Augster

This is an old DIY I created long ago on the "other" F-150 forum with my previous '09. I needed to do this to my "new" '11 and realized there wasn't a DIY here. I take no credit for the origination of this mod; I just took the disjointed posts and experiences and compiled a concise procedure for my Platinum SuperCrew with Tailgate Step.

I discovered while modding my '11 that one of the wire's to tap was different than my '09, and I've pointed it out in that step.

It's certainly more time consuming and involved than the LED Mirror Reflector Mod. Although not really difficult, it's just that the scope of the project and planning the mount and operation of the actuator with the existing lock mechanism took some methodical effort. There have been many suggestions to use some sort of metal stock, such as U-channels or thick sections of solid plate, but none of them are readily available at typical hardware/automotive stores. So I set out with the determination to use the mounting strap that typically comes with the actuator. Since no one has indicated utilizing this strap on a tailgate with a man-step, I had to figure this all out on my own.

So, with this basic plan in place, I plunged into the project and budgeted up to two days for its completion (taking my time, photographing key points, analyzing actuator operation of the lock mechanism).



1x Actuator (Amazon = $4.30)
2x Weatherproof Female Bullet Connectors, 16 AWG (usually not included with actuator)
1x Weatherproof 2-pin Connector (Amazon = $7.67)
1x Quick Splice Connectors, 18-16 AWG 3-pack (Radio Shack = $2.36) (standard wire taps can be substituted)
4x Heat Shrink Tubing, 1" x 1/4" (electrical tape can be substituted)
3x Heat Shrink Tubing, 2" x 1/2" (electrical tape can be substituted)
2x Zip Ties, 8"
1x Electrical Tape
2x M3x40 Stainless Steel Pan Head Screws
2x M5x16 Stainless Steel Pan Head Screws
2x M3 Stainless Steel Washers
2x M5 Stainless Steel Washers
2x M3 Stainless Steel Nylon Lock Nuts
2x M5 Stainless Steel Nylon Lock Nuts
15' Wire Loom, 3/8" (Amazon = $6.53)
25' Marine Duplex Tinned Cable, 16/2 AWG (GenuineDealz = $10.13)



The assortment of tools I utilized for the install. Although many of these tools are a luxury and not really required, the stubby Phillips screwdriver or a mini ratcheting bit-driver with cross tip is an absolute necessity in order to properly tighten the screws that hold the clamp to the tailgate lock mechanism.



I started in the cab by removing the sill plates carefully by hand, then went underneath to push in the passenger-side rear body plug.




With a screwdriver to lift the thick bundle of wires up, I used pliers to grab the body plug.



For the 2009-2010 SuperCrews (Platinum in my case), Light Gray with Brown stripe is for locking, Light Blue with Light Green stripe is for one-press unlocking, and Violet with Gray stripe is for two-press unlocking.

For the 2011-2014 SupeCrews (again, Platinum in my case), only the Light Blue with Light Green stripe is used since the remotes can be programmed for either one-press or two-press unlocking.



I located the source wires by grounding a test light or multimeter to chassis then probing the wires while operating the appropriate remote button. I confirmed operation by temporarily attaching the actuator.



Once the correct wires were identified and spliced into (for my '09, I selected the 2-press unlock, Violet/Grey), I again confirmed operation with the actuator. For my 2009, I used the Radio Shack Quick Splices as they allow easy disconnect in case I wanted to switch to the 1-press unlock wire; since it comes in a 3-pack, all I would need to do is snap the spare Quick Splice onto the Light Blue/Light Green wire then swap the Quick Connect to that splice. For the 2011+, Quick Splices are not necessary; regular wire-taps could be used.

I sealed all penetrations of the wire sheathing with a dab of liquid electrical tape as a precautionary step, though it's probably not necessary.

Augster

I inserted the cable through the entire length of the wiring loom, then fish taped the cable/loom through the passenger frame rail (only a few minutes to do with a helping hand), feeding from the rear opening of frame.



A slit was cut into the rubber plug with a razor blade and dabbed with a little hand soap to ease the cable through. With the wire fully pulled into the cab, a zip tie was used to secure it to the frame rail, safely away from the retracting running boards.



Routed the cable within the sill channel through to the front door opening.



Cut to size, crimped on the spade connectors, then connected them to the splices to finish up the interior wiring. Getting the rubber plug back into the hole with the cable sticking through it in the tight confines took some finagling, made easier by pulling out the wire from underneath while pushing the body plug down into the hole, then using my fingers to pull on the end of the plug as it started poking through the hole. I left off the sill plates until after everything was tested and functional.



I dropped the spare for easier access to transition the cable/loom from the frame to the tailgate, cut the cable/loom to length with enough slack before installing the weatherproof 2-pin connector.



I snaked the separate tailgate cable in through the passenger-side holes near the tailgate hinge (if you want to maintain removability of the harness with the tailgate, there is just not enough room to run it through the center holes parallel with a factory backup camera harness because the factory disconnect plug barely squeezes out of the hole with absolutely no space around it). After attaching its weatherproof connector, I plugged it into the cable coming from the cab. Satisfied with the undercarriage work, I stowed the spare wheel.

Augster

Turning my attention to the tailgate, since the actuator I got for my 2009 came with a stamped and folded metal clamp, I first started with modifying that clamp by widening the arm with the two screws in order for it to fit onto the black plastic latch guide. A large screwdriver and some oomph did the job on the surprisingly soft metal. The actuator I got for my 2011was able to slide onto the plastic latch guide with no modifications.



I pre-installed all three small, short screws onto the clamp, then slipped the clamp onto the plastic latch guide positioning it centered on the end. Now, tightening the little screws was a bit tricky and requires a very small stubby screwdriver and a great deal of patience.



After carefully measuring the latch guide's location I determined that I would need to offset the actuator approximately 3/4" from the tailgate panel. I carefully bent the mounting strap in a vise to form a lazy Z shape and attached it to the actuator. I used metric screws since most, if not all, fasteners on the truck are now metric.



I then used a C-clamp to temporarily hold the actuator assembly in its projected location.



Then modified the operating rod into an L-shape, with a small leg to ensure it stays in the actuator eyelet.



I tested full operation to ensure everything worked properly before marking and drilling mounting holes into the tailgate panel. I wrapped the cable once around the right step arm stowage tube to provide strain relief.




I then operated the actuator up and down, while operating the tailgate door handle multiple times in both positions, adjusting the rod within the clamp until everything operated smoothly with no binding. The actuator I got for my 2011 didn't have nearly as long a throw as the first actuator, thus, I had to adjust the position of the operating rod to prevent the mod from inadvertently locking the tailgate from repeated operating of the handle when unlocked due to the plastic latch guide not being sufficiently moved past the center detent (it would move slightly every time the tailgate handle was operated, eventually to the locked position).

Once I was satisfied with all adjustments, I tightened all the screws are much as possibly to prevent the operating rod from slipping, which would result in incomplete power locking/unlocking.

I was truly concerned about the reported loudness of the actuators' operation and someone mentioned that it could be due to the fact that the actuator throw is longer than the movement of the latch guide. I measured the full movement of the plastic guide at the point of the clamp to be approximately 5/8", then measured the full throw of the actuator when electrically operated and discovered it was also approximately 5/8" total. Since the operating rod would extend from the latch guide, there should be enough leeway to not bind the actuator at either end of its throw so as not to cause loud thuds.

And indeed, I was relieved when the noise of its operation was actually lower than the door actuators; you couldn't hear it at all while inside the cab, and it was barely noticeable while standing next to the tailgate (you could definitely hear the door actuators while at the tailgate).

All told, it took me two partial days to complete, at a leisurely pace and having to stop by the hardware store to pick up some screws/nuts to mount the actuator. This "inverted" method should actually work for "plain" tailgates (without the man-step) as well.

Good luck to those about to embark on this project, and many thanks to all those that preceded us and conveyed their experiences which helped tremendously to make my own project successful!

Martian

Moved to proper section, re-titled, removed old posts.

Odjoe

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