Tailgate chain adjustment - How?
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Tailgate chain adjustment - How?
62 Flairside.
My original tailgate was in miserable shape and the chains no longer were able to hold tension, so ....I have a new DC tailgate with chain tabs. I have a new set of Stainless chains. The right side "locks" just fine and holds the gate rigid. But the left side barely stays shut. The chains are identical length, the box sides are straight up and parallel. Three thoughts - 1 shorten the left chain one link (but it's stainless welded and I'm not equipped to do stainless welding).. or 2 - I could move the chain tab slightly inboard on the gate until I get proper tension... or 3 - I could make the box walls "lean out" a bit at the top.
Anyone have other ideas? I don't really want to go to the custom slide locks....
thanks......
My original tailgate was in miserable shape and the chains no longer were able to hold tension, so ....I have a new DC tailgate with chain tabs. I have a new set of Stainless chains. The right side "locks" just fine and holds the gate rigid. But the left side barely stays shut. The chains are identical length, the box sides are straight up and parallel. Three thoughts - 1 shorten the left chain one link (but it's stainless welded and I'm not equipped to do stainless welding).. or 2 - I could move the chain tab slightly inboard on the gate until I get proper tension... or 3 - I could make the box walls "lean out" a bit at the top.
Anyone have other ideas? I don't really want to go to the custom slide locks....
thanks......
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From: colbert washington
Any way that you could add or weld in a little metal to the friction fit surface on the tab of the tailgate to make the fit of the lock handle a little tighter. Im guessing these are close to the same as the early styleside bed tailgate locks. Seems if they got used a lot the friction of metal to metal just wore them down and they became loose. Also all that bouncing around back there during the truck being driven caused metal to metal grind. Maybe have to cut off the tab and reweld it outward a little. Just guesses on my part. Let us know how you remedy it. Maybe some pics would help.
Went back and looked again. If that's a repop tailgate you might want to make some measurements off of your old gate. You may have to move that hook and latch catch in board not out. Is the repop gate the same size as the old gate?
Went back and looked again. If that's a repop tailgate you might want to make some measurements off of your old gate. You may have to move that hook and latch catch in board not out. Is the repop gate the same size as the old gate?
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2009
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my flareside does the same thing on the passenger side, on that side when i drop the "hook" down in the tailgate bracket hole i turn it up and drop it down again all the way to where the chain hooks on. it never jumps/bounces out. not very professional but it works.
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joe hoffman
1948 - 1956 F1, F100 & Larger F-Series Trucks
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Jan 20, 2006 12:42 PM
