Anything Manufacturing - Small to Medium Scale Metal Work (CAD/CAM included!)

I was thinking of plate on the bottom to not obstruct a future decked drawer or fridge slide. So, 1x2" rectangular or 2"x2" box tube (blue) and angle brackets (red) to the mounting points? I plan on adding 45 angle gussets along the base of the frame as well.

 

Not hard to do, my friend has made a few based off the Wilco tire gate (I used to have one myself).

Basically braced sides, tow hitch pins, and bushings to swing out on.

I'd wonder how cool it would be to tie in some internal bed stiffeners; they could get bolted through the bed for more reinforcement.

 

do you have any pictures of yours?
I think this custom setup would be closed to what i want. The hinge side seems only to be mounted with a beefier style bed stiffener.

 

Yeah I had planned to share any pics I've got for ya, just got home.

Mine was a 1st Gen but same concept.

 

The tiregate



The upright install



Both uprights, with center



Finished install



If I were to incorporate such a setup on a 2nd or 3rd Gen, I'd incorporate an internal bed stiffener behind the tail light and bed the way 4WP has designed as it'll support your uprights much better.

 

I would kill for a work space like this!

 

Well done, tab & slot design is really helpful, especially in large volume production settings!

 

my preference would be to use square tubing instead of round tubing. it's got a slightly better rigidity to it, and your avatar picture is of a beach-- square tubing will have less area's for sand to hide in if you're going to have a flat surface up against it.

that said, one of your concerns is the future possibility of a decked system. the wilco you're using as a baseline does that by mounting below the bed, via the tailgate mounting points. i think copying that mounting method would be far better overall for your goals.

i'm just not sure adding a piece of flat stock to the floor of the bed really benefits the build overall-- i understand the idea, to tie the two sides together, and provide a base. i've worked with a few decked systems at work. if memory serves right, even that 3/16" flat stock might be too much to interfere with the drawers, especially the heads of the bolts to connect the flat stock. the drawers stay somewhat tight to the floor of the truck.

 

Yeah I get trying to make a decked work but IMO it is necessary to tie both sides together with something with some structure.

Maybe could that box tube go under the bed and bolt through or something? Just tossing ideas around I dont know what it looks like under there.

 

Well this was fairly obvious. If you moved that tube we are talking about right above the bumper somehow that would make your decked work with this.

@jmferg

 

Posting this up as it may or may not help someone here.

https://youtu.be/pbqD2jYq__k

Had a post up over a year ago on FB detailing exactly how to do open chains, but people have been wanting to see it 'live' so I made a quick how-to video.

 

Your tire gate design was clean! I remember this truck when i was on the 1st gen side of the forum originally. This is a good point to get a bit more support than the latch catch points. I'll pick up your brackets when the time comes up. Did you use standard poly bushings for the hinges?

The truck only see the beach a few times a times. I want to incorporate round tube but it doesn't fit the design needs wells.

I see how the tire gate attaches to the tailgate hinge points. I need to investigate a bit on how secure and strong these points are behind the sheet metal.

 

Not my design by any means!

It's a Wilco tiregate.

 

did they change their design from poly bushings to heim joints/bearings?

 

Mine was meant for a 1st Gen, so it's a super old setup.

Makes sense if they use heims now.

 

I wouldnt use 2 heims though. My friend did that for a swingout and it turned out like crap. They are spherical joints after all that are typically used for misalignment in both directions. I think a trailer bearing on the bottom and a heim up top makes alot of sense.