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tailgate rebuilding

white90burb

1/2 ton status
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Feb 14, 2010
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Location
Chesapeake VA
So I'm going to be rebuilding either my tail gate or a new one for my 75 k5. I'm wanting to do power window. I'm wanting to make sure the wiring is going to be good enough to power the window up and down fast. I've seen the post for using relays for power windows. Is there any way to convert this over to the tailgate? Also where is a good place to get all the parts I will be needing. LMC doesn't have much for the k5s.
 
I think you'd be better off finding a complete tailgate and redoing it. Unless you are looking for restoration quality (in which case new aftermarket doesn't hold a candle to OEM) I wouldn't pay money for chinese made parts like the latching parts, the handle, the key switch/housing, regulator, etc.

Seeing that at this age the rollers, felts/tracks and seals need replaced, but the old regulator assembly seems GTG, as do the cables, motors, etc. Obviously things fail, but generally they seem pretty robust, and worth running until they actually fail.
 
The only problem with that is finding a taikgate that is not cracked at the top or rusted which in az thr rust isnt a big deal. I have yet to see one that is not cracked though.
 
The only problem with that is finding a taikgate that is not cracked at the top or rusted which in az thr rust isnt a big deal. I have yet to see one that is not cracked though.

I've got a manual gate that's cracked, and an '87 power, plus the one on my '85, all cracked as well. I welded up both sides with the mig, nothing fancy or beautiful, was more interested in not warping the surfaces too much, one side stuck and lasted through a week of rough logging road use and is still intact, the other side cracked from just a day or so of bouncing around on-road.

I'm of the mindset the cracks are part of a design flaw in the vehicle, they are too common to be anything else. Whether its gate alignment, stress from the window pushing against it, the frame moving too much and torquing the body, or a combination of all three, a non-cracked tailgate will become cracked unless the vehicle is a show queen. In other words, get what you can find, pound it roughly to shape, and weld it. Making it look pretty is fine if you can do so, but it's most likely just going to crack there or somewhere else. The stress hasn't gone away, it's going to find the next weak spot.
 

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