Interior Tailgate Release Handle Ideas?

With a tailgate extender and about a dozen bowling balls, you could have fun with tailgaters.

 

Which part? Assuming you meant the inside, it's just has a piece of plastic sheet screwed to the factory corrugated cover. This is the only picture I have handy, ignore the mess in the back of the truck. I wanted a black piece but they had this piece of white cut-off/wastage from a larger piece that was a lot cheaper so I grabbed it and painted it black with plastic paint (Fusion I think) then drilled it and put screws in.

 

That's perfect. Thanks.

 

Dig the flat piece. I wanna do that to mine eventually.

 

Here’s some details of my set up.

I used 2 “universal” power door lock actuators to pop the latches.

I initially planned to use them to push the rods but they weren’t strong enough. I set them up to pull the rods and it worked perfect.

I just zap strapped the actuators in place sine I didn’t want this to be permanent until I knew it worked how I wanted. I need to go back and remount them with nuts/bolts now.

I used a momentary switch to activate the motors and tapped into the bed mount 12v sockets I added for power/ground.

It works pretty good. I did notice two minor things.

1. If you use the handle to open the tailgate, the handle doesn’t doesn’t fully “close” when you release it. It has a little free play in it this caused by the actuators. This is only an issue when the tailgate is down and the latch is open. Once you close the tailgate/latch the handle goes back to normal. I plan on adding a return spring to the inside of the handle to correct this.

2. If the trucks facing down hill, the tailgate doesn’t always pop open enough for it to drop automatically. It’ll pop open and just sit there. Simple solution. I plan on adding a simple spring loaded door popper like you’d use on a set of shaved door handles.

Pics -







I didn’t get a picture of the release button, my phone died while taking vidoes. I’ll take more pics tomorrow.


Videos - (click image for video)

Testing it off a 12v source

Untitled by Steve Sankovich, on Flickr

Finished. Shitty quick video of it in action

Untitled by Steve Sankovich, on Flickr

I think Im gonna add a PAC-TR7 to this set up so I can program the keyfob to pop the tailgate.

I also think Im gonna explore an option of adding a popper to the shell handle as well

 

More details...

Switch -



Switch in action from the bed (click pic for video) -

Untitled by Steve Sankovich, on Flickr

Completely unnecessary, but functional....