The 2022-on Ranger got a wider, heavier tailgate — and with it the same old problem: let go and it drops, close it and you lift the whole weight at once. Rival's answer is an assist system that takes part of that work off you.

What it does. The gate comes down slower and under control, and weighs noticeably less in your hands on the way up. That spares the hinges and the seal, and with a fully loaded bed it simply makes life easier.

Build. Steel brackets, 4.0 mm thick, in a black finish that sits alongside the truck's black bed trim instead of standing out as an add-on.

Installation. A complete fitting kit is supplied and the system mounts at the tailgate hinge.

Fitment and limitation. Ford Ranger with the torsion bar and Ford Ranger Raptor from 2022.

• Tailgate assist system complete with fitting kit
• 4.0 mm steel brackets, black finish
• Ford Ranger with torsion bar and Ranger Raptor from 2022

A fix for the new-generation Ranger aimed exactly at the spot the factory left room to improve.