Yes, but it does not talk about cooking bacon whilst on the trail......
Tailgate Warpage (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter photogod
- Start date
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We managed to cook Indian at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. But the flare of the (liquid fuel) stove preheating and the splatter concerned me a bit...
Where is a good net place to find that, by the way? http://www.mcmaster.com/itm/find.AS...DtlLink&fasttrack=False&searchstring=86825K31 at $338.55 seems a bit intimidating.
No question about it: this is my next mod!
Where is a good net place to find that, by the way? http://www.mcmaster.com/itm/find.AS...DtlLink&fasttrack=False&searchstring=86825K31 at $338.55 seems a bit intimidating.
No question about it: this is my next mod!
cruiserdan said:The stove only sits there if there is no place else to set it and the stove lid acts as a barrier. No bacon cooking on the tailgate tho....
If you don't have a wholesaler nearby (www.onlinemetals.com) is reasonable and does small sizes
I got mine from a local wholesale yard that had a really cool shear. They cut it to the length and width I specified using the shear and I rounded the lower corners myself.. IIRC it cost around a hundred bucks for the sheet. The link Clown provided has costs in that ball-park.
My truck wanna be like your truck :hillbilly
Yor truk faster than my truk..:hillbilly
Taller feller too....:hillbilly
You can also cut 6061 on a table saw with a carbide toothed blade if the metal yard can't or won't cut it for you...
Nick
Nick
- Thread starter
- #29
How bout rounding the corners with a saber saw. Will a regular metal blade work? I am assuming the aluminum is a softer metal than the same thickness of steel?!
cruiserdan said:
Note to Dan...........
You don't need to hoard enough ammo to capture Berlin. World War II is over. We won. That is all. Over and out.
-B-
A regular metal blade will work. Yes, aluminum is softer than steel in most cases. You can also round over the edges with a router and a carbide bit to give a finished edge.photogod said:
Nick
I used a hacksaw to rough it out and I finished it with files.
Beowulf said:
Note to Dan...........
You don't need to hoard enough ammo to capture Berlin. World War II is over. We won. That is all. Over and out.
-B-
You're jelous, aren't you..........
I just love the aroma off of a freshly opened 400 round can............
Rich said:
Many moons ago I made a much rougher (literally) version of Dan's gate on my old 4Runner. I used 1/8 inch thick aluminum and it was not strong enough or thick enough to remove any warpage in the gate.
To do that gate plate, I took the carpeting covering the gate off, traced the pattern including the holes on one 1/8 inch thick aluminum sheet, then took that to the metal works company I purchased the sheet from. They sheared it and used a slow bandsaw blade to copy the corners.
I then gave them measurements for the rear surface of the rear seats and they made simple 1/8 inch thick aluminum sheets with one simple bend at the bottom of about 5 degrees down for about an inch and a half so that when the seats were folded flat that bend facilitated sliding of lumber, parts, tools, whatever I slid in there. The seat plates were simple rectangles and were perfect for the purpose. To really give much more versatility I then riveted all sorts of handle tie downs on the seat plates and the tailgate plate to help hold things down.
It was pretty slick, but not at all smooth (hence the rougher from above) cause the hole thing including the floor of the runner and the wheel wells were coated with herculiner. It was so rough it was almost hard to handle crawling over it or cleaning on it etc for extended periods of time. But, it was awesome at protecting the gate, the seats and the floor and making the rear of the runner an awesome storage area.
Anyway, my points are: 1. 1/8th, while MUCH better than the carpeting is not enough to straighten the gate or prevent problems with the gate and that Dan was wise to use the 1/4 plate. 2. It is much preferred to have a smooth durable surface as opposed to a rough durable surface.
HTH
Dan straighten the gate before plating it. Wouldn't be reasonable to think that bolting a long piece of sheetmetal would pull out a prexisting deformation. I would still be suprised if 1/8 wasn't enough for reasonable overloading. It shouldn't take 23 lbs of reinforcement to beef up the gate if all you need is something that will hold up to body weight and loading / unloading the truck. When it comes to sheetmetal work 1/8 is damn thick!
I avoid abusing my tailgate and it is still straight. I frequently load and unload a boatload of gear, with no problems. I do avoid dropping anything heavy on the tailgate. Toyota should have done a better job.
I avoid abusing my tailgate and it is still straight. I frequently load and unload a boatload of gear, with no problems. I do avoid dropping anything heavy on the tailgate. Toyota should have done a better job.
Rich said:
Well maybe my phrase of "remove the warpage" was confusing, I really meant "maintain the straightage". I realize Dan straightened his gate first but whatever warped his, and mine, originally will warp it again so the strength is important to prevent future problems. I understand your thinking cause that was what I was thinking too and guess what, I was wrong, soooo learn what you will from my lesson, I'm givin ya my experience. Can we compromise at 3/16th???
Dug this thread up through searching.
Currently in the midst of trying to straighten my tailgate as it has become "stiff" and therefore difficult to operate.
I did a bit of straightening and it helped a bit, but I fear it will simply bend back. I have a couple sheets of 1/8" aluminum(smooth and diamond tread) and a sheet of 1/8" steel.
Has anyone managed a way to stiffen the tailgate with a "substructure" of sorts? I'd rather not have to buy 1/4" aluminum when I have these other materials at my disposal. I have pulled the carpet and noticed that there are no significant openings through which to insert any significant members. I was considering using a few piececs of aluminum angle inserted and bolted through the existing holes. Figured if I did that, then I could skin it w/ the alumninum I have and the problem would be solved. Opinions?
Ary
Currently in the midst of trying to straighten my tailgate as it has become "stiff" and therefore difficult to operate.
I did a bit of straightening and it helped a bit, but I fear it will simply bend back. I have a couple sheets of 1/8" aluminum(smooth and diamond tread) and a sheet of 1/8" steel.
Has anyone managed a way to stiffen the tailgate with a "substructure" of sorts? I'd rather not have to buy 1/4" aluminum when I have these other materials at my disposal. I have pulled the carpet and noticed that there are no significant openings through which to insert any significant members. I was considering using a few piececs of aluminum angle inserted and bolted through the existing holes. Figured if I did that, then I could skin it w/ the alumninum I have and the problem would be solved. Opinions?
Ary
- Thread starter
- #39
Arya,
It was my experience that once the gate was "warped" there was really no way to get it back into shape. That is the exterior shape. I did something simmilar to what Dan did in putting the nutserts in and then using some I bolts and a bit of persuation to straighten the interior of the gate to a somewhat level apearance. The outside was still a bit curved and slightly noticeable when closed. I also used Dans suggestion on the 1/4 inch 6061 as it doesn't bend and did help draw up the inside of the gate. I'm not sure the 1/8" would be stiff enough to hold the shape. Then again, I'm 240# and do stand on the gate to unload the roof rack. I suppose you could use the existing holes and spot weld some bar stock or L channel on the inside of the gate to stiffen it up but I think the AL plate would spread out the load better than a topical application of frame work. My gate never did open easily cause the PO stood on and bent the gate. Even when I straightened it it still opens hard. It will stay in any position I let go, 1/4 open, 1/2 open, etc...
P.S. Don't use the diamond plate, CDan will call you a dumb bastard and try and talk you into getting on your knees!
As per my previous post (Why do you guys hate me?) Search "6061"
It was my experience that once the gate was "warped" there was really no way to get it back into shape. That is the exterior shape. I did something simmilar to what Dan did in putting the nutserts in and then using some I bolts and a bit of persuation to straighten the interior of the gate to a somewhat level apearance. The outside was still a bit curved and slightly noticeable when closed. I also used Dans suggestion on the 1/4 inch 6061 as it doesn't bend and did help draw up the inside of the gate. I'm not sure the 1/8" would be stiff enough to hold the shape. Then again, I'm 240# and do stand on the gate to unload the roof rack. I suppose you could use the existing holes and spot weld some bar stock or L channel on the inside of the gate to stiffen it up but I think the AL plate would spread out the load better than a topical application of frame work. My gate never did open easily cause the PO stood on and bent the gate. Even when I straightened it it still opens hard. It will stay in any position I let go, 1/4 open, 1/2 open, etc...
P.S. Don't use the diamond plate, CDan will call you a dumb bastard and try and talk you into getting on your knees!
As per my previous post (Why do you guys hate me?) Search "6061"
A single flat plate will have minimal resistance to bending - you can save *alot* of weight for a given stiffness if you can somehow add some ribs or corrugations to it as such (if my ascii art is up to par):
___/--\_____/--\_____/--\____
or
____/\____/\____/\____/\____
If you can get a sheet product like that, or get your metal shop to bend something like that in on their brake, it will really stiffen things up. Other options would be riveting or welding channel stock onto the sheet, or a sandwich structure.
Of course, this would be a bit rougher on the knees - unless you went with a sandwich structure, but that's a whole nother issue.
___/--\_____/--\_____/--\____
or
____/\____/\____/\____/\____
If you can get a sheet product like that, or get your metal shop to bend something like that in on their brake, it will really stiffen things up. Other options would be riveting or welding channel stock onto the sheet, or a sandwich structure.
Of course, this would be a bit rougher on the knees - unless you went with a sandwich structure, but that's a whole nother issue.
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