Stepside tailgate chain questions.

[In The Ten Ring]

Hi.

I just derusted my tailgate chains.....were those coated in a sort of "plastic dip" from the factory?

Edit: What's up with the multi colored layers?

My dad bought this truck new and he never said anything about replacing the tailgate chains. What's up with these colors?

[67swb72klb]

I think they had a vinyl sleeve on them

[Shady Rascal]

Zinc plating on the chains to keep them from rusting, then inside of vinyl tubes to keep from marring the paint.

[In The Ten Ring]

That's interesting.

I remember my truck's chains being black and inside two lengths of rubber tubing to prevent those clanging about.

When I look closely now, I can see there are remnants of a heavy coating although that's come off of the link ends and the hooks.

I can see layers of orange, black, and even blue in there. I'll go out and get a pic. BRB

Best pic I could get. Definitely some sort of coating on there and it's not paint.

[In The Ten Ring]

[special-K]

When I restored the '69 Dodge Power Wagon with Utiline bed I had 35 years ago, the chains I got from the dealer had black plastidip type coating. That's when it first came out and Dodge was still selling Utilines. That was a great idea and what I have done to my chains ever since. That tube over chain fills with water and just doesn't look as good.