Bobby my man!

Assuming you really scrubbed those eye bolt pieces well before you attached them, then " You go guy!"

Aren't those pieces brass with chrome plating? Are they going to be strong enough to support your **** with about 6 or frosties in it?

 

Bobby, that's what it all about man. Having fun and making things work for you no matter where it came from. It looks great and you can be assured many guys will follow with you on this one. I really think Pros Pick should have done a similar pair instead of the sissy straps that wont hold up a 12 pack-o-frosties. I guess I should just drive out and see you next time I go to Lovelace for situ.
Jon

 

Bobby;

This thread got me thinking about how I will support the tailgate. since I'm going to fab my own box, I am considering welding two 5/16" nuts vertically approximately 1 1/4" on centre at top of bed sides, opposite the stake pockets. This will give me two threaded holes for future attachments on the inside of bed sides, which I will fill with bolts if not used. I'm thinking about anchor points for bed cover, front and back or tailgate straps as required. I'll have to consider making them flush or slightly recessed, so as not to interfere with tailgate closing

Probably won't follow your "hinge" arrangement; too many one liners come to mind,

Later

Tom

 

Ford used steel cables in the 80's that are not very expensive for those without sewing machines. One end fastened with a bolt to the side of the bed opening the other end had a clip on it like a heavy duty version of the ones on a bib overalls or a garter belt (for those who are more familiar with them than bib overalls... not that there's anything wrong with that!) to the side of the tailgate. The cables are thin enough that they fold right into the space between the bed and tailgate. I don't know if they still use those or not.
GM has come out with some sort of spring arrangement that goes on the pivot and counterbalances the tailgate so raising and lowering is a two finger operation. It's an optional accessory so I'd suspect it would be possible to adapt to other tailgates.

Bobby, if you aren't aware, the nylon webbing will fray badly quickly if you haven't sealed the ends. Easiest way to do it is to cut it with a redhot knife rather than scissors or sharp knife. You can also melt seal it with a cigarette lighter, it will not burn, just pass the flame along the edge until it melts smoothly.
I always have trouble finding upholstery grade/weight sewing thread, anyone have a mailorder source?

 

Tom,

Good plan. Its alot easier to add a few mounting points to your bedsides right now in the fabrication stage than to go back later.

Terry, I tried your Sharpie tip....WOOHOOO!! Now I have nice black thread on my straps. Thanks again

AX,

Thanks, yea I melted the ends of the straps right after I cut them. I didn't have a hot knife for cutting so I used a new razor blade and then a cigarette lighter to seal the ends.

Offhand I don't have a source for the upholstery weight thread. I will be looking into it as I'm going to experiment with making some slip covers for my wife's Falconn before moving onto trying to recover my Suburban seats. I'll let you know what I find

Bobby

 

The knife doesn't need to be particularly sharp, heat an old table knife or cheap hunting knife on the stove or with a torch and slice across the strap on a board.

 

Cool, I'll try that next time. I was able to get a nice clean cut with the razor blade and sealed it right after so I don't think I'll have a fraying problem on these ones.

The stuff is actaully really easy to work with. I am toying with the idea of sewing up another set of straps but this time adding one of those little adjustment buckles (as it is mine are a fixed length and slightly too long...the tailgate isn't perpendicular to the bed side when opened...its about a degree to low)

Bobby

 

I like what you did! Very creative. I had the chrome arms on mine, but it took away from the wood and stainless strips in the bed so I removed them and filled in the holes. I like your idea with the toilet parts. My dad use to work for a faucet company and I found several parts he had laying around. The ***** on my dash were all different types, sizes etc. I found a bunch of the popup ***** (**** on the center of your faucet that plugs the sink when you pull it) Well, I tapped the ends and used them as dash *****. I used the white porcelin types. They look pretty custom and I've only had one person so ask if they were from a faucet. LOL... I'm keeping them on the truck because I think they look good, and I can remember my dad that way too. You can see the ***** I used on the glove box door and all the switches on the driver's side.

 

COOL ***** dude! I told my little bro, you can usually tell what someone does for a living by lookin at their hot rod.I worked for a guy who was a plumber and he had made his own plumbing fittings for the heater and radiator stuff with plumbing fixtures. I think you can make this vehicle your own that way! Like they say at Burger King "Have it your way"

 

Ed,
Everytime I see pics of your truck I'm completely flabbergasted! Gorgeous, simply gorgeous. The ***** look right at home in your dash. That is awesome.

You'd be suprised what kind of parts you can find for your truck in the hardware store. I have used to electrical sweeps as parts in my truck; 1 steel on for an upper radiator hose, and a pvc sweep as a fuel filler hose. I think one of the coolest uses of non truck parts in our trucks would have to be AX's use of a stainless steel dog bowl to cover up his ac hose penetration through the firewall.

Bobby

 

Bobby,

Let me know if you need any help with those hot knives. I used to be an expert, once upon a time....

obviously Ax was too.

 

When problem solving, you need to think outside the "box". I will say what would the part I need look like in it's most basic form, and what materials would be suitable? Now what or who might use such a shape item? That's how I came up with the MDD.I love wandering thru DIY, hardware, and industrial supply stores and just look at the things they sell. There is a metals recycling yard not far from my house that has a lot of aluminum, stainless and mild steel materials they buy and sell. I'm like a kid in a candy store in that place, looking at all the "neat stuff" and saying to myself "what could I use that for???". Just a few of my recent creative reuse purchases: Stainless steel commercial kitchen counters became my workbench tops, sections of aluminum bleachers became heavy duty shelving, an aluminum fast food menu sign became a fold down table in our race car trailer (with the menu still on it!) handicap bathroom assist bars became long grab handles in the sides of the trailer doors, Some unknown aluminum diamond plate shapes became drive up ramps. Large aluminum angle stock became a tire gauge rack and an airhose hanger. A pile of 1x1" x6' lengths of square steel tubing that looks like it was parts of moveable office partitions became a race tire rack in the trailer. The list just goes on and on.

 

The previous owner made this large hole with a lip on my firewall where the wiring for the lights etc goes through. The hole is about 1 1/8" in diameter. I've tried everything to fill the gap, sponges, rubber, nothing sealed it. I kept getting fumes coming in from the engine compartment, not to mention heat from the engine. This has been bugging me for a long time... One day I replaced the Arrowhead Water bottle on the cooler and notice it has a plastic cap that seals the bottle. What a surprise!!! It was very close to the same size as the opening and lip on the firewall. I knocked out a small hole in the middle of the bottle cap for the wiring to be run through and it snapped on like it was made for it. No more fumes and it looks clean. (just like the water we drink! LOL....). I figure if AX can have a water bowl on his firewall, I can get away with having a water bottle cap on mine....

Here ya go! LOL

 

I agree wholeheartedly!!

Thats one of the reasons why the darkside is a happy place. We can adapt parts from anywhere........the sky is the limit..

Bobby

 

That's a good one! looks real clean too.
PS, I think FMC rather than the PO made that hole, it would have had a plate with a spongy rubber filler in it that the wires went thru. Mine had the same deal before I filled and smoothed it.