Topic: tailgate geting harder to open

[jeeper78]

Hey guys. I have a 97 wrangler and I have a 33x10.5 spare on my stock carrier. When I got the full size spare I also installed ABS tubing as spacers behind the rubber snubbers. No sheetmetal on my gate is tweaked but the gate is getting much harder to open. Hopefully its just the hinges getting worn out from opening the gate with more weight on it.
I was wondering:

 1. Has anyone else come across this problem?

 2. Is there a way to rebuild the hinges or maybe adjust them somehow?

 Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sharpxmen]

Hey guys. I have a 97 wrangler and I have a 33x10.5 spare on my stock carrier. When I got the full size spare I also installed ABS tubing as spacers behind the rubber snubbers. No sheetmetal on my gate is tweaked but the gate is getting much harder to open. Hopefully its just the hinges getting worn out from opening the gate with more weight on it.
I was wondering:

 1. Has anyone else come across this problem?

 2. Is there a way to rebuild the hinges or maybe adjust them somehow?

 Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

1. yes, i had the same prob - i have a 95 YJ so i went ahead and i got TJ hinges and a bestop tire carrier (i had have 33x12.5 tires)
2. the hinges adjust by losening the bolts on the tailgate, however you should know that the paint might come off when you move them (the area behind the hinges is not painted). when i swapped my hinges the TJ ones are wider so they covered the unpainted area well, in your case i'm not sure if the tailgate is painted behind/under them.

i heard that there are different tailgate hinges for the TJ, not sure what the differences are but someone mentioned that the Rubicon ones are beefier, so maybe you could look into that for an upgrade, for me the combination of the 2 did it but if i were to do it again i would probably go with a bumper with a builtin tire carrier and that should probably take care of any problems and give you some additional options for gas cans and/or an over the spare tire carrier rack. the only advantage with the bestop is that it opens with the tailgate so since mine is a DD that was a plus for me.

[jeeper78]

Thanks sharpxmen. 
    Yeah, mine is a DD as well, and I do have a Tomken aftermarket bumper so eventually I will have the tire carrier. As of right now though, cash is tight so I'm just trying to fix it well enough to be able to open the tailgate and still be able to carry a full size spare. I looked into buying the Bestop carrier last year but then I heard about the Swag offroad drop down tailgate kit and changed my mind. Already dropping hints to Mrs. Claus!

[drunkencityworker]

good luck with the torx

[sharpxmen]

good luck with the torx

yeah, that can be a challenge, but you can drill them out (had to do it on one of mine as well) - it is easy compared to a broken bolt as the torx will center your drill bit, you can start with one that is close to the torx size and then switch to a smaller one and go a step bigger every time (drill the whole way thru the bolt and then go with a bigger one, usually the thread comes out when you get close to the small diameter of the thread).

[jeeper78]

good luck with the torx

Yeah, I've already had my share of headaches with the torx bolts stripping and broken craftsman torx bits when working on my windshield. BTW does anybody know of an online harware store that'll carry the right size bolts? Home depot and Lowes don't carry them and all the ace hardwares and tru values are outta buisness around me. 

[sharpxmen]

Yeah, I've already had my share of headaches with the torx bolts stripping and broken craftsman torx bits when working on my windshield. BTW does anybody know of an online harware store that'll carry the right size bolts? Home depot and Lowes don't carry them and all the ace hardwares and tru values are outta buisness around me. 

here (Vancouver, BC Canada) you can get them at Pacific Fasteners - a place that is geared towards industrial fasteners is your best bet, you need torx head countersunk bolts but you can get the allen head as well, the torx would be prefered, most of the places carry stainless ones as well which can be a better option for future (so the rust wont make it impossible to take out). I think the ones in the tailgate are 5/16'' bolts but i am not 100% sure so you might want to doublecheck (and i can't remember if they were metric by any chance either).

[jeeper78]

  Cool, Thanks.  I appreciate the help sharpx!

[jfrabat]

Yeah, I've already had my share of headaches with the torx bolts stripping and broken craftsman torx bits when working on my windshield.

Tell me about it; I still got a piece of a bolt extractor that shattered sticking out of a torx bolt on my windshield frame!

[jeeper78]

Tell me about it; I still got a piece of a bolt extractor that shattered sticking out of a torx bolt on my windshield frame!

  The worst part of it is the broken bit scratching up the paint on the windshield hinges

[sharpxmen]

  The worst part of it is the broken bit scratching up the paint on the windshield hinges

i'm trying to picture what you mean but worlds collide in my head - how do you scratch the w/s hinges with a broken bit in that hinge - sorry, can't figure it out 

[jeeper78]

i'm trying to picture what you mean but worlds collide in my head - how do you scratch the w/s hinges with a broken bit in that hinge - sorry, can't figure it out 

It's not the part of the bit that breaks off IN the torx bolt--- It's the other half of the bit thats still attatched to the ratchet. When you're trying to break the bolt loose, the bit breaks, and then you wind up scratching your paint.

[sharpxmen]

It's not the part of the bit that breaks off IN the torx bolt--- It's the other half of the bit thats still attatched to the ratchet. When you're trying to break the bolt loose, the bit breaks, and then you wind up scratching your paint.

thanks for clarifying that, couldn't make out what you meant