1997 Ford F250 Owner's Manual - Page 83

Doors Anti-theft front door lock knobs Anti-theft lock knobs are designed to preclude unlocking the door by pulling up on the bullet type lock knob. To unlock and open the front door from the inside of the vehicle, pull on the inside door handle. Tailgate Tailgate operation When open, the tailgate load should not exceed 500 lbs (227 kgs). If you want to load heavy items onto your vehicle, Ford recommends that you load them one at a time, directly on the bed floor to avoid damage to the tailgate or its supports. To release the tailgate: Open the tailgate as directed above, but support it to allow for slack in the cables at both sides. Use a coin or similar object to pry the spring clip (on each upper cable connector) past the head of the support screw. Doing so will allow you to center the wider opening in the connector over the screw head and disconnect it. If you disconnect the upper end of each cable, you can lower the tailgate completely. NOTE: Step bumpers or hitches may damage the tailgate if it is lowered completely. 82