Protecting the liftgate when closeing

[riceandpho]

i dydnamted the whole tailgate inside and out, it added some weight, so when i close, i do it quick enough but not to slam it, i really like my 07 sport, all u need to do is let it close slightly and it will close and securely keep it tight, kinda like a mercedes benz, thats what my uncle said when i took my new truck for him to install alarm at his shop.

 

[riceandpho]

also, u can go to an car stereo shop and ask for a peice of scrap carpet they use for building subwoofer box, have a piece thats big enough to cover up the back side of the licnese plate, then spray glue,and glue the carpet to it, use thin carpet , i did this and it works great, stops rattles from my 2 12's, before putting the plate back on, ask them if they have some foam tape, all u need is 1-2inches by 3-5 inches, next u stick that on the carpet, center it so its middle from left to right, but stick it at about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom of the plate, next screw the plate back one and u wont notice it . it might leave u a gap about 1/8inch maybe but no more than 1/4 inchs, hope this helps u out in protecting your paint. i have this done by myself since i owned the truck, 2.5 years and its still intact, no mold or water damage.

 

[JPL]

Are you talking about those little things you can put on cabinets to keep the door from slamming - or at least making a noise when they close? That's a good idea. I wouldn't go through the effort, but it's still a good idea.

"Door Silencers"

but anyway, get a small strip of removable vinyl, (decal/bubpersticker material), in your Toyota body color, and place it at where you push the lid.

 

[charlier180]

Pull the strap from the inside hard enough that it closes on its own without you even touching the paint.

I also use the strap that is attached to the inside of the liftgate.
It takes a little practice to pull it down hard enough to close the lift gate but not too hard that it slams shut.

 

[SubSonic]

It's not finger prints. When the car is dirty, touching the grit while closing the liftgate will eventually scratch the paint...

...and, No. Washing the car every day is also not what I had in mind as a solution.

Actually, unless you have some serious "grit" on there, I doubt it will scratch the paint for many years...it would take that long to work through the clear coat first, which of course, covers the paint.

I usually just pull on the strap and get it going and let it ease down into the closed position - then the electronic latch grabs it and closes/locks it for me. Takes some practice so that you aren't slamming it shut, but it works.

I'm not scared to touch it though. It's an SUV, it's a work/utility/play vehicle, I don't expect to keep the clear coat in pristine condition forever, certainly not when I take it off-road several times a year, on on the beach several more times a year. Even so, there are some great clear cost scratch removers out there from Meguiar's and Mothers and so on. And besides that, I live in NC, where every single drop of rain that falls here is "acid rain" so the clear coat is under assualt from day one.

 

[hmr graphics]

i use "The Force" to close my tailgate. its hard to do but i mastered it while watching all the Star Wars movies :lmao:

 

[thevinmanfxst]

Thanks for all the tips folks. (Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's annoyed by this little feature.)

I agree I'm a little neurotic, but when the car is nice and shiny, the last thing I want is a fat old hand print in the road dust...it just bothers me.

 

[blaniac22]

Thanks for all the tips folks. (Glad to hear I'm not the only one who's annoyed by this little feature.)

I agree I'm a little neurotic, but when the car is nice and shiny, the last thing I want is a fat old hand print in the road dust...it just bothers me.

I get where you're coming from - I have a case of it too, maybe not as quite as bad - but still have it.:cheers:

More than once I've gone to "Quick Detail" some bird crap and end up doing the whole truck!