OEM 2019+ Ranger Tailgate Damper Part# VKB3Z-99406A10-A by DeeZee DZ43206

[BDoc]

Added some color to my hardware..

Looks good, Tony! The only problem - now I have something else I need to do

I've got a can of N6, so maybe I'll go that route.

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[tgRanger]

Looks good, Tony! The only problem - now I have something else I need to do

I've got a can of N6, so maybe I'll go that route.

Hey Bryan Were never really going to be done are we? There’s a lot more prep if you want to go Blue, this stuff is easier and more forgiving to work with. Plus my garage isn’t heated and the temps are too cold now here in NJ to prime, paint, clear etc.. Please post pics if you do it, I may have to strip the black next year and do it too. More work

 

[BDoc]

Hey Bryan Were never really going to be done are we? There’s a lot more prep if you want to go Blue, this stuff is easier and more forgiving to work with. Plus my garage isn’t heated and the temps are too cold now here in NJ to prime, paint, clear etc.. Please post pics if you do it, I may have to strip the black next year and do it too. More work

No, no we're not

If I end up deciding to put the effort into painting it blue (once I actually buy the damper), it'll have to wait until spring - I'm in the same boat as you. Too cold in the garage for painting now. I'll have to decide if it's something I want to mess around with later.

 

[FULLSCALE]

Those of you that have installed the damper... can you see noticeable flex in the part of the bed where the top of it and the tailgate cable attach when you drop the tailgate?

 

[chasvs]

Those of you that have installed the damper... can you see noticeable flex in the part of the bed where the top of it and the tailgate cable attach when you drop the tailgate?

Nope!

 

[tgRanger]

Those of you that have installed the damper... can you see noticeable flex in the part of the bed where the top of it and the tailgate cable attach when you drop the tailgate?

Not sure I understand your question. Do you mean slack in the cable vs the passenger side? What flex?

 

[chasvs]

Not sure I understand your question. Do you mean slack in the cable vs the passenger side? What flex?

I'm assuming he thinks the top of the Damper Strut will be putting stress on the Bed Wall side of the Tailgate opening as the Tailgate descends. I don't see any movement or Flex as he puts it.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Those of you that have installed the damper... can you see noticeable flex in the part of the bed where the top of it and the tailgate cable attach when you drop the tailgate?

Hi Adam.

I studied that attachment point and see where you might have a concern. I think that the sheetmetal bend in that area provides quite a bit of strength and the way the upper plate attaches, backed by a thick washer distributes the load from the damper cylinder over a fairly large surface area of the sheetmetal where the plate attaches. I doubt there will be any movement or flex and one poster has stated he sees no such movement.

I am usually not a fan of most of the mods seen on Rangers, but I am curious enough to think about placing an order for one, just to check it out. I may never in stall it, but to see one in person and assess the design...(hard to do from pictures) Who knows, I may actually install it too...

I personally do not think you would have a problem with this damper.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[tgRanger]

Those of you that have installed the damper... can you see noticeable flex in the part of the bed where the top of it and the tailgate cable attach when you drop the tailgate?

I just went out to my truck and rolled up my tonneau cover (the cross bars would prevent it from flexing) and tried it several times. I did not notice any flex what’s so ever. Zero.

The only PITA is the cable trying to figure out if it wants to go to the left of the strut or the right. Trying to get it to settle over the center of it. Hope this helps.

 

[CoastieN70]

I got and installed one of these. I did the painting of the packaged hardware but just used flat black paint I used on my tail pipe: a. because I am frugal (nice way of sayin cheap) and b. I have a black truck.
If I had not been able to get this with out putting money out of pocket, Ford Pass Points, I doubt I would have purchased it. The attachment hardware seems to be of good quality but the strut is iffy. I suspect there are way better struts out there that could have been used and I anticipate I will be searching for one. I hope I am wrong, in a year or two.
I suspect that these will be showing up on Amazon and eBay for WAY LESS than Ford's $50 MSRP but under the DZ moniker.
So unless you absolutely have to have one, use your Ford Pass Points if you can. If you don't have the points, wait a couple months and they will be cheaper on Amazon and eBay OR hook up with MarkP; I suspect his version will cost a bit more but will have a better quality strut...
BTW: This version works OK, that's the highest recommendation I can give...

 

[tgRanger]

Just for the heck of it.. Here’s a comparison of some of the struts. Top picture is MarkP’s (pre powder coat hardware), middle is DeeZee’s and bottom is the $25.00 one that some of us purchased on ebay and then got for free.

 

[CoastieN70]

https://www.jegs.com/i/Dee-Zee/300/43206/10002/-1

I don't know if they have this in stock yet but $36.99 seems like a real world retail price and when they hit Amazon I suspect they will be significantly less...

 

[joeb427]

https://www.jegs.com/i/Dee-Zee/300/43206/10002/-1

I don't know if they have this in stock yet but $36.99 seems like a real world retail price and when they hit Amazon I suspect they will be significantly less...

It always costs more to be the first one on the block to have an item.

 

[DHMag]

https://www.jegs.com/i/Dee-Zee/300/43206/10002/-1

I don't know if they have this in stock yet but $36.99 seems like a real world retail price and when they hit Amazon I suspect they will be significantly less...

If Jegs and Summit are still using the same practices, they charge like $8 for handling plus the shipping costs.

 

[chasvs]

I for one am glad to have a useable Tailgate Damper, approved by Ford no less. It DOES WHAT I WANT in a Damper. Could it be hidden? Could it be more Robust? Could it be Color Coded to each Vehicle Color? Could it be Cheaper? Could it be more expensive? Sure to ALL that.
DOES IT WORK? YES! Do I expect it to work for a long time? I sure hope so, but if it doesn't I can afford another one..And maybe I'll be able to get one on Amazon or Ebay by the Manufacturer DEE ZEE cheaper. All good!
Love my Ranger, even if it's not Perfect!

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