convert doors into tailgate

[workingdog]

Progress continues

Tack the frame to the doors, the doors were so out of true that I had to use 8 clamps to get it to sit flat.

Got holes drilled for hings and nutserts installed. Despite all my planning, I still managed to hit the sidewall of one of the box tubes and had to hog it out with die grinder.

Now, it's ready for clean up. I still need to final weld the frame on the back and POR 15 the back and figure out what kind of edge to put on the tailgate - haven't figured that out yet.

 

[lelandEOD]

Lookin’ good! How are you going to latch it?

 

[workingdog]

I'm going to use the original style fj40 tailgate latches. Since I'm replacing the tub, I'm not going to install them as the holes for the hooks will probably not be in the right place.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, tried to paint the outside, but the metal is in such bad shape, despite hours of pounding and using the welder to add metal, it looked horrible. I refuse to put bondo on it. So, I decided to celebrate how funky it is and clear coat it, so this is with two coats of Penetrol. We'll how it does over time, but it's easy to reapply.

I buried the back in POR 15 before I put the 18 gauge on. I'm still not happy with the exterior edges, but they'll have to do for now.

I'm a beginning welder, and I'm happy with this weld. I am getting better.

 

[workingdog]

Okay, final steps. Nutserts in the tailgate and the pillar. I bought real tailgate bolts from BTB, but they are too big. If you build the tailgate this style, the inside of the tailgate chews up a lot of the pillar and the BTB bolts were too big to clear. I did get the tailgate side of the cable mount from BTB and they worked well. I got this Tacoma tailgate bolt and cable from Amazon.

[I can't get the link to work, it keeps converting it to 'media' and screwing it up]
T1A Tailgate Support Cable Set Replacement for 1995-2003 Toyota Tacoma, Pair for Left and Right Sides, 14-9/16" Long, T1A-TYD001

This bolt is smaller and worked great - although I still had to drill the hole in the back of the pillar. I also had to shorten the cables by cutting the large opening in one end down taking about 1/2" to 3/4" of an inch off and the tailgate pretty level.

I'm not happy with the gray color - it looks to much like primer. I might try some rattle can bed liner.

 

[workingdog]

So, dealing with the details. The City Racer weather strip for the rear window/hatch is fantastic. Fits all the little bends, glued right up. Very nice.

However, after much fiddling, it turns out the two sides of the tub at the tailgate are not parallel.

With the drivers side more or less flush against that side of the tub, the passenger side is a good quarter inch out at the bottom. I'm assuming the passenger side pillar in the back angles out as it goes up. Oh well. Shim the hinge and go from there. Gap at the bottom is better than gap at the top because gap at the top prevents the window from closing.

And, even with it flush, getting the window to close is still an issue as the tailgate overlaps the rear of the tub, where the ambulance doors sat more or less flush. So I had to 'persuade' the top lip of the tailgate a bit to get the window to close.

I hated the lift handle that came with the top. You could never get enough leverage to open a stuck top. So, I took another idea from the Poor tailgate and used a regular handle, only I used it on the window instead of the tailgate.

Filled all the old holes and drilled some new. works like a charm. Much more positive action.