K5 tailgate install (help from dyeager535 and any others)

[brans87]

Alright tried installing my tailgate and could never get it to latch right. Well dyeager535 and think he has done great job so far. Even sent me a PDF file on the service manual 10A5-5 is page I am looking at in service manual. I have tried everything with no luck.

So I am going to start from scratch by taking it off and starting over.

From what I gather reading install tailgate with torque rods installed to tailgate.
Then slide hinges in slots on body. Guessing this is where you align old body marks etc????
next the little brackets on tailgate with 2 bolts that hold torque rods in place
then cables on each side
close tailgate
last torque rod bolt to frame

This sound correct and right path? Thanks guys tired of wasting time on this and have other items need to get taken care of.

 

[JFlyer76]

Sounds ok to me. I did mine a few months back and what your saying sounds very much like what I did. Getting the torque rods seated sucks no matter what.

 

[brans87]

yeah hate the torsion bars never any fun or easy to do!

 

[brans87]

on right track now need to get tail gate to move over to driver side about 1/4 or hair more. How can i get a heavy tailgate to move that far with torsion bars still on?

 

[brans87]

Tailgate shuts now but look at gapping on each side. Trying to figure out away to adjust it now.

 

[dyeager535]

Am I seeing that right, that the gap narrows as it goes down, on both sides? That would have to be the bed sides spreading, or the tailgate is not a rectangle lol.

 

[JFlyer76]

I'm betting on the tailgate not being a rectangle haha. What's the fix for expanding bedsides?

 

[dyeager535]

What's the fix for expanding bedsides?

New truck? I find it hard to believe, but should be real easy to figure out, measure the distance at the top and bottom of the tailgate opening.

 

[rpcraft]

Has anyone purchased one of the LMC replacement tailgates to offer any opinion on the quality of the unit? Mine has some cracks on the upper edges by where the window and the tailgate meet the sides, which I think is a pretty typical location for the cracks. I thought about maybe bracing it from the back and welding it but getting in there to run a good bead on it looks like it would be a fair challenge if t all possible...

 

[dyeager535]

Has anyone purchased one of the LMC replacement tailgates to offer any opinion on the quality of the unit? Mine has some cracks on the upper edges by where the window and the tailgate meet the sides, which I think is a pretty typical location for the cracks. I thought about maybe bracing it from the back and welding it but getting in there to run a good bead on it looks like it would be a fair challenge if t all possible...

From everything I've heard so far, none of the aftermarket panels are of the same thickness as OEM.

No idea when the cracks started, but if it took 20 years on a GM part, would probably be half that on the thinner chinese junk.

I'm boxing my frame to try and keep those problems at bay, and there are multiple that seem to be linked to the frame flexing.