Tailgate Reinforcement Options: A Battle of Style

Marmot

When it comes to accessories, I am a sucker for the OE look, feel, and style. I would guess that most of us are. In my opinion, and for the most part, it is often difficult to beat an item designed by the manufacturer of the vehicle. There are of course aftermarket accessories and part manufacturers that produce very high quality, well styled and engineered items. Most often touting an “OEM appearance.” ARCHETYPE RACING’s STIRRUP steps come to mind here. Mostly because I have a set on the way, but I have a few of their products and would say the same thing about any of them.

This is all especially true when it comes to larger, more “primary” components & accessories. E.g., steps, bumpers, and even… tailgate reinforcements. There are quite a few of us that either have or are planning to add a tailgate reinforcement/tailgate tire mount for added support of larger, heavier wheels & tires. That hidden OE plastic tire mount and stock hinges just aren’t making the cut.



I have 35” tires on my Bronco now and do not plan on upgrading to anything larger. I just don’t need it. Although the OE tire mount is rated for 35’s, I feel like it’s “pushing the envelope.” To me, it’s like getting in an elevator that’s rated for 1,700lbs with a 1,650lb load. Sure, it’s within the capacity limit, but I’m going to hang back for the next ride up. Okay, that analogy might be a bit extreme. Back to the tire mounts…

I have been eyeballing a few for a while now and have been researching extensively. I recall scouring the market for options while I was waiting for my Bronco to deliver, as just about each of us were. You remember – planning out what we were going to buy and stocking up on accessories just to take the edge off having to wait for our Broncos 😉

Back then, it seemed like Rough Country had the only immediate option. To me, it seemed “quick cut” and not the best design. I decided to wait. Then, the Bronco Raptor was announced and there were three items that quickly caught my attention. First, the side steps. Too bad they are “Raptor” branded. The other two were the Rigid fog light pods and the tailgate reinforcement with “Accessory Ready” points. I am a huge fan of the Heretic fog lights offered by The Bronco Nation at a discount to members, so that is what I will be ordering here soon (huge shout out to the BN team for all the parts & accessory collabs and discounts!). That leaves just the tailgate reinforcement.

I quickly started digging into part numbers. Once I had the bill of materials (BOM) I realized it wasn’t going to be a simple bracket mount. I also realized it wasn’t the most robust. It also requires you to relocate the “Bucking Horse” emblem on the tailgate. “A little to the right.” Overall, it still looks great. Again, that OE style…

Fast forward to SEMA 2022 and here comes HAVOC with their show build. What stands out to me the most? Their new tailgate tire mount system. It has a great appearance, it seems robust, and it has sort of the same surface design as the Raptor reinforcement. Love it. The only thing I could do without is the branded screen that goes over the open space and surrounds the “Bucking Horse” emblem, but it looks like it will be paint-to-match so it might be a nice touch. We’ll see.

As another quick name drop, if you want something very robust with optional carry items, you must check out RTR’s Spare Tire Carrier.

So, that is it for me. I am down to two options – the Raptor tailgate reinforcement and hinge kit or the HAVOC Tire Mount system, which is not yet released but should be dropping very soon. The point of this article? To share the details on both. Mostly the Raptor reinforcement.

Bronco Raptor Tailgate Reinforcement
You will need a series of parts and will need to have some paint-to-match work done on your new hinges. Here is the breakdown:

Part Number	Description
N2DZ-7826800-A	HINGE ASSY, UPPER
N2DZ-7826900-A	HINGE ASSY, LOWER
W721479-S300	Rubber stops for inner tailgate assy (pack of 4)
W718426-S450	Bolts that mount the reinforcement to the tailgate hinges
W721746-S450B	Bolts that mount the hinge straps to the tailgate panel (pack of 4)

As for the cost of parts you are looking at about $650 + the paint work on the hinges less the hinge brackets. You can reuse your stock brackets and just mount the hinge straps (HB1) in the diagram to the stock brackets. They just may require a little touch up paint, and it will save a little inner work. The hinge assemblies do come with body mount brackets, however. Once complete, you have yourself a Bronco Raptor tailgate reinforcement rated for 37" tires with the "Accessory Ready" mount points.

HAVOC Tire Mount System
This one has yet to drop but is scheduled to release next month (March '23). As for price point, it's probably not far off once you are all in on the Raptor assembly. As mentioned above, it looks great but the mesh plate throws me off at first. Will be interesting to see that in paint-to-match options. As of right now, it looks to be a bit much but I still love the style. As with the Raptor option, it does have accessory ready mount points, which I like a lot. You will see me rocking a little Ural trench shovel on the back.




Do you have a tailgate reinforcement, or are you planning on upgrading with one? If so, what are you using or leaning towards?

Bluestreak57

I don’t have a reinforcement need, as I have a Sasquatch so am assuming Ford put the right stuff on it…

That being said, generally if something is weight rated they have been tested to at least 150% of the weight rating, and many times to 200% of the rated limit…. Case in point, aluminum ladders rated at 250 pounds supposedly cannot fail until they are test with 500 lbs…’

I would say if your gate is rated for 35” tires you’re likely fine. Just my $.02

BuckYeah

Props to you for giving this modification all due consideration. I like both of your final choices, and I agree with your decision to exclude the others for the reasons you cited.

Just as others have said, something like this is low on my list of mods, simply because I think it would take years before you would notice any tailgate sag. I understand that you want to get ahead of a potential problem, but I think you've got plenty of time to make a decision. Especially since you're not planning on swapping out your 35" wheels for larger ones.

I'm a stock purist, so I would definitely lean toward getting whatever the original manufacturer offers. I hope this helps.

Marmot

I’m with you, Buck, and fully agree. It does help. I can’t say I’m a stock purist but I’m an OE purist - a sucker for OE parts & accessories. At the same time I do love stock design and just try to “dial it up” a little. These Broncos are absolutely stunning.

I will say the tire mount and support is the absolute last item on my list, as it is the least important for me. For reasons a few of you stated, but I’ll end up adding one on for the added comfort and appearance.

Deano Bronc

Ford accessories has one in the works and should have already been out. My contact at Ford was hoping by Christmas and that obviously didn't happen. It's supposed to look like the one on Raptor but of course have the correct lug layout for the standard Bronco.

RETmed14!

nice write up! have been on the fence about installing the RC tailgate reinforcement plate, bought it way back just never installed. Is that RC plate a just for looks item and does it provide any additional support? anyone know?

3Dogs

Have there actually been any reports of the tailgate sagging?