Review on 🚪 DZ43200 Tailgate Assist: Perfect Fit for 04-14 Ford F150 & Lincoln Mark LT by Scott Carlile

This item gets a 5/5 when installed. It works well and does what it's supposed to. It should be noted that I have a 2013 Ford F150 FX4. Now for the installation process, I'd give it a 1/5 (hence the generous 3/5 overall score). With this equipment it was impossible to correctly mount the ball joint on the tailgate. I literally couldn't get it to work. The base kept rotating when I tried to install the screwed portion of the ball mount and there was nothing I could do about it (yes, I've tried duct tape and all the other tips from these reviews. None of them worked in my case!). If I hadn't been smart and lucky I would never have installed a ball mount. This "Nussert" ball mount (the part of the fascia type that acts as the female part that fits into the hole in the tailgate) is completely useless and I couldn't use it for its intended purpose. It's basically a terrible design and Dee Zee should be taken from these reviews and given a better design. This is unfair to the end user. I think I'm pretty good with tools and projects like this. So I can't imagine what people with less experience encounter during the installation process. with a built in rotating washer (aka serrated flange nut) that is perfect for the ball joint threads (sorry I can't tell you the size). I was able to install it myself in the back door with some effort using very long needle nose pliers. To do this I had to remove the factory black plastic tailgate trim and carefully install the nut with a flashlight and lots of patience. Luckily I was able to screw the threads of the ball joint onto the nut. Once it all started, I held the pliers firmly on the nut while finger-tightening the ball retainer until the notched part "bited" or "grabbed" the tailgate. Eventually the pressure on the nut stabilized it as I continued to tighten it with the socket wrench (and was able to let go of the pliers). Once that ball mount was successfully installed, the rest was just a piece of cake. As for concerns about the "durability" of the hydraulic assembly itself, I can't confirm that as I've only worn mine for about a month. However, this is a component that will fail over time (remember those '80s hatchbacks?) and is to be expected. I will be more than happy to purchase another of these kits when the shock fails IF I NEVER HAVE TO FUCK WITH THIS NUTSERT/BALL MOUNT INSTALLATION PROCESS AGAIN! (which I won't do because I used the flange nut installation method which is meant to last the life of the truck). Ultimately, this product is great when installed properly. I am very happy with his work. However, the installation process (as currently designed) sucks. Took me about 3 hours from start to finish. 95% of that time was spent installing that stupid tailgate ball mount. You will love the product when you decide to buy it and go through the painstaking process of installing it CORRECTLY. Patience is a must. PS - I've attached a photo of what a serrated flange nut looks like. Since I couldn't tell you the size, I would take an HD or Lowes ball mount and just attach it to the threads. MUCH LUCK!