Unibody tailgate support rod question

[LM14]

Been stripping my '62 uni and finally got the tailgate off this afternoon. Pulled the support rods, too. That is where my questions are.

1. Are the rods normally straight?

2. Are the "square forged" ends that go thru the holes in the tailgate supposed to be square with the rest of the rod and at a 90* angle with the actual rod? My end is twisted on one rod so the "squarish knob" that goes thru the tailgate hole is 15* off being in line with the rod. The end is not square with the rod in any direction, the other rod is fairly square.

3. Should all the rods themselves be straight? Mine are all bowed, bent, twisted and generally in a total mess.

Which is right? The rods are parallel in the picture, which end is twisted?



Thanks,
SPark

[ICEMAN6166]

well the rods should be straight that much i remember.
i think the square was 90* to the rod.

thought i had pics of a set but cant find .
someone will have or be able to take pic.

[LM14]

The one on the left in my picture was pretty beat up and didn't want to come out of the tailgate. Think I will probably just heat it and get it 90* to the rod and go from there.

Thanks, Brian.
SPark

[unibody madness]

Brian,
the one on the left is correct. The one on the right is wrong. In order to remove and install them you need to
1) open the tailgate
2) lift the gate and bend the "elbows back out twards you while lifting
3) At about a fifteen degree angle the rectangled end will come out letting you twist out the s bend attached to the truck .
4) there is a left and a right side on those and each rod should be straight other than the ends that attach to truck/tailgate

[LM14]

So the one that is on the left (not at a 90* angle to the rod) is the correct one?

I had a rough time getting it out of the tailgate, the one on the popped came right out.

SPark

[unibody madness]

The piece should be clocked at 15*,one left and one right.that head should be attached to the rod with a 90* bend perpendicular to the hooped hinge end on a straight rod. If the head is clocked at a 90*, it would be able to pop put during normal opening and closing of the gate. The hinge must be pulled opposite its normal direction,while opening, in order to line up with the slot so it can come out.

[ICEMAN6166]

pretty much the same way the styleside gates work, you have to move the hinge past the straight so it comes off.

[LM14]

Thanks guys, I'll heat the right one up and make I the mirror image of the left one.

Appreciate it!
SPark

[unibody madness]

Good luck with your project.
If for some reason it won t work out, I remade mine out of 5/16ths mild rod and used modded stove bolt heads for the end pieces

[betfm]

I never had any, so I didn't even know what they looked like.

Some guy had some made up from originals he had and posted them for sale on Ebay.

I bought them for about $50.00, they are really nice. I had them clear zinc plated and they look like chrome.

Hope yours work out for you. I never could find any used ones, They are really scarce.