Tail gate without support cables?

[VI Tesla]

Question, does anyone know how the tailgate on the Cybertruck works? It doesn't have support cables. Obviously it does work to an extent, as they drove that ATV into it. Just curious.

Advertisement

 

[XB12R]

Linear actuators possibly. Manual with ratchet stops? Motors and torsion bars like a '76 Buick Estate clamshell tailgate? It went past 90 degrees for the ramp demonstration and there are pictures of it at 90. Anybody find a video of it in action other than the ramp being pulled out of the top edge?

 

[VI Tesla]

'76 Buick Estate clamshell tailgate

Linear actuators possibly. Manual with ratchet stops? Motors and torsion bars like a '76 Buick Estate clamshell tailgate? It went past 90 degrees for the ramp demonstration and there are pictures of it at 90. Anybody find a video of it in action other than the ramp being pulled out of the top edge?

When they dropped it down during reveal it seem to drop like any other tailgate. just don't see what held it up unless that black filler plate attached to tailgate somehow grabs the underside of the bed? i suppose a few grab points on underside of bed could allow it to stop at 90 and beyond? But there's a storage compartment there, so not sure that's the answer?

 

[VI Tesla]

When they dropped it down during reveal it seem to drop like any other tailgate. just don't see what held it up unless that black filler plate attached to tailgate somehow grabs the underside of the bed? i suppose a few grab points on underside of bed could allow it to stop at 90 and beyond? But there's a storage compartment there, so not sure that's the answer?

So maybe the black plate grabs inside of tailgate?

 

[Keeney]

The tailgate needs to be able to hold up heavy payloads being set on it or rolled across it. I would be concerned about trying to do that just with a stop in the hinge mechanism. Conventional trucks use steel cables or metal straps as the most straight forward way to make the tailgate able to handle thousands of pounds of load without sagging or bending the hinge.

The CT seems to also have the ability of the tailgate to open beyond horizontal. That complicates things.

 

[VI Tesla]

The tailgate needs to be able to hold up heavy payloads being set on it or rolled across it. I would be concerned about trying to do that just with a stop in the hinge mechanism. Conventional trucks use steel cables or metal straps as the most straight forward way to make the tailgate able to handle thousands of pounds of load without sagging or bending the hinge.

The CT seems to also have the ability of the tailgate to open beyond horizontal. That complicates things.

Exactly why I posed the question. I've watched the reveal anumber of times where they drive the ATV up the ramp and into back. Suspension drops, as you would expect, but the tailgate doesn't seem to move much. So wondering how they've accomplished that. I routinely put more weight than I should on my tailgate, thankfully the cables are there, not sure how they get around this....

 

[Keeney]

Exactly why I posed the question. I've watched the reveal anumber of times where they drive the ATV up the ramp and into back. Suspension drops, as you would expect, but the tailgate doesn't seem to move much. So wondering how they've accomplished that. I routinely put more weight than I should on my tailgate, thankfully the cables are there, not sure how they get around this....

In the all-the-way down position, it can be supported by the bumper. But there also needs to be a level position.

In regards to "more weight than I should", My expectation is that a pickup tailgate is designed to handle the full payload capacity of the truck. Plus some margin for the loading operation. For example, a 3500lb pallet of tile being "set" on the tailgate by a teenage forklift driver before being pushed into the truck. Or that same pallet being wheeled up a ramp resting n the edge of the tailgate. Also, the weight of a couple big guys climbing on the tailgate to do the loading/unloading.

 

[Frank W]

In the all-the-way down position, it can be supported by the bumper. But there also needs to be a level position.

In regards to "more weight than I should", My expectation is that a pickup tailgate is designed to handle the full payload capacity of the truck. Plus some margin for the loading operation. For example, a 3500lb pallet of tile being "set" on the tailgate by a teenage forklift driver before being pushed into the truck. Or that same pallet being wheeled up a ramp resting n the edge of the tailgate. Also, the weight of a couple big guys climbing on the tailgate to do the loading/unloading.

I personally think that the tailgate has never been designed or built to hold the entire load. I’m no expert though but seems like I have read it before.

 

[Saskateam]

I think the tailgate is design was not fully backed for the reveal. You can see it rests on the bumper when lowered. I hope the tailgate on the CT is a solid piece on a shaft that is run by gears and motor system. This way you can set the height and have it open from the app before you get to it like a power lift gate. It could also be as simple as a bar on each side of the shaft the endgate is attached to. When you close the tailgate the bar sits horizontal to the ground and when you open the tailgate the bars arc to vertical and are stopped by the exoskeleton around the tailgate.

 

[Cody the cat]

I think the tailgate is design was not fully backed for the reveal. You can see it rests on the bumper when lowered. I hope the tailgate on the CT is a solid piece on a shaft that is run by gears and motor system. This way you can set the height and have it open from the app before you get to it like a power lift gate. It could also be as simple as a bar on each side of the shaft the endgate is attached to. When you close the tailgate the bar sits horizontal to the ground and when you open the tailgate the bars arc to vertical and are stopped by the exoskeleton around the tailgate.

You may be on to something.....

 

[Saiburrcat]

In regards to "more weight than I should", My expectation is that a pickup tailgate is designed to handle the full payload capacity of the truck. Plus some margin for the loading operation. For example, a 3500lb pallet of tile being "set" on the tailgate by a teenage forklift driver before being pushed into the truck.

Not even close. 3500lbs is about the weight of a mid size car. Park a Monte Carlo on your tailgate and see what happens. Pickup tailgates regularly break when loading large atv's. Roughly 700lbs is a general recommendation. 1000lbs and up is a gamble depending on the model. Cybertruck is a concept and an exception due to the design that becomes supported by the ground when open.

 

[Keeney]

Not even close. 3500lbs is about the weight of a mid size car. Park a Monte Carlo on your tailgate and see what happens. Pickup tailgates regularly break when loading large atv's. Roughly 700lbs is a general recommendation. 1000lbs and up is a gamble depending on the model. Cybertruck is a concept and an exception due to the design that becomes supported by the ground when open.

So how do you get the 3500 lbs in and out of the truck? If its a pallet of heavy stuff, its going to be loaded by a forklift. The forklift cannot reach all the way to the front of the bed. It has to set the pallet on the back, partly on the tailgate. Then it gets slid in by pushing on the pallet. To unload, you reverse - slide the pallet out on the tailgate where the forklift can reach it and lift it down.

Yes, I too have seen tailgates fail - in older rusty rucks. The straps rust where they bend because the plastic coating cracks.. The rear pillars of the bed rust out and the strap anchor screws rip out, the tailgate itself can lose strength as the sheet metal rusts, and also the hinges can pop off as they rust. But in a new, non-corroded truck, I would expect the nominal strength of the design to be commensurate with the rated load of the truck.

 

[Saiburrcat]

So how do you get the 3500 lbs in and out of the truck? If its a pallet of heavy stuff, its going to be loaded by a forklift. The forklift cannot reach all the way to the front of the bed. It has to set the pallet on the back, partly on the tailgate. Then it gets slid in by pushing on the pallet. To unload, you reverse - slide the pallet out on the tailgate where the forklift can reach it and lift it down.

Yes, I too have seen tailgates fail - in older rusty rucks. The straps rust where they bend because the plastic coating cracks.. The rear pillars of the bed rust out and the strap anchor screws rip out, the tailgate itself can lose strength as the sheet metal rusts, and also the hinges can pop off as they rust. But in a new, non-corroded truck, I would expect the nominal strength of the design to be commensurate with the rated load of the truck.

Tailgates are 2ft wide. Pallets are 4ft wide. The bed immediately supports weight. You're wrong twice because tailgates arent rated at all for liability reasons.

 

[Keeney]

Tailgates are 2ft wide. Pallets are 4ft wide. The bed immediately supports weight.

Pallets come in all sizes. 44" is pretty typical. Yeah, sure, about half of the weight is on the tailgate. And not all of it is on the very end.

I would expect the nominal strength of the design to be commensurate with the rated load of the truck.

I didn't mean to imply the edge of the tailgate can hold the exact same weight as the entire rated load of the truck, but it should be proportionately strong enough to handle the situations that correspond to loading and unloading that much payload.

 

[Sirfun]

I didn't realize until today when I saw the video of the CT, that the tailgate has the tail light bar built into it. So that would make for one expensive tailgate, plus has to be wired. And when tailgate is down while driving, there has to be those running/brake lights on the body, inside the tailgate closure. None of that sounds inexpensive.