[GriffinB]

The tailgate torsion bar bracket that mounts to the bottom of the tailgate keeps hitting my window so it won’t go down and I have to manually press the lever that allows you to open the latches. I can’t figure out how to slide the bracket into the tailgate.

From look at another bronco my dad has it was in the little slot but I can’t figure out how to get that in there.

 

[reptillikus]

Something is awry. The torsion bar appears out of alignment. Theres a pretty decent load on that bar with the tailgate open, you might have to adjust it with the gate closed, or removed from the truck. When i rebuilt the tailgate on my 88, i installed the torsion bar into my tailgate with the gate sitting on the workbench. It all fits together pretty easily.

 

[GriffinB]

Something is awry. The torsion bar appears out of alignment. Theres a pretty decent load on that bar with the tailgate open, you might have to adjust it with the gate closed, or removed from the truck. When i rebuilt the tailgate on my 88, i installed the torsion bar into my tailgate with the gate sitting on the workbench. It all fits together pretty easily.

Do you know how that bracket goes in the slot. I know that it’s making the torsion bar not sit right but I can’t figure out how to get the bracket to sit right.

 

[Mikey350]

Look at the lower left picture.

1983 Ford Bronco Tailgate Tech picture | SuperMotors.net

 

[GriffinB]

I’ll look Wednesday and see if I see the slit that it goes in now that I have that diagram. Then hopefully my tailgate will work forever and ever.

 

[reptillikus]

Sorry for the delay, ive been trying to remember as i rebuilt it a couple years ago. I dont remember there being anything special about the assembly and its going together fairly easily, however like i said i built mine with the tailgate removed so there was no load on the bar.

 

[KCD]

As an interesting aside to this conversation and not meaning to hijack, when I had my new tailgate, torsion bar new guts etc. installed I had absolutely zero rattle but I could push the drivers side of the tailgate in about 3/8 of an inch. Drove me nuts. So I loosened and moved the striker in so that when the tailgate was closed, absolutely no movement. Everything aligned up just right. But! A rattle started. My hypothesis is that by getting all of the tension off of the torsion bar it allows it to rattle around back there. Maybe this weekend I’ll pull the access panel and my thought is to put an air conditioning pipe insulator around the torsion bar to stop the rattle.

 

[GriffinB]

Sorry for the delay, ive been trying to remember as i rebuilt it a couple years ago. I dont remember there being anything special about the assembly and its going together fairly easily, however like i said i built mine with the tailgate removed so there was no load on the bar.

I got it in. When I was putting it together I just missed the slot. Window now works without a suction cup or having to pull the lever down. And access panel is back on for the first time since I’ve owned the truck.