Tailgate Seal Kit
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Specifications
Product Name: Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal
Kit
Designed for: Ford Ranger / Raptor Next-Gen
Designed by: Digital Twin Developments
Designed to address dust sealing issues
Product Usage Instructions
Tools Required
- T45 Torx screws
- T30 trim retaining screws
- New button head screws and washers provided
Package Contents
The kit includes a D Seal and other necessary components for
installation.
Installation Steps
- Retain the two T45 bump stop Torx screws.
- Replace the four T30 trim retaining screws with the new button
head screws and washers provided in the parts bag. - Follow specific instructions for Maxliner canopies, if
applicable. - Ensure proper placement of the Pinch Weld.
- Install the Top seal as per instructions.
- Apply Tailgate Seals along the width, ensuring correct
positioning and pressure. - Verify that the D-seal is correctly located against the die-cut
block.
Completion
Once all components are installed as per instructions, the
installation is complete.
FAQ
Q: Where can I find additional rubber blocks for the Top
seal?
A: Additional rubber blocks can be found at
https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-500-x-385-x-15mm-black-the-pad_p0092609
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Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
Thank you for purchasing the Digital Twin Developments Tailgate Seal Kit designed to work on the Ford Ranger / Raptor Next-Gen. The kit was designed on an Australian Ranger Raptor with a spray-in tub liner. The design was developed to address dust sealing issues that owners of the Next-Gen Ranger were experiencing. In designing the seal kit, we had a number of requirements that needed to be accommodated, some of which are as follows:
· To seal the tailgate openings from the harsh Australian dust
· Universal fitment utilising preexisting mounting points
· To work well with either the factory spray-in liner or with no liner at all. If you have the drop-in liner, the seal can still work but it would require you to trim back a small amount of the liner around the back of the tub to remove material to allow the seal kit to be fitted as it compresses against the body.
· To be compatible with as many bed covers / canopies as possible (where it seals at the top)
· Easy to modify: o We have found that it is not possible to design a system that fits perfectly with every combination of bed cover / canopy so the ability to modify the seal plate to suit your specific application is easy and will not compromise the integrity of the kit o The top of the seal plate has been designed with a very simple profile to accommodate modification either by fitting different shaped / sized seal blocks, by attaching custom sheet metal or by cutting and profiling it to perfectly fit your application o The seal plate is made from 304 Stainless Steel so cutting and drilling into it will not affect its corrosion resistance
· To use attachment points that people are unlikely to use for any other purpose o We have not used the “simplest” attachment points inside the tub as we feel that these are best reserved for attaching other things (e.g. drawers)
· To make it as slim as possible to ensure it did not encroach on access o The installed kit provides a minimum width of 1285mm providing the greatest clearance possible
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 1 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
Tools Required
· Torx Star Drive T30 bit · Torx Star Drive T45 bit · M6 Allen key
· Masking tape or similar · Isopropyl alcohol · Clean cloth or rag
Package Contents
· Left and right tailgate seal plates (not shown below) · 2 @ Pinch weld seals (not shown below) · 2 @ D seals with adhesive backing (not shown below) · Bottom D seal with adhesive backing (long piece) (not shown below) · Parts bag containing the installation parts as shown below:
o 2 @ Die-cut black rubber pads with adhesive backing one left and one right o 2 @ 40mm long D seals with adhesive backing o 1 @ 150mm long 35mm x 19mm rubber seal strip with adhesive backing o 2 @ Adhesion Primer / Promoter wipes o 4 @ M6 button screws o 4 @ M6 washers o 4 @ black plastic spacers
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
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Page 2 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
Assembly left and right tailgate seal assemblies
D Seal
· The D seal is applied to the tailgate seal plate with the adhesive side against the flanged edge of the tailgate seal plate
· Clean the entire length of the tailgate seal plate including the bottom with isopropyl alcohol
· Starting from the bottom apply the D seal with the end just past the foot plate on the tailgate seal plate (see photo at right)
· Work your way around the bend and up the tailgate seal plate, removing the protective adhesive strip a small amount at a time and ensuring the D seal is centrally located on the flanged edge
· Try to not apply any tension to the D seal as you work your way up
· Continue until the seal reaches the end of the flange at the top of the seal plate and trim to suit
· Repeat for the other side
· Using masking tape or similar, secure the tailgate bump stop in place on both sides
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 3 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
· Remove the bump stop T45 Torx bolt and the two T30 trim retaining screws on both sides of the tub o They have had Loctite applied so they may take some effort to remove make sure you use the correct size Torx drive bit for each of them
o Retain the two T45 bump stop Torx screws
o The four T30 trim retaining screws are replaced by the four new button head screws and washers provided in the parts bag
· There are two small rubber seal blocks that are installed on either side where the top of the seal plate meets the tub sides one goes horizontally in the “channel” and one goes vertically on the plastic tub trim capping piece
· To assist in locating these pieces, sit the side seal plate in position and note where the top plate is located and then mark this position with a bit of tape
· Using the centreline just marked, clean the leftand right-hand corners of the tub where the small pieces of rubber seal strip go with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag
· From the single long piece of 35mm x 19mm rubber seal strip with adhesive backing, cut two pieces 15mm long
· Remove the adhesive backing and place one on each side horizontally as shown with the centre of the piece lining up with the centreline marked in the previous step
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 4 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
· Using the centreline just marked, clean the leftand right-hand sides of the plastic tub trim capping piece where the small pieces of rubber seal strip go with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag
· From the single long piece of 35mm x 19mm rubber seal strip with adhesive backing, cut two pieces 20mm long
· Remove the adhesive backing and place one on each side vertically as shown with the centre of the piece lining up with the position marked in the previous step
· Clean the left- and right-hand corners of the tub where the small pieces of D seal go with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag
· Remove the adhesive backing paper and apply the small pieces of D seal to the tub on the leftand right-hand corners as shown (the bottom of the seal plate sits on these)
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 5 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
For Maxliner canopies only:
· Maxliner canopies have an additional bracket which also utilises the bump stop T45 Torx bolt
· To accommodate the Maxliner canopy support bracket, push the plastic cover piece out of each seal plate
· Remove the lower mounting bolt (arrowed) and loosen the top mounting bolt on the Maxliner canopy to provide flexibility in the Maxliner bracket during the fitment process. Replace these screws on completion.
· Pull the Maxliner bracket slightly away from the side of the tub and feed the bracket through each seal plate
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 6 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
· Put two M6 button head screws with a washer through the lower two holes on each tailgate seal plate and then add a black plastic spacer to each behind the foot of the seal plate o The black spacers will support the tailgate seal assembly and stop the plastic trim from being crushed
· Position the tailgate seal assembly on the appropriate side and insert the three screws o Start from the bottom screw and work up to the top o Install them in a little bit at first and then work up and down tightening each screw a bit at a time rather than tightening a screw all the way and then moving onto the next so that the seal assembly cinches in against the side of the tub o Note that it will be necessary to hold the seal plate in position and push down on it as well as you start the screws this is normal and is due to the D-seal being compressed against the body and the base of the plate against the seal at the bottom of the tub
Pinch Weld
· The pinch weld seal is applied to the non-folded edge of the tailgate seal plate · Starting from the bottom press the pinch weld seal onto the edge with the end flush
with the foot plate on the tailgate seal plate · Work your way up the edge of the tailgate seal plate making sure the pinch weld is
pressed all the way onto the tailgate seal plate · The pinch weld seal should be supplied at the correct length however you may
stretch or compress or cut its length a little to ensure a perfect fit · Repeat for the other side · Remove the masking tape from the tailgate bump stop once everything is tight and in
place
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 7 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
Top seal
· The final step on the left and right tailgate seal assemblies is to install black rubber pads horizontally on the top of each seal plate
· Measure the gap between the pinch weld and the inner rubber seal strip and cut the remaining length of 35mm x 19mm rubber seal strip with adhesive backing to suit
· Clean the top area of each seal plate on the tailgate side with isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth or rag
· Remove the adhesive backing and align the edge so that it sits hard up against the plastic tub side trim as shown below then stick the black rubber pad in place
· Repeat for the other side
Note: this image shows an additional rubber block on top of the rubber pad to suit this particular tub cover installation
Notes
· Depending on if your tub has a cover or canopy on it and what style / design it is, you may need to make a different shaped rubber pad to stick on the top of each seal plate
· In Australia we have found this product to work well Moroday 500 x 385 x 15mm Black The Pad
o https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday-500-x-385-x-15mm-black-the-pad_p0092609?
· Put some double-sided tape on your rubber pad and attach them as per the above steps
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 8 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
Tailgate Seals
· Clean the left- and right-hand corners of the tailgate where the die-cut black rubber pads go with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag
· Open one of the Adhesion Primer / Promoter wipes and wipe over both areas ensuring the entire surface has been covered including up onto the curved edge of the tailgate adjacent to the edge of the spray-in tub liner o The photo at right shows where the die-cut pads will be installed
· Wait at least five minutes
· Peel the backing pad off one of the die-cut blocks noting that there is a left and right part
· Locate the edges of the die-cut block as shown and slowly apply it working towards the curved edge of the tailgate adjacent to the edge of the spray-in tub liner
· Push it down gently ensuring the curved edge of the die-cut part is stuck onto the curved edge of the tailgate as shown
· Repeat for the other side
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 9 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
· The final part of the installation is the D-seal which runs across the base of the tailgate between the two die-cut blocks installed in the previous step
· Clean the entire width of the base of the tailgate between the two die-cut blocks with isopropyl alcohol and a clean rag
· Open the second Adhesion Primer / Promoter and wipe over the area ensuring the entire surface has been covered including up onto the curved edge of the tailgate adjacent to the edge of the spray-in tub liner
· Wait at least five minutes
· Without removing any of the adhesive backing do a test fit of the D-seal between the two die-cut blocks so you can see how it fits and where it will be located
· The seal is located up against the edge of the liner and follows the contoured edge of the liner
· The seal has a lip on it this goes on the edge adjacent to the liner · Peel the backing pad off about 150mm of the D-seal · With the end of the D-seal against the die-cut block, gently press the seal into place
(once you’ve done the entire width you will come back and apply more pressure) and check that the:
o End of the D-seal is against the die-cut block o D-seal is located as shown at below
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 10 of 11
Ford Ranger / Raptor (Next-Gen) Tailgate Seal Kit
Installation Instructions
· Slowly work across from one side to the other, peeling back approximately 150mm of seal at a time and gently pressing it down o Try not to apply any tension when doing this the seal has been cut to the correct length to fit between the two die-cut blocks
· As you get close to the other end with approximately 300mm to go, check that the end of the D-seal when stuck down will end up against the edge of the die-cut block o If there is a gap then apply light tension as you stick the last 300mm down o If there will be some overlap then ensure no tension is applied and trim to suit
· Once it’s all in place and you are happy with the location, starting from one side work across the entire length of the seal applying firm pressure
· The completed installation should look like this
And, you are done!
Notes
· After installation the tailgate will feel a bit harder to close and open but as the seals bed in over time this will reduce
· Some covers will require you to profile the top of the seal plate. The seal plate has been designed with this in mind and can be easily cut using an angle grinder. As it is constructed from 304 Stainless Steel it will be highly resistant to corrosion.
Issued 16 May 2025 @ Ford
www.digitaltwin-developments.com
Page 11 of 11
Documents / Resources
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Digital Twin Developments Tailgate Seal Kit [pdf] Installation Guide Ford Ranger, Ford Raptor Next-Gen, Tailgate Seal Kit, Seal Kit |