at the same time the strut broke the ball the off, after taking it apart you can see the bushing literally twisted until snapping. If for some reason your strut failed to actuate when you opened the tailgate the nipple and or bushing will break. I believe mine was caused by my dogs pushing the tailgate open rapidly, faster than the strut could actuate. Now knowing this I make my dogs sit and wait until I open the tailgate but I was ignorant to the fragile parts on the tailgate, I just assumed its a truck tailgate and built tough enough to handle a couple 45lb dogs pushing it down but it seems in order to add the convenience for a slowly dropping tailgate they added a couple weak links.

 

My guess is when installed the concave surface on the back side is peened over acting like a rivet. Getting a replacement to stay without the crimper is going to be a challenge.

 

I might just leave my strut off then since I dont see how you can you could get that to crimp and stay in place. Probably going to have to come up with a modified solution with a nut and bolt.

 

So I just fixed mine. Was pretty straight forward lol

First i cut off the hollow section of the crimp, welded on a stainless bolt after cutting off the head of the bolt. So i turned the factory press ball into a bolt on style.

Bent my factory bed bracket back into shape and used a nylock shorty nut to finish it off.

The worst part of the whole thing was getting a crows foot wrench on the nut while using needle nose vice grips to tighten the post.

Do not grab the ball with the Vice gripes use the weld and shoulder!

Done ✅ however i think mine broke because I have 20lbs tailgate insert….

question is how long until i have to redo it… time to fab up another strut for the other side.

 

Yeah a strut on each side would have been nice but to be honest, I rather just use my arm to lower the tailgate and never have to worry about this. With out the strut to twist the bushing you could drop the tailgate full speed and the cables will catch it.

 

Are there actual replacement tailgate bushings out there? Mine is totally broken and my tailgate wont even close flush,

 

I seen someone that cut there own out of wood. There's no replacements you can buy though that I found as the one on there can't actually be taken off unless you break it off.

 

So I am done with this issue (gone on too long) so contacted a local dealer. Replacements are available and are actually identified as hinge I believe. Dealer will have it in stock tomorrow. I will circle back with a pic and part number to help others (if it is the correct part). Thanks.

 

This is the part number 66102-0C021. I've already replaced mine and left the strut disconnected so it never breaks again. If I were you I would get some PB blaster on those 2 torx bolts that hold it on because they are a real pain to get out and will easily strip. I needed to use a torch too.

 

Damn, thanks for the info. Any idea what size those Torx bolts are? I need to get the proper size removal tool.

 

I can check later today for you

 

Its a T25

 

Thanks!