The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Tailgate Support Chain

I would like to make my own tailgate support chains. I have a new tailgate. In fact the truck has new paint and just about finished at the body shop. I'm sure someone here has some tips as to what to use, or does it make more sense to just buy a set? Along with the chain size and ends, what are folks using for the protective cover? I think something flexible but durable?

thanks much.

David,

Here are various tailgate chains and covers.

I think the original were zinc/galvanized plate, and I do not know if they came with black rubber covers (I'll look for a factory photo). I use stainless steel chains.

this 1954 illustration shows a cover

a better illustration of a cover in 1954

chain cover on 47/48 pickup (I think there is a chain cover?)

I would guess the unique attachment bolts and links could be fabricated but chains are cheap from the vendors. Here is a shot from 55' and 56' it looks like the cover is black or maybe a dark grey?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/11471981706/in/set-72157638866517525
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8258736738/in/set-72157632208905268

I'm with Brad on this one. To make my own would wind up costing more the new parts.

Back to the drawing board. My truck has been in the body shop for some time now. It's due to be complete in a few weeks (body shop time that means by March) so just getting the last few things needed.

Thanks much.

That "Indian Carrying Rack" in your photos is quite the unique piece!

I am guessing you are keeping it all original. But I think I saw ads on tv for the new GMC's that have cylinders on the tail gate. Guess this would let them down easy without having to hold them up. Thought that might be neat for an older truck.

Yea, thanks, but I'm staying as close to original as practical.

Those chains will scratch your new paint, I saw somewhere a bracket that bolts to the side of the tailgate and the side of the bed that folds as you open and close the taigate like on later vehicles. If I were doing it again I would find something other than the chains.

At this point, with the truck already at the body shop, you are pretty much limited to slip on covers.

When it comes to tailgate "hooks and chains" the only method that will ensure that the paint doesn't get scratched from the chains swinging, and chipped from the hooks going through the holes is if you:
1.0 Don't drive the truck - AND -
2.0 Don't open or close the tailgate.

So if original is you're preference then you'll have scratches and chips... it's pretty much the nature of the beast.

Or you could dip the chain and hook in some 'tool grip'rubberized goo from time to time.
Might look better than the chunk of garden hose I saw on most of these tailgates...

I read a tech tip somewhere where someone used a bicycle tire tube that tightly fit over the chain. It made it so that the chain was stiff and wouldn't easily move around and scratch the crap out of your paint.

But that chunk of garden hose was what GM supplied them with, it's the original look.

dg

Just remove the chain completely and use 2 of those pins with the finger ring, like is used to pin farm equipment with a 3-point hitch. Similar to hood pins on hot rods. They are only a buck each at a farm supply.
But when you let it down, there will be nothing to hold it up level.

I think it'd be pretty tough to get a piece of garden hose over the hook - and I seem to recall from the dim past the originals were a coated/treated fabric of some type .... I've always used 10 speed bike tube pieces on the chains, fairly easy to get over the hook and flxible enough to work well

most trucks originally had no back bumper, so that wouldn't be a problem

Bill

How about Silicone Rubber Tubing? Super soft, threads over the hooks and fairly inexpensive...

McMaster Carr P/N 5236K98 1-3/8" ID, 1-1/2" OD, available in Black, Red Blue and Opaque

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-silicone-rubber-tubing/=qkd355

I believe from my research that they originally did not have a bright plated finish, but rather a dull black finish. I am basing this on this unrestored, original paint '49 GMC 49 tail gate chain and the remnants of the original finish on the chains on both my '52 GMC and '50 Chevy trucks.
Here is what I did with the original chains on my GMC. 52 GMC tail gate chain I used Ospho to restore the black phosphate finish. You might be able to use Naval Jelly to accomplish the same black finish. The cover is from Jim Carter and looks just like the original complete with the ribs and drain holes. cover

Sure it's the original look, but other solutions will probably hold up and protect the paint better (and even look better). My and others' comments on that were based on protecting the paint, not on originality. It's the owner's choice ultimately.

I thought originality was one of the objectives of the original poster.

Well shoot... I read the OP's first sentence wrong (sorry Dave).
I thought he wanted to manufacture his own (original) chain set and Now what's a guy to do?
Ya got yer chain
ya got yer hook
ya got yer piece of rubber hose (which thanks to Denny is now Original and so unavailable for Dave's 'original' purposes as that would make it a copy)

Paint the chain and cover it with clear plastic hose?

How about using a bicycle inter tube cut to size as a chain cover? Looks great and is cheap and readily available.
Jerry

Use what they used originally and let it get chipped. That way it will take away some of sting when somebody opens their door into your new paint job. The second scratch is never as painful as the first one.
Carl

Think that's what Bill posted earlier Jerry. And Bill, the
protector slides over the chain opposite the hooked end.
DG

Denny,

What color was the protector?

well, if you have the chains on the bench anyway

Bill

Can't document it Tim, you're much more of a perfectionist,
also, I lost my hard drive last year with all my
reference material on it so it's like I got a lobotomy,
but all I do remember seeing were the black ones,
that look just like the ones Huck has linked to on
his 52.
Think JC and the other repop guys got it right on this one.

One nut Bill, taint all that much of a problem for the
average back yard mechanic.
DG

Thanks, Denny

It looks like some of the pre-54 illustrations had covers that were not black-dark. It just might be artists' poor renditions.

Black suits me fine for the yellow/white 54 pickup that I am working on. It had a lot of black "accents".

As you posted, installing/replacing the rubber is not much of a problem.

Can we conclude that the A.D. tailgate chains left some assembly plants with a zinc/galvanized (CAD?) finish (per Tim), and other assembly plants used chains with a dull black finish--due to phosphating (as reported by HUCK)?

I do not conclude the pick-up box tail-gate/end-gate cable came zinc/cad/galvanized, nor do I disagree about a black finish (which I would prefer). "I think the original were zinc/galvanized plate", but I would not bet (or disagree with anyone) on any possibility.

Also, my experience is only with 1954 - the pick-up box end-gate/tail-gate chain assembly changed that year. I have no doubt that a cover was available in 1954 (and, I assume that a cover was available/used in earlier years, but I cannot find documentation for that).

Again I have no way of documenting it, but I'd bet the farm that
the chains always would have had a cathodic or galvanic protection
such as zinc, cad or galvanizing. A phosphate coating really
would not offer much protection for very long.

And solid black doesn't show up very well in an artist rendition
Tim, so I'd be a little skeptical about that as proof of color
for the protective sleeves. It's to bad that color photo's
weren't popularized till the late 50's, we sure could use some
for documenting true factory color. Most of the slides and
color photos that I took in the 60's and 70's are badly faded
even though I've kept them cool, dry and out of the sunlight.

Denny G.

Greetings from New Jersey,

I have a pair of galvanized
tail gate chains with BLACK rubber covers.
These are GM NOS.
I bought them on ebay.

Photos @ photobucket

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv57/glp0329/TailGateChainsandCoversGMNOS_zps92c74131.jpg

I also bought some Trunnions
from Bruce Bugay in Virginia.

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv57/glp0329/TailGateTrunnionsNOS_zpsa2bfb46f.jpg

I've seen GM NOS tailgate chains in BLACK

I was offered this one:

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/..._pickup_3810824_TG_chain_zpsc08cba39.jpg

I did not buy it because he only had the one.

If he had a pair I would've bought them.

Hope this clears things up.

You ALL know by now...I'm a GM NOS parts nut !

George
in
New Jersey

Thanks, George,

Maybe someone will post similar information about earlier chain assemblies.

Now remember, we’re all part of the big show, we’re on in ten
seconds so get ready to have a good time, all right, here we
go……this is exciting isn’t it! 10….5,4,3,2 now let us imagine
that we’re standing behind the parts counter at Phil O’Keefe
Chevrolet in 1977 and you’re in the middle of the afternoon.

This guy comes in with a request for a new set of silver chains
for his 1953 pickup truck. Now he’s not very happy when you
drop the set of black chains on the counter. Sad news is
they’re the same part number and have replaced the earlier
plated ones???

So, with the ammunition that George and Huck has supplied us
with and with a couple of pages out of our May, 1977 parts book
that we have on the counter, it looks like my explanation to my
customer will be that the chains up to ’53 were plated and
after that they only came with the black oxide or is it paint?
Huck, my guess would be that your chains were replace at some
point in the 60 year life of you trucks and that’s why they had
the black ones on them.
George, the trunnions must have been miss labeled since they
don’t have anything to do with the chains. They are actually
for the pivot point of the end gate. Also the later revisions
moved them to gp. 17.208 and the chains to gp. 17.225.

Also if you noticed the listing for the covers, they were
available in black or inca silver most likely to accommodate the later
trucks.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/154412618/original
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/154412619/original

I think Tim is correct, along with the changes in the body
for '54, in preparation for the big body style change later
in '55, there were a lot of minor changes in the parts supplied
as replacements. Such as the elimination of the plated chains
and the addition of the silver covers.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny G.,

Before I purchased the tailgate
chains on ebay.
I showed them to my internet friend
W.D. Foster, may he R.I.P.,
from Keller, Texas.
W.D. was a ( 10 or 11 ) state
regional sales manager for G.M. ( retired ).

W.D. had a restored '55 1st. series truck.

He told me to buy them..., quote from WD,
" they are correct for your '54 3600 "

I learned from W.D., that galvanized chains
were correct & the '54's had BLACK rubber
covers.

It's not etched in stone, but W.D., sure
seemed to know his stuff.

I purchased many rare GM NOS parts from him.

He never steered me wrong.

Photo of WD @ photobucket

http://i669.photobucket.com/albums/vv57/glp0329/WD%20Foster/WD_Foster__zps97093ef9.png

George
in
New Jersey

George,

If WD said that, I'd take that as gospel.

Thanks,

'54 could very well be the turning point George, or '55 or '56
for that matter. It just seems logical to assume that when GM
was switching over from fat fenders to their cubism design
that many changes were taking place. That mid 50's period of
time is filled with much uncertainty. The later parts books,
mine as shown in the link, was a May, 1977 revision, list the
same number from '54 thru '72. Just because the parts book
list's them for those years does not mean that the original ones
came with a black chain. That could have started in any year,
the parts book is for "replacement" parts, it never guarantied
that they would be exactly like the factory originals, just
that they would fit like the original parts.
In fact if I recall correctly, at one time GM only specified
that replacement parts would only be guarantied for 10 years.
Of course many of the parts fit the same application for many
decades.

DG

Tim,

I went back to my saved email archives folders.
I found the email from W.D. .

as in his email:
" they are correct for your '54 3600 "

Therefore, I edited my post to reflect
exacty what he said.

George
in
New Jersey

Denny G.,

Thank You for your insight. I always enjoy
reading your posts.
The same goes for Tim's posts.

There are some real sharp cookies here on stovebolt.

That's why I try to participate.

Denny G., I'm sending you an email concerning
the installation tool you made for the installation
of the 3rd. gear bushing on the SM 420 - 4 speed.
I've been trying to find the original
Kent Moore tool......with ' no luck ' .
I'm asking, would you be willing share the measurements of the tool you made ?
Maybe, I can have one made up .
Unless, you made up more than one & would sell
it to me.


George
in
New Jersey

I had a '75 Chevy stepside, it had black covers over the chains.

It was quite some years ago that I did that rebuild. If this is
what your talking about George, then its just an aluminum guide
bushing that fits over the end of the shaft and the outer
sleeve is the same, just a piece of aluminum tube to push the
bushing in place. I think I just spun them both down on my
bench lathe:
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/137529725/large
It's really nothing special as are the other "special" tools to
disassemble or assemble the SM420. One can actually get by with
a light hammer and soft punches. The material that the sleeve's
were made from probably got used for some other project when I
finished the SM420 rebuild. I went to a lot of trouble to make
the rear bearing puller and in the end it pretty much just slip
fit out of and into place, no real need for the fancy puller.


Disassembly/reassembly of the three speed is the same case, you
can get by with the simple tools that anyone has in their tool
box, no real need for the special tools shown at the end of the
chapter. In my youth I went thru a lot of three speed transmissions
because of speed shifting and never had any thing special to
work with. Even loaded the clusters with out the
tapered pin that they show by using heavy grease to
hold the needles in place.

Denny G

As I posted above, in 1954 the style of the chain assembly changed..

Note that a cover is shown for 1954, but is not shown for earlier years. What's up with that?