Poor Boy FJ40 tailgate

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lelandEOD

lelandEOD

SILVER Star
10 Year
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Threads
214
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2,217
Location
Dayton, Nevada
I've never really liked the FJ40 barn doors and would love to know why Toyota went with split doors over a simple tailgate in the first place.

When I bought the truck I really wanted Ambi doors, but later found out the swap was not possible because my '73 doesn't have the correct sill (among other things) for the later style doors to lay flush. So, a tailgate is the next best thing!

The PLAN: I want to take two barn doors and cut them apart, weld a frame out of 1" square tubing/angle iron and weld the outer door skins to the frame. I can reuse the barn door hinges (3x along the bottom) but I really got wrapped around the axle on the latch mechanism. At first, I just thought I'd use the same latch from the barn door/spare tire carrier... but that's not gangster.

I've got a pair of top and bottom FJ40 ambi door latches that, with some creative thinking and a bit of work, should work well to make a more modern latch system.

Intrigued, I hit the chalkboard...

... or rather... MS Paint.



This is the idea - now I just have to make it.
 
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I decided to see if this hair brained idea would work using a spare set of trashed barn doors. Hopefully, I'll make my mistakes on this set of doors and if I can manage to get it work work to my satisfaction, I'll cut apart my nicer doors for the actual tailgate.

15 minutes and 25 spot welds later and I had the halves separated. I measured 41" of distance between the quarter panels and I want at least .5" of overlap on each side so I get a decent seal with the weatherstripping. So, I welded the two door skins together at 42". I didn't bother removing the overlap "hump for the purposed of mock-up. I will on the final tailgate.

I used a piece of 1.25"x1/8" angle iron as a temporary brace to form the top of the tailgate.

So far so good:



Then I started playing with the ambi door latch:




I used the same door striker that the rear hatch uses and I think it'll work pretty well.

The handle mechanism is also off an ambi door:



Again, please forgive the crudeness, this is only to prove a theory... the real deal will be done with more care. Right now I'm just going for functional.





The outside handle is going to be tricky. The Ambi door handle (interior one) is a bit small and is not intended to be used as a tailgate handle (there's not much to grab onto) so I'd like to use a rear hatch interior handle like this...



only one problem:


They are both male. DANG!

Any ideas how to solve this problem?
 
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Seems to work! I have no idea what to do about the outside handle though.
Here's a video:

http://s371.photobucket.com/user/99...0108D7D2829C_zpsf25355eb.mp4.html?sort=3&o=17


I'm also going to have to make/adapt some sort of a panel cover to allow access to the handle mechanism after I weld on the inner skin. Speaking of skin, I'm thinking of just using some nice thick (16 ga) sheet metal to form the inside of the tailgate. I might graft one of the access panels off of the dead ambulance doors I have to get at the guts...



I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts!
 
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Is this going to be with a soft top? If so yould have to open the soft top to get out anyway- hence a single exterior handle would suffice.....?

Pete

nevermind... looked again- my bad please proceed as if i didnt exist

p
 
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how about using a stock front door handle?

Pete
 
I thought about using a door handle, but it's the same problem as the tailgate handle... it's a square male end.

I may just end up using a ambi door handle anyway. It's not like this is a heavy tailgate like on a full size truck where you need to release the latch with the same handle you use to pull it up or let it down. The little Ambi lever will probably work just fine.
 
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Most of those handles use a pin to secure them to the square stock... Remove it and then you'll have a female handle.

BTW, I'll take your reject test subject when done. :D
 
I played with the tailgate more tonight.

I cut a relief into the tubing where the latch needs to be positioned to clear the striker.



This is roughly where the latch will be positioned:





I also started working on the frame:



Once it was tacked together I did a test fit for a sanity check:



... plenty of room to clear the strikers:


Filled in the milled recesses:



Then cut a hole for the latch to sit in:



I think this will work fine:





...zang.
 
I like it, looks like you're thinking outside of the tub.
 
Really great job! The first thing I did to my Toy forty years ago was modify the tailgate.
IMG_7945.webp
IMG_7944.webp
 
looks great, keep taking pictures so I can do one later....

lee look at a fj60 or fj80 latch, they are recessed in the top and have a small handle, could be made to work and would act as a way to lock it with the hard top on, as upper hatch would cover it..
 
Like what you are doing, as I have similar ideas on the burner. I would consider leaving the hump in there as in post 10. Just my thought, as it keeps the look a little like original'ish.
Keep posting pics.
 
I have a fj60 and fj80 tailgate here, give me a call
 
I've been playing with the tailgate the last couple days and have made some progress.

I got the nice doors disassembled, cut apart and old holes welded up. I don't know who was on the Toyota assembly line the day this set of doors were made but they apparently loved using the spot welder. The fist set I disassembled probably had a total of 10 welds per door. This new set I'm using easily has 30 per door. What a PITA!

Anyway, I spent a lot of time laying the doors out under the frame to make sure everything was perfectly square... well... "cruiser square", at least:







Then I cut a piece of scrap metal and trimmed it to fit in the gap left by removing the old door overlap.

Shaped and welded:




Then I drilled the hole for the ambi door lever mechanism and got that sucker mounted up. I also mounted the two strikers to the tailgate frame.

A little bit of measuring and crossed fingers yielded a pair of connecting rods and a working latch system!








I'm going to add a 1/4" spacer/reinforcing plate to the back of the handle mechanism. This will add support to an area I fear may fatigue as well as position the handle 1/4" closer to the tailgate which I think will look better. I've got an order placed for an assortment of body plugs and grommets. I'm using a 5/8" OD, 3/8" ID grommet to seal the gap between the tailgate and the handle shaft.





Not too shabby!

 
Also, the center hinge was modded to fit:

I made sure to locate the hinge bolts in the center of the 1" tubing. I'm installing riv-nuts to secure the hinges to the tailgate and hinge to body. ...but that's a job I'm saving for tomorrow.
 
I got the hinges located and drilled. I made sure that the holes are centered with the 1" box tubing so I've got a good anchor for the riv-nuts:



Then, got it mounted to the tub:



Here it is folded down:




Another shot:




I had a spare set of rear hatch strikers and modified them to work with the tailgate. I just had to machine them down a bit to fit the tailgate:


 
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