Tailgates & Rear Doors

Tailgates, tail doors and rear closure panels for Land Cruiser FJ40/FJ45, Land Rover Defender and early Ford Bronco. Double-skinned tailgates trap water and mud between their skins, which is why the original on almost every working truck has rotted from the inside out long before the rest of the body.

Fitting notes

Tailgates bolt to hinges, so replacement is transfer work: chains or stays, latches, handles and glass hardware move across, then the panel is gapped against the rear opening. Check the opening itself for rust and distortion first — a perfect tailgate can't fix a sagging aperture. Seal internal seams and inject cavity wax before paint so the new panel doesn't repeat history.

Are FJ40 tailgates handed?

The FJ40 barn-door style rear has LH and RH gates listed separately; drop tailgates are single panels with separate upper hinges.

Does a Defender tail door come with hinges?

Doors are supplied as panels; hinges and locks are in hardware.

Related: back panels · body glass