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Manual tailgate?

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u2slow

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I've seen a few Blazer/Jimmy's around with a manual hand crank for the back glass. They are all full convertible, making them 73-75 models.

The the Suburban ever have the manual winder? Has anyone transplanted the Blazer/Jimmy one?

Just looking for options when my power tailgate gives up /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yes burbs came with manual tailgate windows up till 89 i believe. As far as swapping one from a blazer/jimmy, i'm not sure but i don't think it'll work, i believe the burb tailgate is wider.
 
Wow. I haven't seen one yet on a Burb. I'll keep my eyes peeled /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I only figured on swapping the guts anyways.
 
I haven't had my mine apart yet - so I don't know what I'm in for. I'm thinking the manual winder would be less finicky in the long run.

I have to shove on the right-hand side of the gate for the window to move at all. It also jams up about 2" from the top, so I have to help it by tugging up on the glass while turning the key - I usually get my fingers out in time! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

To top it off, the taigate handle doesn't work either - bent I guess. I took the trim panel off and tug on the latch rods to open it.

The barn-door swap sounded good until I took them off my parts truck and realized the hinges bolt into heavy steel plates imbedded in the hinge pillars. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif

I'm just batting around ideas for when my tailgate dies /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Barn doors are an easy swap, all the internal parts (mounts points) are already in a burb that has a tailgate. All you need to do is get a set of doors with all the hardware for a perfect fit swap. The only other thing to think about is at the base of where the tailgate hinges, that roll pan with the 2 holes for the hinges and torsion rod, you would need to change that pan, unless you don't mind the holes being there. We did the complete swap on my dads burb in less than half a day.
 
So the heavy steel plates are inside the pillar on the tailgate trucks? Now, after I drill through the body metal, are the plates drilled and tapped already? Any tips on cutting the slot for the hinge would be nice too.

I did notice the sill on my barn-door truck had a dip in it for the door catches. I figured that was the least of my worries - mounting the hinges still looks to be the tough part.
 
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So the heavy steel plates are inside the pillar on the tailgate trucks? Now, after I drill through the body metal, are the plates drilled and tapped already? Any tips on cutting the slot for the hinge would be nice too.


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You shouldn't have to drill any holes what so ever. Holes should already be there covered with plugs, same with the slits for the hinge, holes should already be in the pillars, just covered with plugs. Do some really good looking at the pillars to find these plugs.
 
No hinge hinge holes on my Burb /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I know the plugs you're talking about - they were covering the bolts on the '77 I took the doors from.

Looks like your Burb is a bit older than mine. Maybe they ditched the universal fit business at some point. What year was your Dad's Burb?
 
Well that sux, my dads burb is an 80. Anyways, now, if you really want to switch to manual all you have to do is swap the complete mechanism with the arms from the power to the manual and the outside piece (key to crank).
 
As far as the barn door mounts in the tailgate version, my 88 doesn't have them. I found out somerwhere in the 80's they stop building them for both. I was told when Chevy stopped using the burb for ambulances, they stopped that. Anyway, just my $0.02.
/forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif
 
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