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Nashville TJ's Build - Continued
- Thread starter NashvilleTJ
- Start date
Gotsta have da big arms to toss around those 43’s…
Wish I’d have moved the mounts back a little. Still might one day.
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I spent some time this afternoon working on the tailgate. This is what I started with this morning:
Frankly it was damaged enough that I thought I may need to replace it - but I figured I'd take a shot at straightening it. Basically, when the rig dropped on the spare tire carrier in Devil's, it deflected inward enough to push in snubbers and cave in the tail gate. The carrier escaped completely unscathed.
Frankly it was damaged enough that I thought I may need to replace it - but I figured I'd take a shot at straightening it. Basically, when the rig dropped on the spare tire carrier in Devil's, it deflected inward enough to push in snubbers and cave in the tail gate. The carrier escaped completely unscathed.
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You guys are going to break the internet!
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A while ago I added a piece of angle to the top edge of the tailgate to help reenforce it a bit, so first up was to pull it. Strangely it was mostly straight except for the area right above the first snubber.
After pulling it, the bend was even more pronounced:
After pulling it, the bend was even more pronounced:
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You're killin' me Smalls!
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Ok, so trying to ignore @RINC, first up was to straighten the reinforcing bar on the press.
Once the bar was straight, you can really see how far out the tailgate is:
Once the bar was straight, you can really see how far out the tailgate is:
I better stop with the chatgtp replies. @NashvilleTJ and @Chris may throw me the ban hammer.
Or worse maybe just a BFH next time he sees you on the trail...
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Since the tailgate is too big to fit on the press, I had to get creative. Using a few blocks of wood, a large C-Clamp, and a short piece of tubing to get some leverage, I slowly worked it back into shape. I was quite surprised how well it came out - but it did take a while going slowly so as not to over bend it.
Any signs of the paint being affected? <——- non chatgtp reply.
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To add insult to injury, after spending all that time straightening the damn tailgate, as soon as I reinstalled it I stripped one of the hinge bolt threads. So I tossed the damn little metric bolts and tapped all four for 3/8.
'Cause 'Merica!
'Cause 'Merica!
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And here it is. It's straight, and the top rail is once again dead on. There are a couple of creases where the snubbers were forced downward, but I can't get behind them because of the design of the tailgate. But considering I thought I was going to have to replace it, and paint it, I am pretty stoked.
And now the soft top will seal again...
Considering how bad it was, this looks great.
And now the soft top will seal again...
Considering how bad it was, this looks great.
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