Tailgate Rattle / Tick Issue Fix -- TSB 23-2163

[Hbrichman]

I‘ve been dealing with this rattling/ticking for years. I tried lithium grease and other tailgate braces. The Ford Performance (Raptor) tailgate brace/hinges fixed the issue completely. Not one noise coming from the tailgate. Just a potential fix for anybody still dealing with this

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[pjmezz13]

After disassembling the entire rear cargo area piece by piece to isolate the noise, I finally decided to remove the spare and spare tire carrier to see if this TSB could be at play. Wouldn't you know it, the tick/rattle was gone. I ordered the TOR tire carrier reinforcement kit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this solves the issue.

While investigating, I also applied white lithium grease for the second time. I noticed something that looked a bit odd inside the bottom left opening of the tailgate. See the pic below. Does anyone know if this hole is normal? I also can't tell if part of the tailgate/hinge is bent inwards. This would be in the opposite direction of the weight of the spare though...

 

[pjmezz13]

After disassembling the entire rear cargo area piece by piece to isolate the noise, I finally decided to remove the spare and spare tire carrier to see if this TSB could be at play. Wouldn't you know it, the tick/rattle was gone. I ordered the TOR tire carrier reinforcement kit. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this solves the issue.

While investigating, I also applied white lithium grease for the second time. I noticed something that looked a bit odd inside the bottom left opening of the tailgate. See the pic below. Does anyone know if this hole is normal? I also can't tell if part of the tailgate/hinge is bent inwards. This would be in the opposite direction of the weight of the spare though...

I installed the TOR tire carrier reinforcement and the sound is gone. As others have stated, the install takes way longer than the 60 mins they advertise. I would give yourself at least 4 hours.

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

So I have had a tailgate tick develop recently on my ‘25 HE. Originally just on the rough gravel road up to my house. Now every bump on the road. I discovered I could recreate a tick sound by pressing my fingers here on the outside of the tailgate:

So I popped off the tailgate latch panel and isolated it to the large black plastic piece indicated by the yellow arrows:

The black piece is clipped to the tan one, and by placing fingers between the tan piece and tailgate metal as a spacer, the piece no longer clicks when the tailgate is pressed from outside.

So before I go crazy with white lithium grease, I’m going to try a foam spacer where my fingers are here. Will report back later today.

I want this sorted before we start our 2500+ mile road trip to New England and Nova Scotia in about 10 days because it will no doubt irritate me otherwise. Will also be getting my 10k service done a couple hundred miles early before we depart.

 

[Graham1911]

I sure hope you are correct. I will check it on mine. I have tried everything, including the grease. It goes away and then it comes back. 35,000 miles in and it has been an issue the whole time. It comes and goes.

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

Welp, shit. That wasn’t it. I wedged some foam pipe insulation in there snugly and the tailgate still clicked/ticked. Back to the drawing board…

Spare just came off so I can test without the weight. I noticed the lower tire bumpers are held in place with some kinda plastic grommet with a center screw that can’t really be securely tightened. And both bumpers click when I move them, especially the left side. The list of suspects is growing. Will update after test drive without spare…

UPDATE: No clicking at all without the spare on the tailgate. For whatever that’s worth.

I’m going to focus on those spare tire bumpers for the time being.

Update #2. Removed spare bumpers, cleaned and sprayed inside and back with silicon, reinstalled, remounted spare at 41 ft-lbs. Test drove and the click is back, same as before. Wasted half my day on this with no results.

I may have to punt until after the trip and see what Ford will do then.

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

SUCCESS!! My tailgate ticking was at it’s worst this morning and is now silent for the time being.

I had my wife yank down on the spare a few times so I could isolate the tick sound and it’s 100% from the lower hinge area, but not external. So I decided to target just that area inside the tailgate with white lithium WD-40.

I didn’t want to go nuclear because white lithium doesn’t play well with some plastics and I don’t know what all is inside the tailgate that I can’t see. So I stuck the straw through the lower left slot on the inside of the gate and then through the little hole beyond that. I blasted the general area spanning from one hinge bolt to the next, or where I estimated them to be: basically down and left from that hole. Two blasts across there about 1 second each. I pulled the drain plugs out of the bottom of the tailgate and no drainage after 10 minutes, so it’s not drenched in there.

After spraying I drove it down and back up my bumpy gravel road and NOT A PEEP. Blissfully silent for now. If it returns later, I’ll hit it again. Now that I know how and where to handle it, I’m going to be far less annoyed on my upcoming roadtrip.

 

[Brian_B]

and I don’t know what all is inside the tailgate that I can’t see

There is a piece of air filter stuff that’s directly over the vents that are behind the spare tire, and the wire harness that you can see externally running across to the left hand side for the lock/CHMBL/camera.

Other than that - nothing but some internal aluminum cross bracing and the nut plates for the hinges and spare carrier

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

There is a piece of air filter stuff that’s directly over the vents that are behind the spare tire, and the wire harness that you can see externally running across to the left hand side for the lock/CHMBL/camera.

Other than that - nothing but some internal aluminum cross bracing and the nut plates for the hinges and spare carrier

Good to know! I can get more aggressive with spraying next time it acts up .

 

[Nickyweg]

Anyone have a diagram of where and what angles I should spray ? Mine developed a tick

 

[JTK37]

SUCCESS!! My tailgate ticking was at it’s worst this morning and is now silent for the time being.

I had my wife yank down on the spare a few times so I could isolate the tick sound and it’s 100% from the lower hinge area, but not external. So I decided to target just that area inside the tailgate with white lithium WD-40.

I didn’t want to go nuclear because white lithium doesn’t play well with some plastics and I don’t know what all is inside the tailgate that I can’t see. So I stuck the straw through the lower left slot on the inside of the gate and then through the little hole beyond that. I blasted the general area spanning from one hinge bolt to the next, or where I estimated them to be: basically down and left from that hole. Two blasts across there about 1 second each. I pulled the drain plugs out of the bottom of the tailgate and no drainage after 10 minutes, so it’s not drenched in there.

After spraying I drove it down and back up my bumpy gravel road and NOT A PEEP. Blissfully silent for now. If it returns later, I’ll hit it again. Now that I know how and where to handle it, I’m going to be far less annoyed on my upcoming roadtrip.

‘21 Wildtrack, 90k miles, the tailgate has been ticking and rattling for years, finally got to the point that it was super annoying. I had some free time and found this thread and solution.

Lithium grease sprayed inside as the above detailed and voila, no more noises. It’s actually so pleasant it’s like a new car. Can’t believe I went so long with the rattle, must have been blasting ,using to cover it up.

Thank you!!!!

 

[VirginiaHeritage]

‘21 Wildtrack, 90k miles, the tailgate has been ticking and rattling for years, finally got to the point that it was super annoying. I had some free time and found this thread and solution.

Lithium grease sprayed inside as the above detailed and voila, no more noises. It’s actually so pleasant it’s like a new car. Can’t believe I went so long with the rattle, must have been blasting ,using to cover it up.

Thank you!!!!

Glad it worked for you! It will eventually drip out on the bumper and need a little wiping. Might take a day or two. Mine hasn’t needed spraying again since I posted that. Still quiet.

 

[Antimadder]

I'll be damned. Spraying lubricant into the small slot, in the Cargo door actually worked for me. I have a 2025 4 Door SAS and for the past few months a ticking & clicking sound like metal on metal would occur over bumps and rough roads. It was driving me crazy.

So glad I found this post, so thanks to the OG poster. The TSB is not for 2025, but it looks like Ford did not actually fix it after the TSB model year(s). I had my rig in for service last week and I wanted to them to fix the noise.

They told me that it's a combination of weak hinges, a thin aluminum door and the weight of the 35 inch spare + wheel. I was told that there was nothing they could do. I felt the same BS alert that I got from Toyota when I had my 4Runner.

Anyway, thanks again, love these forums. Peace!

 

[BroncoRuss]

So I have the tick. I’ve heard people describe it as the same noise a case of water bottles makes, which is spot on for what I have. I’ve tried cleaning the window seal and gasket, no luck. But I think I isolated the noise coming from this piece. It seems to be adhesive-mounted.

If it’s adhesive mounted I don’t think I want to put wd40 in there, plus the paint issue. Anyone else isolated it to this piece? What was your fix?

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