I have an 85 F350. I want to put a 92-96 tailgate on the back because I'm going to put a roll pan on it & I want the clean look. I have the hole tailgate with all the hardware.
I have read threw the tips section about tailgate interchanging but it doesn't clearly define what needs to be done to add a 92-96 gate on the truck.
My question is this, what all needs to be done to the bedsides to add a 92-96 tailgate to my 85? Do I need the hardware or what? At one place it says smething about drilling but it doens't say what.

 

Not sure, but I think it's a direct swap.
From what I remember, drilling is only required if you put a newer "cable" gate on an older "strap" type truck.

 

Height/Width, yeah, they're a direct swap...

Latches, on the other hand are totally different....The 80-86's have a square piece the latch presses against....

The 92-96 style uses a pin in the bed, and a setup very similar to a door....Complete different setup....

 

What has to be done to make the switch? Any drilling ?

 

Try cutting and welding on the bed and tailgate to swap the latches...

 

Is a 90 model bed going to be the same? I have a friend that has one & I can get the stuff off of it I need.

 

The hinges are diffrent too. Got to cut spot welds that hold the hinges to the bed and reweld them back on.
A PITA in my eyes and Yep, I got a 89 tailgate for my 84 and found out the hard way many years ago....

If all possable use the 90 bed, it will directly bolt on the older truck. Only thing diffrent will be the wheel arches and most people would not even notice it.

 

Umm, seems like a whole lot of misinformation going on in this thread.

No, it is not a direct swap. You need every piece of hardware from the donor truck, including the hinge trunnions, rubber bump stops, latch pins, etc.
The hinges are simply bolted on. The newer ones use a captive nut assy inside the bed, but you can use washers and bolts on yours. You have to fiddle with the hinges until they are both lined up well.

You then have to drill holes for the bumpstops, and for the latch pins. The surface where you will be bolting the pins is angled, so you have to find some spacer stock the right diameter, and cut it on an angle to allow you to mount the pins straight.

It's more work measuring and marking everything carefully than actual labor. A couple hours to an afternoon depending on your skill level. Well worth it for a tailgate that is still straight and opens and closes well.

 

It's not too difficult to do. You will need all the hardware from the donor truck. When bolting on the pivot brackets, you can use one of the original bolts but will need a nut/bolt combo for the other hole as the pivot brackets are different lengths.


Here you can see the different latching setups. I held the tailgate where I thought it should sit(after pivots are mounted) and marked where I thought the latch pin would go. I made the hole a little larger so I would have some room for adjustment. The angle isn't too bad that you cant just bend it a little when it's mounted. I never had any problems latching the tailgate on mine.

 

Thanks Guys, this is a big help!

 

I went down & looked at my buddies 90 model. After reading what you guy's have said & looking at where the striker is placed, it looks like all Ford did was just put a piece of sheetmetal there over what our trucks had in the early 80's. Nothing really fancy.