Spare tire mount reinforcement kit now available from Ford Performance Parts

[wigglysqiggly]

Anyone find any other attachment accessories for a flagpole / antenna / recovery boards other than the one from buckle up?
https://buckleupoffroad.com/product...bronco-w-buor-braptor-spare-tire-reinforcment
I'm mainly looking for an antenna mount.

Try TurnOffroad, I found an tailgate stoper on there too

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[Papa Smurf]

Anyone find any other attachment accessories for a flagpole / antenna / recovery boards other than the one from buckle up?
https://buckleupoffroad.com/product...bronco-w-buor-braptor-spare-tire-reinforcment
I'm mainly looking for an antenna mount.

If it is on her site, chances are that it can be found from another Chinese retailer for the same or cheaper price. Just look.

 

[DaveInSA]

Try TurnOffroad, I found an tailgate stoper on there too

I don't know if that would work. I'd have to measure. It mounts on the bolts that mount the tailgate to the hinge. Those are covered with this reinforcement installed and the reinforcement uses different bolts. Don't remember if those are same distance apart as the ones this is designed to go in.
Was hoping to find one made for the accessory bolt locations on the upgraded hinges/reinforcement.

 

[WildOne23]

Install was pretty easy. I was able to support the tailgate with a ratchet strap hung from a beam in my garage. Along with the spare tire wedged at the end of the tailgate and replacing one hinge at a time, the tailgate required zero realignment. My son was there to "hold" the tailgate still, but mostly watched videos on his phone.

Looks good with Cactus Grey

 

[Dr. Squatch]

Replaced with no cost to me. The warranty guys were great. You can chat with them on the Performance Parts website and by email.

I am waiting to hear back from Ford. However, I was able to get three of the four fasteners removed. However, the lower right isn't budging and I am afraid of breaking off the fastener. I guess I am going to take it to a local machine shop and see if they have any better luck.

Did the thread locker on your fasteners look like powder?

Thanks for your help.

 

[bebrown1075]

I am waiting to hear back from Ford. However, I was able to get three of the four fasteners removed. However, the lower right isn't budging and I am afraid of breaking off the fastener. I guess I am going to take it to a local machine shop and see if they have any better luck.

Did the thread locker on your fasteners look like powder?

Thanks for your help.

I only had trouble with one bolt and was not able to remove it that far. So I never got the thread lock to come off like in your picture. It sure seems like that bolt got cross threaded. Did it go in smooth without much effort? I think I saw you cleaned up the holes. I had to destroy my exoskeleton to get it off. See that metal between the plastic? I had to cut around that. The bolt is still seized in the hinge sitting in the junk pile. With that much bolt sticking out you should be able to cut that off......... I wish you luck removing what you have and also getting new parts. I cannot say a bad word about the warranty process to get my parts replaced.

 

[Papa Smurf]

For those that have gotten theirs, how long roughly was shipping? My parts guy and I ordered 2 sets through his dealership at the start of February and we’ve heard nothing.
Did most order and have it shipped to their home or participating dealer?

 

[Murg]

Haven’t gotten it, but was start of February for send to dealer. Ordered on 2/9. Still in processing.

 

[KyTruckPlant]

Haven’t gotten it, but was start of February for send to dealer. Ordered on 2/9. Still in processing.

I had that same issue, turns out it was at the dealer for about a month and the guy that does those orders was off for that month. It sounded to me like the status of my order was dictated by the dealership. That dude was out, and no one else logged it as having arrived, or some such mess.

ETA: my status was "in route to dealer" for a month, so it may be different on yours

 

[Wirenut20]

Do any of you plan on having the hinges color matched? I understand that there will only be a small portion of the hinge visible.

Just picked up the hinges from the powder coaters. Hopefully I can get them installed this weekend.

 

[Steve B]

For those that have gotten theirs, how long roughly was shipping? My parts guy and I ordered 2 sets through his dealership at the start of February and we’ve heard nothing.
Did most order and have it shipped to their home or participating dealer?

Both of mine were delivered to my home address within a week of ordering them. I was in the first batch of orders from late January though.

 

[Sir915]

The exoskeleton is intended to transfer the weight of the spare tire / spare tire carrier (or a good portion of it) directly to the hinges, bypassing the sheet metal of the tailgate itself. Coupled with the heavy duty hinges, you have a much stronger installation.

Many have commented on how thin the metal portion of the exoskeleton is, and having just picked mine up today, I agree. That said, it's intended withstand a torsional or rotational stress with the midpoint of the hinges being the "axis" of rotation, so I don't think it needs to be that thick. Definitely better than just the tailgate sheet metal.

I agree was looking at it and yes it's thin but at the same time it looks like the plastic injection points all throughout the exo help make it more rigid possibly?

 

[WildOne23]

I agree was looking at it and yes it's thin but at the same time it looks like the plastic injection points all throughout the exo help make it more rigid possibly?

I would agree.

 

[CarbonBronco]

Finally all on.

 

[Dr. Squatch]

I only had trouble with one bolt and was not able to remove it that far. So I never got the thread lock to come off like in your picture. It sure seems like that bolt got cross threaded. Did it go in smooth without much effort? I think I saw you cleaned up the holes. I had to destroy my exoskeleton to get it off. See that metal between the plastic? I had to cut around that. The bolt is still seized in the hinge sitting in the junk pile. With that much bolt sticking out you should be able to cut that off......... I wish you luck removing what you have and also getting new parts. I cannot say a bad word about the warranty process to get my parts replaced.

The bolt in the picture was just an example of the residue found on all four fasteners. The bolt I had the biggest problem with was the lower-right. It only loosened about 1 turn before the head started to strip. I was able to use an "Impact Bolt Extractor" to remove it. I used a ratchet instead of an impact gun...and went slowly.

The residue was very fine powder and did not feel like material from the hinge. I checked the bolt treads with a Nut and Bolt Thread Checker tool and they were fine. I checked the hinges with both new bolts and a tap and found none of the holes were cross threaded.

Ford responded that the threadlocker used is Precote 80. Here is, in part, the response from Ford.
"Precote 80 is a high strength and high temperature resistant thread locking and sealing
coating designed to be used on all types of external or internal threaded fasteners. When it
comes to pre-applied threadlockers, there is none stronger than precote® 80".

In summary, I managed to removed all four Ford fasteners without damaging anything, except for the 4 bolts, and will utilize APR bolts when I reinstall everything today. Also, you were right. FRPP (Mr. Kot) was great to work with.

Thank you for your inputs!

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