Anyone know if you can get a tailgate lock, for our old 1st gen's? Around here; in Chicago IL, tailgate theft is off the charts!, due to the scrapers (junk metal salvager's).

 

I've been a bit worried about tailgate theft for a while, and thought that a quick deterrant might be to put a metal hose clamp around the slotted pivot, so nobody can remove the tailgate without loosening the clamp first.

Don't know if locks exist for the first gens, but I've never seen one.

 

Mine locks... the handle is so screwed up that it won't open the latches all they way so you have to use the little levers on each side and pull em up with your fingers to get it open, I don't think your average person would be able to figure that out.

 

You could reach in the handle hole and remove one of the linkage rods.

 

You can still unlatch the gate at the latches themselves. That's what those little tabs are for on the inside of the gate.

 

Yeah, I bought a set of those gate locks that my neighbor showed me, fark they don't fit our first gens! You have to hit the tabs to open my gate but I saw somewhere recently (can't remember if it was TV or if I was just out and about) a dude opened his tailgate with the flick of a screwdriver. People know how to open these, if you've owned a truck, you know.

I've thought about all sorts of ways to lock the gate. Short of putting an L-bracket type lock on it (read: looks like garbage), I don't know what to do. We can't even put a lock on the freaking handle.

James

 

I'll bet that wouldn't look terrible if you welded tabs inside the bed. I may consider doing just that while I'm in the middle of swapping a regular bed onto my '90.

 

I know the latches have release tabs, but I dont think the average scrap zombie does.
Another thing you could do would be to run a 1/4" cable through the tailgate into the pivot/hinge in a loop under the bed.
Or... Get creative. Weld a nut inside of the pass side pivot pin, get a short piece of threaded rod that you could access by removing the tail light, and drill a reciever hole in the tailgate. This would effectively pin the gate in place and out of sight.
Maybe I'll do this with some pics...

 

Thanks all for the input! For now, I think I will go with a hose clamp. I know it probably won't do much, but better than nothing.

 

I have a tail gate lock on my pick up. It doesn't really do anything now since the actual rods to open the tail gate are broken. But I have the lock non-the-less.

 

Farmboy,
Is that a factory installed lock?

 

I know a picture is worth a thousand words, but here goes anyway..
I welded a couple of nuts to the front (inside of bed) of mine and then used allen head bolts to secure a piece of flatbar across the front of the tailgate (when closed), which sticks past the gate at both ends onto the lip provided on the bed...across the 'jamb' if you will...someone would really really haft to want it to steal or open it....and would prolly need a 1/2"allen key...

 

That seems to be a great idea.

Is there any reason one couldn't locktite the hose clamp screw and then use a Dremel to grind the head off the screw once the hose clamp is in place? This would mean chiseling the hoseclamp off to remove the tailgate, but the chance of a tailgate thief carrying a hammer and chisel is probably slim.

 

The design of the slotted pivot (passenger side) on my 1993 tailgate doesn't allow 360° access -- so this hose clamp clamp idea won't work. I could probably make it work by hacksawing two small slots in the tailgate but that's a step I am loath to undertake.

 

Wow, I didn't realize that. I think the one on my 96 has 360* access, but I better make sure.