There is a burr on the latch as the spring slides down. Gonna try to file it then out grease on it.

 

I played with the plastic button and trimmed the plastic edges so it wouldn’t bind in the plastic cap. I cleaned the tailgate with water and wiped with alcohol. Then I took white sealant (not black adhesive, because that’s what I have) and put around each clip and a bead along the length front and back.

This is slow cure stuff, takes up to a week. Lololollllll

I heard a couple clicks, but I’m not sure if the clips all engage/click in. I don’t know if that’s because the sealant made it quiet, or the sealant actually prevented some of them, but in the end, I’m relying on the glue to actually hold this thing on.The OEM probably had all clips clicking in and it’s missing so I can’t be worse than that.

It does seem that the lead edge is recessed a bit…don’t know if this is a slight mod from the original? I’ll have to see what a factory one looks like to know for sure.

If it starts to come off, I’ll do it again with a legit adhesive and a lot more on the lead edge that gets pulled on. But this is not a work truck so it’s under very occasional hard usage.

I even put some moly grease on the latch and spring and it’s almost like butter!

 

1 week later:
Turned out great. Don’t know how could be better. Seems to fit, looks good, even, nothing rubs, open/close, button action smooth.

Knowing what I know now…at your first sign of broken clips or popping up, take it off and GLUE THAT BASTARD DOWN.

I will never address the tailgate cap again.

 

How did you get it off - or was it already coming off?

 

It was missing.

 

As a short term follow up....
It's been almost 2 months, I've used my truck bed a bit, nothing hard core or crazy, but the tailgate ladder/step cap is solid and has my confidence. Between using the step or sliding off the tailgate when it's down. The edge seems recessed so it doesn't catch when pulling something out, don't know if the OEM original is like that or not. But even if it does, being glued seems to prevent it from popping clips and flying off. At this point if for any reason it failed, I would do the same exact thing again, but would use an actual adhesive verses a sealant which is what I used because it's what I had. In principle it should be excellent.

I bought a $27 tailgate cap.
My only thought, was when I installed it, I didn't hear all the clips "click" but I put sealant on all of them so that may have deadened the click sound or even prevented some of them from fully engaging, but the glue is holding it on anyway.
BOTTOM LINE: You can fix a missing tailgate cap for $25 and $5 of caulking adhesive/sealant.