Tailgate theft....How to prevent it....

Done thank you

 

Finally made it in to the local Lowes today. To my surprise, they came two clamps to a package. Solid...

Thanks again Chris.

 

I suppose you got yourself a spare............... When you put that on, turn it so the screwdriver slot is facing to the back, right up against your tailgate, then tighten it carefully with a flat open end wrench. Yes, it's hard to do, and it takes longer, but remember, you'll only have to do it once, and it is just as time consuming and difficult to remove, BUT, that's exactly what all of this is about. Do the washer modification also, if you can...............

 

Thanks for the washer diagram @Reef Runner . Did the that mod yesterday in addition to the key-type Autozone hose clamp I already had in place. I have a collection of odd nuts, bolts and washers & was able to pull the necessary parts without having to resort to making them. However, they are not stainless, which would be best. Will keep an eye on them for rust and replace if necessary.

 

We actually have a couple Tacomas in the family so they both have been put to work. Thanks for the washer mod idea too...

 

@mjbtaco

 

Checked off the list. Thanks!

 

Just curious, I'm still 2nd Gen Tacoma, so what does the MGM refer to ?

 

Its the Toyota color of my truck, Magnetic Grey Metallic.

 

MGM used to be a studio in Hollywood but I'm sure some foreign company bought them out and changed the name..........

 

Someone could do well with a cottage industry selling cables that have a smaller eyelet that requires you to take the bolt out for removal vs. the slip-n-steal ones on their now.

 

The sell them back to people who's tailgates have been stolen.

 

10-4 on the color. I had seen the MGM reference used in other threads, but just never picked up on what it meant !
BTW ------- Looking Good there !

 

I searched my spares box and came up with a pair of perfect large stainless washers and some smaller ones for spacer duty.
The holes on the larger washers were easily enlarged with a Harbor Freight uni-bit and the little washers were perfect as-is (specific fit from a distant project, etc...)
I did run into a small problem on my 2016.
In reference to the diagram in post #999, I had to add a second small washer as shown.
The hole in the black outer body metal is larger than the threaded bolt hole.
With everything as originally intended, snugging up the cable bolt caused the retainer to deform slightly and begin to "dish" outward.
This lead to the cable binding despite the one small washer as a spacer. I added small washer #2 under the retainer to fill in the hole in the black metal portion and support the retainer better. All snugged up, the cable works perfectly.

 

If so, then your small washer was not quite, "perfect as-is". Obviously, they were not quite as thick as the "tailgate cable clip" [blue]. That is the point of the small washer. It must be just a bit thicker, than the "tailgate cable clip", or it will bind when the bolt is tightened.

However, whatever you did, if it worked - kudos !

 

The one small washer is on the outside of the cable retainer to allow the cable end to not be bound up by the addition of the anti-theft washer.
That works fine. Having a thicker one wouldn't have helped when I tightened up the bolt. The retainer would still bend due to the lack of support on the bed side of things.
Had the hole in the black metal been the same size as the threaded hole and not significantly larger, the second washer wouldn't have been necessary.
Which makes me wonder how the retainer didn't deform from the factory? I didn't tighten things down very hard at all (used a regular 3/8" ratchet on the T40 Torx driver).

 

If you'll look at the top drawing in my diagram, you'll see that the shoulder on the T40 torx bolt, tightens up directly against the truck body, or as you mention - the retainer clip (I didn't show the retainer clip in my diagram). I assumed that would make no difference, because the shoulder of the torx bolt does not penetrate the retainer clip, so it still will not allow the cable clip to bind (that's how mine came from the factory). I wouldn't think that it really makes any difference, if you were tightening the bolt to the retainer clip, or to the truck body (?). They are both flat surfaces, which meet the shoulder of the torx bolt.

However, when you introduce another component (i.e. the anti-theft washer - as seen in the bottom drawing), and that component is between the head of the bolt and the truck body (retainer clip), then you must extend the shoulder of the torx bolt, by that same amount, in order to prevent binding of the cable clip. All the small washer is doing, is compensating for the space taken up by the addition of the anti-theft washer, and likewise the extended shoulder still prevents any binding, and the torx bolt can be tightened max. It shouldn't be left loose.

Again, I'm not real sure what you did, or why, but as mentioned, if it works, and you can tighten your torx bolts, then you're in business ! It kinda sounds like that the new retainer clips might not be as substantial as the older clips (mine is '07). Mine is very substantial, and does not allow for any bending or flexing, plus it is laying flat up against the black truck body, so I don't see how it could flex..... Again, we are talking 2nd gen parts vs 3rd gen parts, so who knows ?

 

****

The retainers things tighten against must not be as sturdy as before. I didn't pull on the ratchet that hard before the cable end began to bind. When I removed the bolt again to see what was going on, the cable retainer was no longer flat. The threads the bolt go into are in the underlying metal (painted red/body color of my 2016). The outer metal (solid black) has a hole for the bolt that is a good bit bigger than necessary. The thickness of the black metal is what the second small washer must make up for. Otherwise, the bolt shoulder pushes the retainer into the hole on it's way to being tightened up against the threaded part. Put an index card atop a coffee cup and press in the middle of the card to simulate the deformation of the retainer. When mine bent, I just hammered it back flat on an anvil with a small machine hammer and added the second small washer.

 

Okay, but I've got to believe that the new retainer clips on your '16, must be thinner than the ones on my '07, especially if they are deforming on you. Also, maybe the hole in the black part is not oversized on mine (?). Either way, now I understand exactly what you were talking about. I'll have to check mine again, because I really never paid any attention to the hole in the black piece, I suppose because I didn't have that problem and hadn't heard of it. You are the first person that I have heard bring it up. Oh, and my bolts are tightened up, just as they were originally (pretty tight). I'll let you know later on - you've got my curiosity up, now !

 

Just checked on my set-up.......
1. the hole in my retainer clip is the same size as the threaded part of the torx bolt......no problem !
2. the hole in the black metal wall, that the retainer clip is placed against, is only "slightly" larger than the torx bolt......no problem !
3. the retainer clip is substantial (stout), so no problem with bending or deforming......no problem !
4. sounds like Toyota made a change - lighter, thinner, cut-back, cut-back, etc., etc.........reducing cost where they can !
5. seems like you figured out what to do, so, you've helped the guys with the new gen Tacos...............thanks !