2004 Chevy Blazer ZR2.

Just a quickie question, I'm swapping out a caved in tailgate with a replacement, but haven't been able to find any info on the proper removal procedure. Is the main electrical connection inside the tailgate, or can it be accessed from the rubber boot that connects the body to the tailgate? Thanks in advance.

 

Asked and answered. I dug around and all you have to do to find the electrical and wiper fluid connections is remove the plastic trim piece on the floor just inside from the tailgate. Super easy.

 

Thanks for sharing the answer you found. I hope you were able to complete the swap without problem.

 

This summer I removed and replaced my tailgate. For me the tailgate was easy to remove but more difficult to replace. Here is what I found:

1. Remove the spare tire to give yourself more room to see and work.
2. The torque rod is under tension with the tailgate in the open position. For removal, remove the first bolts with the tailgate closed. For installation, install the final bolts with the tailgate closed. The torque rod is not under tension with the tailgate closed.
3. The bolts securing the torque rod bracket to the body are visible from underneath the vehicle with the tailgate closed. These are the first bolts to remove.
4. With the torque rod disconnected, the tailgate can be opened and the remaining bolts can be removed.
5. Pay close attention to how the bracket connects to the torque rod and the body. This was not obvious to me, at first I installed it wrong and bent and damaged my replacement panel.

It is not as complicated as it sounds, just be careful and pay attention to the torque rod.

Another thing to realize is the wiring harness is not the same for all vehicles. I had to use my own wiring harness, and this required removal of nearly every component in the tailgate! The window latch, lock cylinder, rear wiper, etc. This is a good opportunity to disassemble and lubricate the rear wiper shaft if yours is sticky.

 

Thanks Stovey,

I was just about to ask about that torsion rod. I didn't realize it could be accessed with the gate closed so that clears up a lot of confusion I've been having.