Dee Zee DZ43204 Tailgate Assist Shock (Ford F150)

I bought this item recently. Took about twenty minutes to install. The supplied plates perfectly fit where they were supposed to. Instructions were detailed yet very simple to follow. A piece of mylar self sticking plastic film was included to protect the paintwork on the interior surfaces of the tailgate/body from possible rubbing by the cylinder but this does not appear to be a problem with my truck, no rubbing issues at all. A small tube of loctite is supplied. The cylinder works exactly as expected. It is not a real slow drop but towards the end the tailgate slows significantly and does not bang down. There is no resistance when lifting the tailgate up. I am pleased with this purchase and look forward to seeing how long the cylinder lasts and how it will operate in cold northern weather this winter.

Ordered last night. Received it this morning (super fast shipping). Ordered it for a 2019 Ford F150 XLT. Easy to install, but I recommend watching a youtube video (many available) before installing. Don't forget to apply locktite to all the bolts when installing them (the instructions do not mention this). Also, don't forget to replace all the bolts before snapping the shock into place (we made that mistake and had to unscrew the cable bolt (top) to screw the tailgate bolt we took off). I would suggest to Dee Zee to indicate somewhere in the shock which ends goes attached at the top and which attaches to the tailgate itself (it may be obvious to many, but to some like us it is not). The extendable part of the shock attaches to the tailgate (it was not clear to us on the photos they include with the instructions). Make sure you have a good T50 torx socket; the one provided by Dee Zee is not the best (but it is a nice thought, as most commo household tool sets do not seem to include that one in particular). Once installed though, it worked like a charm. Even with all the minor set backs, it took about 20 minutes to install. Would definitely recommend, as it makes the opening of the tailgate so much smoother. As for longevity, it remains to be seen.

The media could not be loaded.  Worth every penny and then some.

I've put one of these on my last three trucks. It makes opening the tailgate a one handed operation and makes the support cables last much longer. On my previous truck (2005 chev) the gas strut failed after about three years and the brackets showed significant corrosion in that time.This one only took two minutes to install on my 2016 f150. I used a 10mm, t50 torx and 5mm Allen sockets.

Great product for $40. Don’t know why I didn’t buy sooner for my 2015 Ford F-150. Install took me 10 minutes. Clear easy to follow instructions included. Product is as shown. ***remember to use blue locktight that’s included with kit. Instructions don’t mention usage during install. Tailgate now takes 5 seconds to fully drop. Will deff buy again!Update 01/15/2019Still going strong. Recommend to anyone without one. Will be buying for all future trucks