Stepside tailgate latching

[sweet n rare67]

All these nice stepsides running around and most of them are missing the big ugly chain latches. so i was wondering if you guys would give me some ideas on how i can get ride of the chains.
Thanx

[krue]

My stepside ain't nice, but I ain't seen anything around here with anything but chains. I have seen some chrome chains! and everybody knows chrome makes it go faster!

[sweet n rare67]

i was kinda referring to jewels truck and i did see the pic but i cant tell what it is

[gr8scott51]

Almost all of the aftermarket sources have something to eliminate the chains. The simplest is to use a barrel pin assembly. Look at the one that Classic Performance Products sells www.classicperform.com

[1971Stepside]

Find MAC products. They make one that essentially turns it into a fleetside kinda setup.

[CPNE]

big ugly chain latches

That's part of the appeal of stepsides and their "classic looks".

There are alterations that can be made for the custom look. I'm sure the info already provided has given you some ideas. If you're going for a custom truck, you may as well fill in all the "big ugly" spot welds on your tailgate too.

[1971Stepside]

fill in all the "big ugly" spot welds on your tailgate too

[sweet n rare67]

well i am also going to be buying a new tailgate because is almost nonexistent due to rust. Thanks

And to the many people out there that may think i am agianst the stock look. well i am not, i just dont like the chains

[Longhorn Man]

I like your idea. You can keep a stock look, but improve on it. Not hard, and a very good way to have a very sweet ride.

[CPNE]

i just dont like the chains

Then you haven't met the right woman!

[1971Stepside]

LOL @ CPNE!

[XXL]

Originally posted by CPNE
That's part of the appeal of stepsides and their "classic looks".

Bah!

[CPNE]

Bah!

You're usually a little more eloquent Kenneth...and it's the wrong time of year for you to be practicing your lines for "A Christmas Carol".:p

[Mudder]

This is on an older truck but would work with ours too.

[Mudder]

Has a small button that unlatches it.

[XXL]

Originally posted by CPNE


You're usually a little more eloquent Kenneth...and it's the wrong time of year for you to be practicing your lines for "A Christmas Carol".:p

Humbug.

I let my daughter answer that last one

Chains rattle and scrape (more Dickens-esque references). Chain guards fill up with water and rot. Hey, it's the '90's (or more)... nix the chains.

I used the ECE latches and they work great. I understand the nostalgia of tailgate chains, but I prefer those personal touches (like the La Cucaracha horns, etc.).




A pickup rough, to junkyard bred,
Stood out from all the rest,
And gently laid the titl'ed
Upon his honest breast.
And travelling o'er the country wide
It was a solemn joy,
To see them, ever side by side,
The pickup and the boy

--- with apologies to Charlie D.,

Kenneth

[CPNE]

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chain(ges)

My apologies to David Bowie

Chain(ge) is a good thing:p

[nate68]

i took my tailgate off. got rid of 1 aerodynamic disaster. now i just gotta get rid of #2 disaster: drip rail.

[jewels.]

Originally posted by sweet n rare67
i was kinda referring to jewels truck and i did see the pic but i cant tell what it is

Hi sweet n rare67!

Sorry -- I was out of town all weekend, and haven't had a chance to read up on the boards until now.

This tailgate chain thing has been a real brain teaser for me. I have done many different things over the years. First, let me state for the record, I HATE drilling or changing or altering the bed from its original state. I would really like to find a solution that does not ding up the paint, but uses the original holes for the tailgate chains.

Currently, I use a unique setup. It was a cheap and temporary fix until I come up with something better. I went and purchased some rubber vacuum plugs (usually used on the carb to plug up extra ununsed vacuum holes). The plug size I am using is 5/16" I think. I stuffed the plugs down in the holes where the chain hooks would normally go. You might think that they aren't strong enough to hold up that gate, but I have never had a problem with them. The rubber is thick enough to hold it tight. BTW, I carry the original chains with me in the truck, so if I ever need to lower the bed, I just bolt in the chains. See the pic:


In the past, I have used chrome "D-rings" to fit down in the same holes (where the chain hooks go), but they just dinged up the paint around the holes.

I have also been known to be found with toothbrushes sticking down in those holes as well. Yes, the handles of old toothbrushes are the right size to hold that stupid tailgate up into place! And the plastic will not damage the paint. But this was only a temporary thing. Its not like I intended to do that permanently!

I have been dwelling on three more permanent options for the tailgate chains.
1. Get some clear plastic covers to put over the entire length of chain, and either paint my chains, or buy some nice chrome chains.
2. Plastic coat all of the original tailgate chains. This would be similar to the plastic coating you find on the handles of pliers or channel-locks.
3. Some sort of home-made, custom setup that would fit into the original chain bolt holes. I am a mechanical engineer, and I LOVE to make up little mechanical devices to fix stupid little problems that I have in a day-to-day life. I have been thinking about some sort of plastic-coated wire, that could be pulled out (of the original bolt holes) to hook to the tailgate in the original holes when it is down. Then, when the tailgate is up, the wire could be coiled by a spring-loaded mechanism back inside the bolt hole (inside the stake hole) of the bed. It would coil back, sort of like the extension cord on those shop-lites you used in the garage, or the electrical cord you have on some vacuum cleaners - that automatically coil back when you give them a small tug. I haven't created this contraption yet, but if I ever get around to it, I'll let you know.

BTW, I am also trying to invent some better shifter connections for the 3-on-the-tree shifter in my truck. The original mechanisms are very sloppy, and cause lots of probs on my truck. We will see if that engineer in my can come up with a good solution for that too!