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Re: Wampus Cat
S10 Tailgate Latches Part 1
I had initially thought that I would keep the original tailgate chains, but I like the look of other 60’s C10s that I’ve seen without chains, and thinking about possible paint damage, I’ve decided to go chainless.
I looked around on this forum and was inspired by a few pictures of conversions using 1990’s S10 latches posted by members 502tripower and 64shortbed in threads about tailgate latch options. The price of these parts fit my budget; I pulled a set of ’98 S10 latches, cables, and actuator rods at the local Wrench-A-Part for $12 and found a used 67-71 F100 or 66-77 Bronco tailgate handle on eBay for about $20.
I started by removing the chain hardware, however, I found that the chain eyelet on the tailgate would not come off when the bolts were removed. I made horizontal cuts through the chain eyelet body, trying not to go into the tailgate sheet metal. Once the cuts were made, I used a hammer and chisel to remove the pieces. This part was apparently welded to the tailgate end flange from the backside prior to assembly of the tailgate sheet metal. On both sides of my tailgate, there were two spot/plug welds above and below the mounting hole.
After getting the chain eyelet body out of the way, I smoothed out this area using a grinding wheel and a flap disc.
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