A new tailgate.

If you checked some of the previous pages, you probably noticed that the tailgate was slightly hammered...almost literally. It was warped, bent and dented. So I ordered a new one from LMC Trucks.

(02/27/05) Here's the new tailgate sitting on the family room floor. A whole lotta good it's doing there...but it was snowing outside and...

(03/27/05) ...about a month later I backed the truck up into the driveway to start the installation process. I'd already removed the old tailgate in between snow storms. Note the sunshine. The temperature was all the way up to 56F and the wind was only 10 mph gusting to 20. A brisk spring day. It was Easter Sunday...and I was trying to do a couple of things while waiting for file transfer jobs to finish...yes, I was working on Easter. And that bed wood...well...it needs some help...but that'll come later.

On the right side, one of the trunnion bracket bolts was missing and the other one came out without too much of a fight.

I wish I could say the same for the left side. They both snapped off flush when I tried to remove them.

I started the job of drilling and tapping holes for new bolts by drilling a pilot hole through the center of the old bolt. Then I found that the drill bit I had intended to use to finish the drilling with was totally dull. And of course I was doing this in between file transfer jobs on one of the computers, so I couldn't make a tool run.

So I had to try to do what I could for the moment. I got out the trunnions and brackets. Here are the old and new ones. The old ones were rusted solid.

A test fit of the right side was about all I got accomplished. If you look in the background, you can see that the bright sunlight has been replaced by cloud cover. The winds had picked up and I was still fighting with file transfers. So I called it a day. Good thing, too, because a storm moved in not too long afterward. I'll get back to it when the sun re-appears.

(04/02/05) When the weather got a little better, I got a chance to try out my new DeWalt drill. It seems to work very nicely. I love the keyless chuck, cuz I'm forever losing the chuck keys. I used it and a series of drill bits to enlarge the pilot hole. It took 6 or 8 different bits before I reached the 21/64 inch size that was needed for the tap.

Then I tapped the hole with 3/8x16 threads. I had bought some new bolts for that size, even though they aren't the same as the other side (3/8x20.) I didn't have a lot of room to turn the tap with the double-ended handle.

After dropping the bumper a bit and repeating the drilling process on the lower bolt I started to tap using the double ended handle. I just couldn't get enough room to turn the thing. I found out that a 1 inch socket and a ratchet makes a great handle for tapping. I went slowly and used lots of cutting oil, backing it up now and then to clear the shavings out. I got both holes tapped without breaking the tap...although I dulled several drill bits in the drilling process.

At long last, there are a coupla bolts where there used to be a snapped-off hunk of rust.

Then I cleaned the surface up, masked things off a bit and sprayed it with Zero-Rust primer, then Rustoleum Satin Black. I ran the bolts in to make sure that no paint messed up the new threads. Besides...it looks kinda nice.

Here's one of the new trunnion brackets in place.

And the repop tailgate I got from LMC Trucks. In order to get it installed (I'd never done this job before) I had to loosely install one of the trunnion brackets, put the other bracket into the pocket of the tailgate and then convince the whole mess that it wanted to fit together. It took a few taps with a wooden mallet, but it all ended up in place and I bolted the brackets down.

I have some new chains and latches, but I'm going to need some new mounting bolts and chain covers before I install them. In any case it's ready to go to the Rat Fink Reunion in May to get a few more stripes...and maybe a Von Dutch-style eyeball or Rat Fink painted on it.

Note: I've had a lot of requests from people wanting to know where I got the blue dots. They came from Dixie Truck Works. They're on page 16 of the catalog, which is on this page.
The part number it DTW-606. They're $25 per pair plus shipping...at least that was the price as of August 2005.

I just made reservations at the Temple View Lodge. I have the same room number and even the same key as last year, since I forgot to turn it in to them when I left. Duh. But they treated me very nicely last year and were very polite on the phone...so we'll go back again.

Stay tuned for updates as they happen.

More to come.

Ugly Truck Home

Chevy Asylum Home