08+ tailgate swap between older and newer truck?

[ScottyP5947]

Hey guys -

My work has a white 08 truck that they are about to send to auction and I was hoping to do a tailgate swap with my '00 F250. I have read how to swap the new tailgate to the older truck (just have to buy a hinge from ford) but I can't find much on making the old tailgate fit on the newer truck. Is this an easy swap in both directions?

What about the tail lights? Easy in both directions?
I'd love to swap mirrors, but that may be a bit much.

Input?

Thanks -
Scott

[04stroker]

Originally Posted by ScottyP5947

Hey guys -

My work has a white 08 truck that they are about to send to auction and I was hoping to do a tailgate swap with my '00 F250. I have read how to swap the new tailgate to the older truck (just have to buy a hinge from ford) but I can't find much on making the old tailgate fit on the newer truck. Is this an easy swap in both directions?

What about the tail lights? Easy in both directions?
I'd love to swap mirrors, but that may be a bit much.

Input?

Thanks -
Scott

Swap the hinges on both trucks and the locks on tailgate.

Tail lights - the 08-up light the backup is on top so your pigtails on your truck need to be longer to swap the lights, I believe the plugs are the same but not sure.

[ScottyP5947]

So I won't need to buy a new bracket or hinge if I have both trucks available?
Score!

Hopefully my work allows me to do it, and this will be an awesome upgrade.

As for the taillights, I didn't know it was a direct upgrade until recently, they would probably look good too.

Thanks for the info.

Scott

[04stroker]

Originally Posted by ScottyP5947

So I won't need to buy a new bracket or hinge if I have both trucks available?
Score!

Hopefully my work allows me to do it, and this will be an awesome upgrade.

As for the taillights, I didn't know it was a direct upgrade until recently, they would probably look good too.

Thanks for the info.

Scott

You need to remove both brackets from both trucks. They are held on with Torx Bolts.

[JEL]

Originally Posted by 04stroker

You need to remove both brackets from both trucks. They are held on with Torx Bolts.

Yep T-55 if I remember correctly, I did this recently myself. You will probably need to heat the bolts on the hinges, they are held on with red loctite. You only need to worry about swapping the driver's side hinge between trucks.

[ScottyP5947]

Originally Posted by JEL

Yep T-55 if I remember correctly, I did this recently myself. You will probably need to heat the bolts on the hinges, they are held on with red loctite. You only need to worry about swapping the driver's side hinge between trucks.

I finally got it done, and man you were not joking about the loctite. It was way harder on the '08 truck, seems the one on my '00 was already taken out once, I just had some minor rust to deal with. I broke my torx 50 several times using a 1/2 ratchet working those bolts out.

Looks great, however it seems to close hard against the rubber stops. I'm not sure I could adjust that out of it or not. It works fine otherwise. I need to look into replacing the black plastic across the top of the tailgate, it's loose on one side. Not sure how that piece goes on and off.

I was going to do the taillights but they are not a direct swap, you have to use the socket from the '08 in the '08 taillight for the reverse lights. I didn't want to cut any wires so I didn't do those or the mirrors.

Scott