fixing tailgate - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

bucket · 09-18-2005, 08:19 PM

i just acquired a beautifully straight and rust free tailgate. one problem though....big dent in top lip.

i was thinking of cutting a hole on the back side to work out dent then weld back up. any other ideas? what have you guys done? think a slide hammer would work out something like this?

**Ironhorse** · 09-18-2005, 08:23 PM

How wide and how deep is the dent? How about covering the dented area with a tailgate cap after you work it best you can? My 'gate wasn't dented but I put a cap on so it wouldn't be. Just a thought.

bucket · 09-18-2005, 08:31 PM

its pretty big. the bottom of the dent is probably half an inch below where it should be. of course the metal on either side (front and back of gate) is bowed out slightly below the dent. cryin shame. looks like it came of a truck that was hardly worked.

**Ironhorse** · 09-18-2005, 08:56 PM

Might take it to a "GOOD" local body shop and ask their opinion what they would do to fix it. Not sure if a "slide hammer" would do you any good. Good luck with it. NICE orginal 'gates are hard to find.

stllookn · 09-18-2005, 09:08 PM

I have welded a 1/4" bolt on those for use with a slide hammer and heated them to cherry red and pulled them out. It makes for a much better/cleaner pull than drilling a hole and using a slide hammer.

*72CSTC5* · 09-18-2005, 11:10 PM

A slide hammer would not work unless the tailgate is attached to the truck. You will be dragging that tailgate all over the place otherwise. You could heat it a little bit but be careful because you could make that dent a mess and warp the entire tailgate. On hard edges like that I usually weld a pull plate to the dent with enough metal that I can cut a hole in the plate so I can use the chain and hook adapter for my dent puller. Pull away. Good luck.

4x4Poet · 09-24-2005, 05:07 AM

Body shops have those neat "guns" that weld a rod onto a recessed dent to give a slide hammer something to grip on. You might just have them do that, though I'd think having the body ship pull the entire dent would be cheap. Hour labor, tops.

09-18-2005, 08:19 PM	#1
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	fixing tailgate i just acquired a beautifully straight and rust free tailgate. one problem though....big dent in top lip. i was thinking of cutting a hole on the back side to work out dent then weld back up. any other ideas? what have you guys done? think a slide hammer would work out something like this?

09-18-2005, 08:23 PM	#2
Ironhorse Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Wellington, Ks Posts: 10,161	How wide and how deep is the dent? How about covering the dented area with a tailgate cap after you work it best you can? My 'gate wasn't dented but I put a cap on so it wouldn't be. Just a thought. __________________ 1971 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 LWB 350 V-8 Was sm465-now 350TH/np205 Tilt, Tach, Towhooks Original Truck AM/FM Wellington, Ks

09-18-2005, 08:56 PM	#4
Ironhorse Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Wellington, Ks Posts: 10,161	Might take it to a "GOOD" local body shop and ask their opinion what they would do to fix it. Not sure if a "slide hammer" would do you any good. Good luck with it. NICE orginal 'gates are hard to find. __________________ 1971 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 LWB 350 V-8 Was sm465-now 350TH/np205 Tilt, Tach, Towhooks Original Truck AM/FM Wellington, Ks

09-18-2005, 09:08 PM	#5
stllookn Saving 1 truck at a time! Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Kent, WA Posts: 6,465	I have welded a 1/4" bolt on those for use with a slide hammer and heated them to cherry red and pulled them out. It makes for a much better/cleaner pull than drilling a hole and using a slide hammer. __________________ '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 400/TH400 '68 C20 Longhorn 50th Anniversary 468/TH400w/buckets '72 C20 Halfhorn (Longhorn w/o cab and front clip) '69 Flxible Cruiser (look up ugly in the dictionary)

09-24-2005, 05:07 AM	#7
4x4Poet Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: "Under Montana skies." Posts: 1,836	Body shops have those neat "guns" that weld a rod onto a recessed dent to give a slide hammer something to grip on. You might just have them do that, though I'd think having the body ship pull the entire dent would be cheap. Hour labor, tops. __________________ '71 GMC K20 Suburban, '71 GMC K10 Suburban, '72 Chevy C10 CST Suburban, '72 Chevy K20 clunker pickup.

09-18-2005, 08:31 PM	#3
bucket Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 923	its pretty big. the bottom of the dent is probably half an inch below where it should be. of course the metal on either side (front and back of gate) is bowed out slightly below the dent. cryin shame. looks like it came of a truck that was hardly worked.

09-18-2005, 11:10 PM	#6
72CSTC5 Account Suspended Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Deer Park, Tx. Posts: 2,524	A slide hammer would not work unless the tailgate is attached to the truck. You will be dragging that tailgate all over the place otherwise. You could heat it a little bit but be careful because you could make that dent a mess and warp the entire tailgate. On hard edges like that I usually weld a pull plate to the dent with enough metal that I can cut a hole in the plate so I can use the chain and hook adapter for my dent puller. Pull away. Good luck.



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