The 2 tailgate hinges on my 46 1/2T truck were each held on by a single bolt - the upper bolts had been replaced by a 3/4 inch hole, broken out of the metal. I welded a plate onto the backside of the sheet metal and am about to drill out the mounting holes. Can someone tell me what size (diameter) the mounting bolts should be? 3/8" is a bit tight in the hinge holes, but 5/16" seems a bit loose. Should the bolts holding the bottom sill also all be the same size as the hinge bolts?
I've just been working on my 1946 tailgate and the original bolts were 5/16". Unfortunately, I had to cut them for disassembly and replaced them as you can see on the photo. The bottom sill bolts have the same size and are still original.
