Need ideas for eliminating tailgate chains

[Chevy_Man]

Hey frizzle you have more pics of that tail gate and rounded corners?

eric

[Frizzle Fry]

I just added some more. I couldn't find any with the gate closed and I've taken that area in a different direction now (61 stepside project). I also did the corners on the '69 and there are some pics of the process there. Still no real good close-ups of the finished product. I can take some more of that If you'ed like.

[Mudder]

Frizzle Fry........ we need pics.

[jay-dawg]

yeah...great looking setup Frizzle.

Anybody look into the Cameo setup for the tailgate. Looks like it uses a retractable cord that goes into the fender. Maybe we can alter it to run into the rear bed posts.

Jay

[Hart_Rod]

Here's how I did the orginal style tailgate on my 48. I used the plungers in the end and then fabricated the reversed handle and scissors. I spent MANY hours in designing the handle to fit in that style of tailgate. The last picture is from my 52. I bought a complete tailgate from MAR-K that had similar fabrication except the tailgate had a skin on the outside (which provides more room).

Rob

[Hart_Rod]

Frizzle, which bed are you using: the one with the rolled edges or the one with the slant cut into your fender?

Rob

[MAR-Ktech]

We make a tailgate assembly for stepsides that has a built in handle and includes the straps to keep the tailgate level when it is opened. The straps fold to fit inside the tailgate end when the tailgate is closed, much like the Nissan hangers shown in the pictures by Putter. Great job by the way. We have not offered the straps by themselves, but only sold the tailgate as a kit. Is there interest here for a kit that is just the straps and the dimensions to install them? We could put that together if enough of you are interested in such a kit. The instructions for the install and a few pictures are on our site http://www.mar-k.com/41-53TAILGATEWHANDLEORIGINALBS.pdf We are planning to do a similar tailgate kit for the early fleetsides sometime in the near future. We appreciate your feedback.

Mar-Ktech

[Putter]

MAR-Ktech,
That is pretty sweet. And the latches are killer....but personally I don't want an outside skin on my gate (flush). I did not see how the latches actually operate in the instructions. By that, I mean , where is the latch/handle to operate them?

I am not 100% sure what all comes in the "kit", but I would be interested in purchasing the latches, the weld-in strike plates (the other 1/2 of the latch), and the hangers. I feel confident I can "make" them work inside my stock tailgate similar to how Rob has his in the pictures he posted (GREAT work by the way). If you can sell these few parts seperately, then please PM me a price. I figure it would be similar to simply buying a replacement part from you guys, right?? Thanks in advance.

[MAR-Ktech]

Originally Posted by Putter

MAR-Ktech,
That is pretty sweet. And the latches are killer....but personally I don't want an outside skin on my gate (flush). I did not see how the latches actually operate in the instructions. By that, I mean , where is the latch/handle to operate them?

Putter: It would be a tight fit to get the mechanism inside the top curl of a tailgate, especially the early tailgate, but it could be done. The latches are standard Eberhard rotary latches (like 'bear claw') that we modify to operate by rotating a shaft instead of pulling on a rod. The shaft is inside the tailgate extending from one side to the other and connects to the latches at the ends. The handle is simply welded on the shaft in the center and by pulling on the handle you rotate the shaft, which trips the latches. Moore Industrial Hardware www.mooreindhardward.com sells a ton of these latches of many sizes and types. The straps (hangers) are completely independent of the latch in our system and could probably be used for most any tailgate. We use a different length for the early tailgates than the late tailgates.

It looks like the tailgate shown in the picture of the 52 by Hart_Rob above is a Mar-K system. Benefit of bear claw type latch is it can be closed by slamming which sliding pins may not be able to do and also that the bear claw holds the bed sides from spreading and maybe releasing the tailgate when you don't want to.

We could definitely put together a price for the parts as you ask. I don't have that here. Will PM when it is available

Mar-Ktech

[64fleetside]

I wondered why Mar-K didn't offer straps, I would be interested in a kit or an ealry fleetside setup w/latches. I tried some Toyota straps but they weren't long enough. Putter's stuff is great. My bed is at that point now, I have been trying to come up w/latches/straps. Brian

[Putter]

Originally Posted by MAR-Ktech

The latches are standard Eberhard rotary latches (like 'bear claw') that we modify to operate by rotating a shaft instead of pulling on a rod. The shaft is inside the tailgate extending from one side to the other and connects to the latches at the ends. The handle is simply welded on the shaft in the center and by pulling on the handle you rotate the shaft, which trips the latches.

We could definitely put together a price for the parts as you ask. I don't have that here. Will PM when it is available

Mar-Ktech

Please do. I have wheels turning in my head already on how to do this, and make the handle removable and non-welded to the shaft.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by Mudder67

Frizzle Fry........ we need pics.

Same link as before or use the sig link.

Originally Posted by Hart_Rob

Frizzle, which bed are you using: the one with the rolled edges or the one with the slant cut into your fender?

Rob

You ARE paying attention... The angle cut with tubbed "inner fenders" is the current state. The tailgate stuff was before I lost all sanity...

[Putter]

Hey Frizzle....
What did you use to round off the edges of the bed? Is it a bent pipe that was sliced in half? I just wonder where you found a matching diameter tube??!!?!?!

[Frizzle Fry]

It was an industrial 90 degree bent tube peice that is used for air handleing plumbing (pumps, gasses etc). It was a little too big in diameter (by 1/4" I think) so I sliced out strips from the inner curve, clamped it until I had the right daimeter, and welded. That was on the '69. On the '61 I did it similarly, but let it flare out as it curved around to the gate. I like the '69 version.

[67chevemall]

Thanks for the ideas they are great! Keep em coming! I just welded a tab at the top inside
of the gate and made a hole for a pin to go through the tab and in to bed to hold it up. A leather
strap keeps it from droping.

[Hart_Rod]

Putter: I used a steel door hinge (heavily modified), some cable and some spring loaded pins to build mine. I probably spent a couple months working on the geometry to make it work correctly. It's pretty cool if I do say so myself (ha), but most people don't even notice and the ones that do aren't really that impressed.

MARKTech: Maybe we could work out a deal if I give you some of my secrets!!!!

Frizzle: I'm doing a similar thing with my tubs, but not so radical on the bed, I wouldn't feel right hacking up my new MAR-K bed and I'm not hacking on my $500 tailgate!

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by Hart_Rob

Putter: I used a steel door hinge (heavily modified), some cable and some spring loaded pins to build mine. I probably spent a couple months working on the geometry to make it work correctly. It's pretty cool if I do say so myself (ha), but most people don't even notice and the ones that do aren't really that impressed.

MARKTech: Maybe we could work out a deal if I give you some of my secrets!!!!

Frizzle: I'm doing a similar thing with my tubs, but not so radical on the bed, I wouldn't feel right hacking up my new MAR-K bed and I'm not hacking on my $500 tailgate!

You're talking about the '52 right? I'd like to see the hinge contraption

[Hart_Rod]

FF,

52 has MAR-K bed and MAR-K reverse handle tailgate, my 48 has a MAR-K bed and my "home built" reverse handle tailgate.

Rob

[Putter]

Rob,
Does the 48 use a stock tailgate, or one of the smooth (flush) ones? I want mine to be installed in a stock tailgate. I have a few ideas that are working around the MAR-K latches.
I currently have the hidden latches (pin-style) installed. Is that what you started with, because they look similar?
(Not asking you to give away any secret-squirrel documents)