2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT Tailgate Lift Support

You need to release (unhook) the left side tailgate support cable from the pickup box, remove the tailgate and the bolt attaching the right side hinge to the side of the tailgate, locate and drill out the large weld attaching the hinge to the backside of the tailgate bracket, install a new hinge to the tailgate and install the bolt, weld the backside of the new hinge to the original bracket, tape off the area around the hinge and prime and paint the hinge, and reinstall the tailgate on the vehicle and proceed to the section titled.

You should not loosen the other bolt completely in the next step and should leave two or three threads of the bolt engaged in the tailgate. Removing this bolt completely may allow the linkage inside the tailgate to separate from the latch.

You need to release (unhook) the right-side tailgate support cable from the pickup box, pull the RIGHT SIDE of the tailgate rearward in the lower illustration, and inspect the hinge on the right side of the tailgate for damage.