It's been a well known fact that the tail gates on the 2nd generation Tacomas were weak and bent easily under even moderate load which led to development our original reinforcement panel. Toyota learned a bit from their mistake and increased the strength of the 2016+ tailgate a bit, but it still lacks inner structure and the rough ribbed plastic panel is hard on the knees when accessing the bed plus makes for a terribly awkward surface to place items on. Our panel not only adds strength to reinforce your tailgate, but the flat surface makes for a much more ideal platform to set things on like grill's, stoves, or your favorite beverage while camping or hanging out at the lake for an afternoon. We're the original reinforcement on the market, we've been making them since 2010, lots have tried to imitate or copy over the years but our 1-piece panels are never quite matched in design or quality. Our tail gate reinforcement plates are Laser cut and then precision formed on a 12-axis CNC press brake for a clean fit with just a little room where necessary. The end result is a more functional albeit slightly heavier tail gate that is much stronger, and leaves the user with little worry of bending it under the most common loads. Don't fall for the completely flat or ribbed 2-piece plates from some of our competitors to do the job of strengthening the tailgate. The one piece design with multiple brake-formed edges is where rigidity and strength comes from and still offers a handy flat work surface! Install: Easily mounts with factory screws, though we do recommend purchasing 8x) PN 90166-60003 screws for a more flush fit to replace the upper shouldered screws. Required install tools are only a T30 torx bit for the screws holding the cover on. Please note that these reinforcement plates are formed from sheet metal and therefore are not as thick as the factory molded plastic cap, tonneau covers and canopies may not seal the same as they did with the factory cap and adjustments are likely necessary to those seals. Additionally, as with anything made of metal, the panels can get hot when exposed to direct sunlight. Availability: Backordered reinforcement plates usually ship in 2-4 weeks total after ordering! In-stock reinforcements usually ship within 5 business days. Thanks
