I decided to replace my tailgate lifters as the old ones would buzz quite a lot when tapped. I think they could largely be responsible for the intermittent noises I get from the tailgate area on rough roads. Having looked at a few YouTubes on the subject I realised the importance of supporting the very heavy tailgate when each strap is removed. I did it by cutting a strong piece of wood to 171 cm in length and wedging it under the lock. This put the tailgate in exactly the right position to fit the full length lifters, which are impossible to compress by hand. By the way, in case you didn't know, the tailgate will move a lot further up beyond the normal open position, so don't be afraid to push it right up to max as that's where it will need to be to fit new lifters. Incidentally, the little spring clips that lock each ball joint are easily opened with a screwdriver and need to be moved very little to either remove or fit the lifters.
