I removed the lift-up pole handle installed on my tailgate. I ordered and installed the normal tailgate access panel to cover the void left from removing the pole handle. There are three additional holes in the lower half of the tailgate that held push pins to hold down the black plastic liner that came with the pole handle. I don't think putting the flimsy push pins back in these holes will prevent gravel or dirt from getting inside the tailgate and I want to cover these holes with something before shooting with linex next week. What have guys done to cover these mounting holes? I figure they are about 3/8 diameter with nothing but air behind them inside the tailgate.

 

I don't know how hard it is to get inside the tailgate. You could get some countersunk screws that are slightly larger then the holes in your tailgate. Put a flat washer, lock washer, and then the bolt on the inside. Tighten it down, and it probably wouldn't look bad at all. Here is a pic of a countersunk bolt just in case you don't know what I am refering to. Good luck.

 

Won't work.... I appreciate the suggestion, however, I see no way to access the lower-half interior panel from inside the tailgate. There is a cross brace the length of the tailgate that prevents hands or tools from reaching these holes to hold a nut. The holes are exactly 1/4 inch. I'm wondering if I could use jb weld on a hole that size?? Silly little problem, but I wish I could think of a solution.

 

If you have a rivit gun, you could try to put rivits in the holes. I think the JB Weld would work for a while, but I believe eventually it would fall off due to the fact the tailgate gets opened and shut so many times, the metal flexes somewhat each time. Most of the time tailgates get shut, there is a pretty good force behind it.

 

I'm looking at using a metal hole plug and seating it with some JB Weld for extra security?

Crown Bolt 1/4 In. Metal Hole Plug Metal - 13068 at The Home Depot

Crazy? It will be covered by the linex spray.

 

I am in the same situation. I plan on installing 1/4" plastic hole plugs in after the linex.

 

 

That's what I did along with the holes on either side of the tailgate opening. All in an effort to seal the bed when the cover is installed.

 

I tried the metal plugs below and they work perfect -- very tight and the linex will adhere nicely to the metal surface.

 

hey KDUBINWA,why did you take the step off,thx Gerry

 

Cool, I will check those out. Who is spraying your Linex?

 

I would tack or glue some metal blanks on top of the hole ,, the linex will bond it

or do what I did and put diamond plate on the tailgate instead of line x .. now I have a great work surface and my beers don't tip over

 

It's not the step, just that awful pop up handle post that messes up the entire tailgate surface. I'm interested in seeing some pictures of the solutions you guys have come up with as this will be one of my first mods this week when I pick my truck up. We looked briefly at doing this on my brother's truck but never bothered to pull the plastic cover off to see what it would take.

 

I like the metal hole plug idea myself. I used them to plug the holes in the front of my old trucks bed when I removed the happi-jac's and installed the torque lifts. They were a recommendation from an electrician fiend of mine, they call them OOP's Plugs. It looked pretty good after they rhino lined that area....IMO....

 

they are actually called KO plugs or knock out plugs ,