Tail gate hinge operation.

[Troll]

The rebuild is moving along, still on schedule. Most of the front half is painted, still need to touch up some areas. Working on the wiring when I can focus fora few hours with out interuption. The truck is a '53 with a D42 engine coverted to 12V. It starts and charges so I cleaned up the installed nessecary wires. I have to build a light harness. With the use of an original harness, a hand full of relays and an excisting fuse panel I can make it happen. Using needed switches wired to ground to close relay circuits should prove entertaining for the next guy to figure out. I am always thinking about ten steps ahead, working on five things at once and the garage is a mess as a result. So I've been looking at the tailgate, pretty straight and solid. The hinge pipe however is another story. The bottom has been peeled or opened up like a few of the spot welds broke, also a bunch of dents seem to have pinched the pipe inside the channel. Before I do to much damage, is the pipe supposed to pivot inside the tail gate? Or does it pivot on the outer and center brackets? The pipe need to be replaced and the replacement ends have a piece of welded to them, they were removed with a saw from the tailgate I guess. I just don't know what is the correct point of movement. I should post some pics.

[ZGjethro]

The tailgate pipe pivots in the outer and center brackets. My M37 did not come with a tailgate as it spent time as a fire truck and was discarded. I built a tailgate and used solid bar stock for the pivot.

[Cal_Gary]

I used 3/4 gas pipe for mine.
Gary