Making my liftgate...into a tailgate

So I have a little project I'm working on which turns a factory Explorer lift gate into a tailgte/liftgate combo. another words I'm cutting the gate in half

Anywho... so DB_1 donated is old tailgate off his '97 Ranger with all the hardware (Thanks Dave)

...and Fat Cat has donated a spare liftgate off his '99 Explorer. (Thanks Chris) that I'm still waiting do get my hands on.. (still needs to be picked up in SD )

So here is a interesting fact...

Ranger Gate 54" wide

Explorer Gate 54 3/8" wide

I belive the extra 3/8" is the bow in the 98-01 gates.

So here is the plan..

I will use the mounting hardware only( hinge) from the Ranger gate. I will also most likly use the limit cables. I plan to still use the factory Explorer latch. this will allow me to use it just like a tailgate with the handle.

Where to cut...ahhh this is the question. I'm still looking into this as the top will still work as a lift gate like on a camper shell. The trick is getting it to seal and lock with out adding to whats there. I'm looking at tring to still use the latch for the glass, and pop the top that way...but not sure if I can make it work.

Using tbars truck as a Exsample (Thanks Ted) I would probally cut on the red line. Sealing the rear glass some how and using everything as is to speak. A 1st and 2nd gen would work the same. Maybe using a piece of plexyglass instead would work better, but the curve of the glass could be a issue.

 

[section525]

Have you thought about taking the outer skin of the hatch and applying it to the Ranger tailgate? Might make for a bit of a heavy tailgate though.

 

[Four0Sport]

subscribing.. looks good

 

[Stic-o]

Have you thought about taking the outer skin of the hatch and applying it to the Ranger tailgate? Might make for a bit of a heavy tailgate though.

none of the latchs match up, and the ranger gate is no lockable. it's really just easier to slap a hinge on the bottom of the Ex gate If I we're cutting the top off, then I would do the Ranger gate maybe.

 

[410Fortune]

wow so far so cool!

 

[Four0Sport]

idk if youve already thought about this or not, but ive been reading though and got a thought.

do you think the latch for the glass would be strong enough to hold down the glass plus the entire upper portion (from the glass up) of the lift gate? i ask bc you could tie in the glass and and upper portion of the liftgate to open together without modification of the latches. for the tailgate you could hinge the bottom section of the liftgate and maybe try to maintain the the factory latches.. if the top section of the liftgate is seperated from the bottom section and you open the latches that hold the liftgate to the body it should be able to be lowered like a trucks tailgate since you now have that part on hinges.

does any of this make sense? it did in my head, but im having trouble putting it into words

 

[Noved1987]

I would think to weld the part of the liftgate to the sides and top of the window to the body. then fill the origional seam and paint. this is if you can find paint close enough. If you were close to longview wa i would tell you to give one of my friends a call. he can match paint perfectly. I had a faded suburu that looked horrible. but he was able to match the faded paint perfectly. I have no idea how he did it but then he made it into a rattle can. This was all because of a $100 dollar bet. It was the best money i ever lost.

 

[410Fortune]

this truck was recently painted with a Jurrasic park theme, I doubt paint match is going to be difficult, just go back to the person who just painted it

 

[Four0Sport]

if anything just paint it red.. maybe he backed over a dinosaur and got some blood spatter.

 

[Stic-o]

The person who painted it?....That would be me:

My consern of making the upper part of the gate and glass one pieces, is not the latch being strong enough...it's the glass I don't have the glass for the spare, and I've thought about plexy, but there is a pretty goo curve on the 2 gen's glass. Also strength again. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[410Fortune]

I knew that of course thats why I put the LOL

of course I LOL everything or at least it

Cant wait to see what you come up with! would be so nice to have a place to sit on the back of the Ex or BII, with all the spare parts and tires, its been a long time since I opened the hatch and had a seat!!

 

[Four0Sport]

having a place to sit is part of the reason i liked the s-15 Jimmy i had. that and the 220hp 4.3 MPFI

noved had a good idea though.. you would sacrifice a little room but it would be a clean fab. weld the side posts of the hatch to the truck.. cut the bottom section flush below the posts and hinge it. you would be able to pop the window still to access the cargo area and have the bottom half as a tailgate.

 

[patman]

i've always wanted to do something like this...except more like hwat my dad's bronco had...the glass rolled up out of the tailgate and the tailgate dropped down..there was no liftgate component...i loved it...but that's too much work for me

 

[Four0Sport]

thats why i really liked the FSJ i had.. electric roll down rear glass in a tailgate = awesome

 

[Stic-o]

Yeah the FSB had the eletric window, we had a '85 and a '90 and those tailgate were big and heavy!!!

4-Runners have the electric window too in the gate

 

[Paul B.]

The person who painted it?....That would be me:

My consern of making the upper part of the gate and glass one pieces, is not the latch being strong enough...it's the glass I don't have the glass for the spare, and I've thought about plexy, but there is a pretty goo curve on the 2 gen's glass. Also strength again. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Hey Steve, you can get them to put the right curve in the plexy glass by taking the stock glass to them when they make it. That's what we did.

 

[Stic-o]

Well I was thinking if I can get the curve in there, then I can have two extra holes drilled tord the bottom where there are two rubber gromets for the glass. I can use those holes as for ataching the glass at the bottom for strength.

 

[toypaseo]

...the ranger gate is not lockable...

Shave the handle and relocate it on the inside...?

 

[toypaseo]

Above your blue horizontal tape lines, could you fab up and weld in sheetmetal, all the way across in the glass indentation? That way, you'll have structural strength in the top piece. Then all you would need is to modify the rear window gasket to fit the new opening, cut the height of the rear glass, remount glass bottom catch, remount glass latch, etc...

Something along those lines...

Make sense :scratch:

 

[Four0Sport]

yeah but that would reduce visibility.. a dinosaur might sneak up on him.

but yeah, wherever he cuts is gonna need braced. im sure hes got somethin cookin.

 

[Stic-o]

I'm puting my spare back on the back someday. and I think with a 37" tire on the rear visibility is kind of a side thought