The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Rattling tailgate

I have a 56 Task Force pickup and the tailgate rattles something awful. It's got the chains, only one of which is there (the other is missing). I looked at it but it doesn't seem there is any way to prevent the thing from rattling. Does anyone know if this is possible?

need to do some judicious bending to tighten up the latching, particularly the slotted tabs off the sides of the gate - and would likely help to replace the missing chain/hook, and having the rubber sleeves on the chains is helpful, bicycle inner tube works OK for that

Bill

Find a piece of black hose that will go over the piece of metal that the chain hooks to. Cut it so it will cushion the tail gate from bouncing back and forth. If you cut it right you will have just enough tension that you will need to push in on the tail gate to get the hook through the hole. You can also put some hose over the chains and that will help with them rattling.

OK, thanks for the suggestions.

Joe

If you can hear the tailgate rattle there might be some missing parts elsewhere that usually drown that out.. .

The doors compete with the tailgate but I think the tailgate has the edge. The doors and the seat are about even in their noise-producing capacity.

LOL!!!!

I've been working that angle with my '62 C10. I fixed the rattle in the doors with new weatherstripping for the windows and door jams. Then I noticed how bad the front bumper rattled. Fixed that and noticed the driverside rear fender brace, etc.....

I've got another project going at the moment, but once it's finished, I'm going to chase all these noises down. I have eliminated quite a few sources of noise, like you, but I'm amazed at how many there are. I took a 1,000-mile road trip in this truck last fall and I tell people it was like flying in a beat-up old Cessna.

I guess most of you guys on here want to have a perfect truck which is ok but most of those rattles and noises sometime bring back old times for me .Like the sound the tailgate makes when i open it. (kind of a screeching sound) or the hollow sound the doors make when you shut them.To each there own,just my truck has been with us for 59 years .

Oh I don't mind the minor noises. I understand I'm working with a 51 year old truck. some noises will always be there. I just want to track down and fix the most annoying ones.

My first vehicle was a 1963 C10. It had all the rattles and clangs that one would expect. I always hated that part of it. (I was 15 when I got it.) I loved the truck, but hated the rattles.

Now that I am restoring a 1962 (many years after my beloved '63 changed hands) I want to make it a bit more "civilized" without losing the charm of the old truck.

I don't ever expect (or want) a perfect truck. Where's the fun in that? If that's what I wanted, I would just drive my '06 Dodge.

Anyone can drive a new truck. It just takes money to buy it. You have to be a real shade tree mechanic to drive a Stovebolt.

the only way I know of to get anything to stop rattling is to leave it parked.