back door out of alignment

[team canada]

I'm not sure if back door is the right term it might be called the tailgate.
I had a bike rack hooked on the back of my 98 explorer when we went on holidays. Upon returning it has pulled the door out a bit and the fit is not tight across the top weatherstripping now. What bolts do I need to adjust to fix this problem or is it possible I have bent the hinge?

 

[MONMIX]

It is highly unlikey you have bent the hinges.
How was the bike rack attached ?
If any thing, you may have just rolled the lift gate.

 

[team canada]

It was a bike rack that hooks over the top and under the bottom and was tightened up .

 

[team canada]

ps. what is the lift gate

 

[MONMIX]

The lift gate is the back door.

It sounds to me like you may have rolled the metal on the gate its self. Sadly not an easy fix. It likly will need body work.

Sorry to tell you.

 

[team canada]

Can I see this damage if it is rolled the metal?

 

[BigDakota]

I have adjusted mine by loosening up the top hinge bolts attached to the body. There is some allowance for adjustment.
The weight of the bikes combined with the rack bouncing up and down may have caused the hinges to slip out of there original position.
My hinge bolts were not very tight when I checked them!

 

[MONMIX]

The top of the lift gate should NOT curve UP. If it does then you have bent the gate.
If it seems pretty flat than it is like BigDakota said it was the hinges.

It would surprise me if it were the hinges since they are painted in place from the factory. The odds of them working loose are slim, but any thing is possible.
Espicially if it has even been worked on.

Tha being said the bolts that go into the lift gate give you the up / down adjustment,
the bolts that go into the body give you the in / out adjustment. Do every thing in tiny incraments.

 

[team canada]

It doesn't look like it is curved up only pulled outwards away from the bodly and the weather stripping is not tight now and I get a slight leak when it rains and I am driving . The gap is only on the left side [abouta quarter of an inch] between the weather stripping and truck body