Deuce Tailgate Assist

[rustystud]

Over the years people have tried to figure out a simple and cheap way to help lift the Deuce's rear tailgate. A few years ago some said "why can't we use springs to help assist it". The idea got shot down because some said it would not allow the tailgate to fully open. At the time I was still able to lower and raise the tailgate by myself easily. Now I've come to the point in my life where that is not possible anymore, so I decided to revisit this issue.
At first I had some issues with the choice of springs, but after finally finding the right spring I think I have solved the problem.






These pictures show my first attempt at this. The springs where not strong enough, but it showed me that the tailgate would lay down all the way with springs !

In picture two you see a little jig I used to drill out the cotter pin holes. I learned this during my years as a metal fabricator. You take a simple piece of angle iron ( like a 1.5" X 1.5" ) and tack weld a small bead on each end. Then using a level or "T" square you make sure the sides are perfectly level with each other. Then you weld a "brace" across one end. When you put this on a drill press you align the drill bit to hit the center of the groove and adjust for distance from the end plate. Now every time you put a piece of round bar in it and push against the end plate you will drill a centered hole every time on your round bar or tube.

Picture three shows the tube I used to take up the space in the spring and it also acts as a bushing.



Now these last pictures show the winning combination ! After searching for a few days I found some true "180 degree" springs that had a 3/4" center that also were the correct "spring rate" . I also had to rethink my last strategy in mounting them. I still had a piece of 5/8" bar that was 24" long, so I thought lets go between two hinges instead of just one. I installed this one today. It still needs the cotter pin holes drilled and the inner spacer but I just wanted to see if it would work. With just one spring installed I was able to lift my tailgate with one hand !
In picture four you can see the tailgate doesn't fully drop to the bump stops, but just leaning on the tailgate brings it up against the stops (picture five) . I need to buy more stainless steel round bar and tubing for the other side. I also plan on changing out all the side pins with the stainless steel ones too. No more rusted up pins for me !
I'm still fighting pneumonia ( for the last three weeks in fact) so it might take a little while before I finish this little project. There still is snow on the ground around here and the cold wreaks havoc on my lungs.

I had originally planned on installing a hydraulic cylinder with a set of funky brackets to raise and lower the tailgate, but it would cost a bit of money and time and make a simple operation (raising and lowering the tailgate) into a "Rudd Goldberg contraption" . This is much simpler and a whole lot less money ! Plus I don't need power to work it.
Now this is just a start for others to come up with their ideas. If enough people put their minds to this problem we can come up with the "perfect" solution !
For now though this will work for me.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nice work! Its always nice when a project goes the way you want it to. I'll have to do my tailgate and the sides as I have a drop side bed.

 

[rustystud]

Nice work! Its always nice when a project goes the way you want it to. I'll have to do my tailgate and the sides as I have a drop side bed.

Thanks Chris. I suppose it would work on the sides also. Though they are much heavier you might need three or four springs instead of just the two.
I'll post the part numbers of the springs and where I bought them later.

 

[jbayer]

Nice job Rusty. How about some spring P/N's and source.
Did you get the idea from TwistedOaks thread?

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...e-lift-assist-using-spring-hinges-with-photos!

 

[oboyjohn]

Hi Rusty. Question for you: in picture 8, where the upper portion of the spring rod rests against the tail gate, would you have to re-enforce the sheet metal so it would not bow out with the pressure of the spring rod? It might not bow out immediately but maybe over time... Just a thought.

 

[dmetalmiki]

Thank you for the constructive pictures, That is a modification I am going to have to take up.

 

[rustystud]

Nice job Rusty. How about some spring P/N's and source.
Did you get the idea from TwistedOaks thread?

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...e-lift-assist-using-spring-hinges-with-photos!

No but after viewing it, it would have saved me a lot of work if I had known ! I was referring to a much older post. Wow, basically we came up with the same idea ! I wonder if he had a few earlier mishaps like I did.
Here's the part numbers and where I bought my springs.
It's from Trailer Supply and the part numbers are 08-608-L item #1577005 left hand spring and 08-608-R item #1577006 right hand spring.
https://www.easternmarine.com/Torsion-ramp-Springs-Hitch-Pins-Ramp-Gate-Assists

 

[rustystud]

Hi Rusty. Question for you: in picture 8, where the upper portion of the spring rod rests against the tail gate, would you have to re-enforce the sheet metal so it would not bow out with the pressure of the spring rod? It might not bow out immediately but maybe over time... Just a thought.

Yes, I believe over time it might wear a hole through the metal. But since I don't open and close my tailgate all the time it will take years for this to happen. I'll probably be dead by then.

 

[rustystud]

I just viewed "TwistedOaks" post again. Man I wished I had seen that before starting this project !!!! I like his idea of "cutting" the tailgate flange instead of bending it up like I did. I will go back and cut mine off now too. I see he didn't use any kind of spring bushing though. I found that stainless steel tube works wonders in keeping the spring in position and acting as a bushing for the 5/8" rod.
I had originally used the sites "search function" looking for others ideas. I wished it had brought up this one ! Instead it brought the one from 2012 with "counter weights" and splitting the tailgate into two sections. I know people here get annoyed when others complain about the "Search" function this site has. But lets be honest, the search function here could use some improvement ! It really is not user friendly ! I had typed in "Deuce tailgate assisted lifting" , but it did not bring up "TwistedOaks" great idea ! So I spent over a couple of weeks and wasted a bit of money trying out other ideas that didn't work when the answer was here all along. I am aware of how many posts are here, but maybe there should be a separate area where "plans" and actual "finished projects" can go. That way when someone is searching for a specific idea or project to help with a problem they can search here first. Just saying.

 

[tobyS]

Good work Rusty.

I was sales manager of a spring co for one year after school and learned a lot about springs. I even had a patent being issued on bandsaw blades that used spring theory to go very thin and run at ultra high tension, but not break the blades...and proved it worked.

The spring you have has a very high spring rate, primarily because of the very large wire. It will "take set" when that spring is used about 50 times, meaning one arm will no longer reach the metal it is to push against when the gate is up.

A spring should be designed that has about 10-20 pounds in the closed position (arms 180*) and have the capacity to go about 720 degrees (open) but not have permanent deformation, with 180 degrees providing 50-60 lbs of force. It would not be tight on the bolt rod either, as it tightens when opened.

I'm not being critical, just would like to help. My own deuce bed will go to a dump trailer where I hope to make wings like the dump truck has.

 

[LiveFreeOrDieTryn2B]

I must say this is very cool Rusty love these build threads.

 

[winfred]

if the springs are durable enough to last more then a few cycles looks good and simple too, i was thinking something like these https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200316067_200316067 easy to build as its just box tubing, garage door springs and cable/hardware, it should be tuneable and with a roller guide let the gate fully drop

 

[SCM35A2]

Nice, going to do this to my truck!

 

[rustystud]

if the springs are durable enough to last more then a few cycles looks good and simple too, i was thinking something like these https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200316067_200316067 easy to build as its just box tubing, garage door springs and cable/hardware, it should be tuneable and with a roller guide let the gate fully drop

I looked long and hard at the "Gorilla" springs. I just could not figure out a easy way to mount them to the tailgate without a lot of fabrication. If you have a good way to mount it I would love to see it. I know my idea is not the "end all be all" answer, but for now it is working. Later when it starts to get harder to use I'll try again.

 

[rustystud]

Good work Rusty.

I was sales manager of a spring co for one year after school and learned a lot about springs. I even had a patent being issued on bandsaw blades that used spring theory to go very thin and run at ultra high tension, but not break the blades...and proved it worked.

The spring you have has a very high spring rate, primarily because of the very large wire. It will "take set" when that spring is used about 50 times, meaning one arm will no longer reach the metal it is to push against when the gate is up.

A spring should be designed that has about 10-20 pounds in the closed position (arms 180*) and have the capacity to go about 720 degrees (open) but not have permanent deformation, with 180 degrees providing 50-60 lbs of force. It would not be tight on the bolt rod either, as it tightens when opened.

I'm not being critical, just would like to help. My own deuce bed will go to a dump trailer where I hope to make wings like the dump truck has.

Maybe you can help me find some proper springs. I looked for over a week on the net to find something that would come close to working. I don't know springs like you do so a little help would be much appreciated.

 

[tobyS]

Rusty, I talked to an engineer at a spring company and emailed him a link to your thread, since you show the simple torsion spring and gate setup with the hinge rod, quite clearly.

We focused on having the arms at 180* (with about 10 ft/lb holding it shut) and I made some estimates of the weight and torques at 90* (flat) and fully down. I said it should balance at 45-60* down, not at 90.

He said he would run spring formulas for 1000 and 10,000 cycles. His company probably does not make what we will come up with but once designed, many places can make the simple torsion. Not far is Rockwell that makes springs for locomotives and there are 5 spring shops within 40 miles of me. Hopefully we'll find one off the shelf just right.

And it also makes a lot of sense to have a left and right, one on each side.

 

[mhb285]

Gary,
I see that MV magazine is looking for a tech writer....... It would be a good fit for your skills.
Your skill set is what their looking for......... Unless your totally retired... $$$$
Mike

 

[rustystud]

Rusty, I talked to an engineer at a spring company and emailed him a link to your thread, since you show the simple torsion spring and gate setup with the hinge rod, quite clearly.

We focused on having the arms at 180* (with about 10 ft/lb holding it shut) and I made some estimates of the weight and torques at 90* (flat) and fully down. I said it should balance at 45-60* down, not at 90.

He said he would run spring formulas for 1000 and 10,000 cycles. His company probably does not make what we will come up with but once designed, many places can make the simple torsion. Not far is Rockwell that makes springs for locomotives and there are 5 spring shops within 40 miles of me. Hopefully we'll find one off the shelf just right.

And it also makes a lot of sense to have a left and right, one on each side.

That's great news ! Maybe we can really come up with a totally workable solution !
I did buy a left and right spring. I just need more materials before I can install the right side.

 

[rustystud]

Here's a couple of diagrams I came up with to make a Hydraulic ram system for opening and closing the tailgate.
Maybe some of you engineers out there can look at this and tell me if it would work ?

View attachment Scan0250.pdfView attachment Scan0251.pdfView attachment Scan0252.pdf

The first two are of the same design. The first shows the tailgate in the up position and the second shows the tailgate in the down position. The third is a totally different system I thought might work too.
I'm totally aware that the dimensions are all wrong and the angles would be different for the ram in the retracted position versus the deployed position, but is the "concept" workable ?

 

[CMPPhil]

Awaiting the best spring source with aching shoulder

Hi Rusty

This and its precursor thread are great, I've read each installment and await the source of the perfect springs. I have a modified M35 dropside cargo bed on my CMP 3 ton. The dropsides make the truck just so useful.
When I got the bed it had been sitting and the hinges were all very stiff. Had to use long drift on the air chisel to drive out the pins to remove sides and tailgate, to adjust the width of the bed to fit my truck, sliced 10" out of the length of the bed. While they were off clean all of the hinge rolls back to bare bright and shinny inside. Made new pins and when reassembling coated the inside with anti seize compound. Greatly reduced the effort to raise the sides and tailgate. But as you mention they get noticebly heavier as we age.

Even if the springs do not totally balance the weight of the tailgate if the reduce force by 50% it would be a great improvement.

Has anybody put gease fittings on the pins or hindges? When I was making new pins I thought about lline drilling the pins and putting grease fittings on the ends.

Cheers Phil