Does anyone have any tried and true Dakota tailgate hinge repair ideas?

 

Fix what's broken.

What's wrong with your hinge? Bed side or tailgate side? Accident, rust, or ... ?

RwP

 

Best route to fix It..... Go buy 2 pieces of pipe. One with a slightly bigger i.d. than the o.d. of the other pipe. The smaller stuff you'll cut and weld to the bedside to replace what came stock. The bigger will get cut and welded to the bracket that bolts on to the tailgate. You're gonna want help, pay attention to your body gaps and where everything sits before you do any finish welding or you'll end up with a tailgate that's crooked, won't latch, or won't open. If you want to do the extra work you can notch the bigger pieces so that you'll be able to remove the tailgate without unbolting the brackets. Just remember to prep prime and paint everything when your done to protect from rust
other than that all you can do is find a junkyard that will let you cut up a bed as well as take the brackets off a tailgate. Hope this helps