Seemed simple to me at first, but then again........

I bought a 1978 Ford F250 with the 1 ton option. The original owner had the tailgate off and im trying to get it back on. I forgot how to approach this since there are no slots for the tailgate to just slip on to the rounded mounting points. They look like they are supposed to tilt out somehow, but i havent been able to get anything to fit. The brackets are easy to attach, just the bottom pivot of the tailgate is fighting me.

Can someone please tell me how to get this on?? Im sure I just forgot a step in the process. Thanks for your input.

Mike

 

Hi. It is a pain. You have to put the left or right bracket on the truck, then line the gate up with that, put the other bracket on the gate and put it in place on the truck, and then you can bolt it up. There is no quick on and off for these trucks. I have always wanted to make one for it but have not had the time to get it done. Rev

 

I seem to recall you take the brackets off (they don't pivot), put them into the cups of the gate, then put the gate in place and re-attach the brackets.

(It's been awhile since mine was off. )


The gates on the styleside pickups use the same mechanism from 1964 thru 1979.

 

Thank you. I'll try it and see. At first, I thought the supporting bracket in the rear body would fall off if I took the round assembly off, but maybe it just looks that way.

Thanks again for the quick responses, Im going to work on it this morning.

 

Hi, I don't post here much because I'm busy running turboford.org but I lurk a lot. Most of my questions have been answered by searching.

Is it safe to assume when replacing hinges I have to remove the supports so I can angle the tailgate to get the new hinges in? I know you need to put them into the tailgate but I just can't seem to get them to slip into the channel.

Thanks, Paul

 

That's my experience. Bolt one hinge on, slide the tailgate over it then bolt up the other. I don't think angling helps particularly unless it is to gain access to the bolt locations.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'll give it a whirl tommorrow am and post back. Sounds like it's more a pita than hard to do.

 

If you have an angle grinder you could just cut the bottom on one side and make your own slip on tailgate. I know theres a thread on here that shows a modified tailgate and I could look for it if you want.

 

Got it on this morning, I disconnected the support arms then as suggested I bolted on one side and then lifted the other until I could slip the hinge in. Not hard but a pita as I said!

Privateer, good idea. I actually thought about that after finding a video of an install on a 1992 F-series. Apparently Ford decided to put the slots in the later trucks.

Thanks, Paul

 

Yeah, the downside to that is, it only takes 30 seconds and no tools and your tailgate is gone. Tail gate thefts around here are crazy! I like it being a pain to install and remove. ....seriously how often does the average guy take his tail gate off?

 

I keep forgetting I'm not near a farm anymore. Hah ha. We used to rig up our headache racks to recieve the tailgate and free up the box for slip tanks. To many tailgates got buggered up by the front end loader operator while pushing in tanks and whatever broken piece that had to got to town.

 

Hmm, never thought about the theft deal. I'm not worried, my truck right now is a pos work truck. Primarily used for dump, stone, lumber runs, and of course to tow my car trailer so I can go out and rescue more TurboFords.

Thanks to all who posted,
Paul <- back to lurking here and running turboford.org

 

I came here hoping to find if anyone has figured out a rig so they can install and remove the tailgate by themselves.

I can remove it by myself, I can't put it back on by myself.

Has anyone come up with some kind of rig?

 

I've done it alone, but it's a pain. I last did it like 25 years ago.

To remove it, first have a ratchet with extension and 1/2" socket in your pocket. Open the tailgate, loosen top bolt for right hinge, lift up on tailgate, loosen lower bolt on right hand hinge. Bring tailgate back down, but then start to raise it to close as you lift the supports up in the center so they can be unhooked. Might do one at a time. Then when supports are free, lower to level and finish removing the two bolts as you use your other arm to hold the tailgate up resting to your body / rased leg. As soon as the second bolt is out, drop the ratchet. Hold tail gate to keep it up off the bumper, rais the right side upwards with hinge in it still, then remove the hinge with your free right hand, drop the hinge away from you. Now ease the right side backwards clear of the bedside, ease the tailgate to the right off the left hinge, put tailgate down on that blanket on the bed.

To install it, have ratchet, extension and the socket, two bolts, hinge all handy, laying on the right of bed is handy. Left hinge needs to already be in place. Holding tailgate level, like a platter,introduce its left hinge hole to left hinge as you hold the right slightly behind the right bed side. With your right hand, reach and grab the right hinge from the bed. Your left hand is holding the tail gate steady. Insert right hinge into hinge hole, then ease the right end of the tailgate upward to get the right hinge past the lip of the bedside, then lower it, still held level, and when holes align, insert top bolt and start it. Now you can angle the tailgate towards closed and reattach the two supports. Ease tailgate back down to level, supports will stop it, insert lower hinge bolt. Tighten the bolts.

Done.

 

And the same way t bear said it just in less words. Make sure the dvrs side hinge point (round piece is fully installed, both bolts). Put the dvrs side of the tailgate on the dvrs side hinge point. Put the passenger side hinge point in the tailgate, and have the top bolt handy. Lower the passenger side of the tailgate and bracket in place as one piece. Have the TG in the sort of open/flat position, so you can get to the bolt hole on the top of the bracket. Install bolt almost all the way, then hook up limit latches (fold other way and hook up) then close TG and install bottom bolt.

I hear you can notch it to be a quick removal, like newer trucks. The passenger side hinge points needs worked over.