If you tend to carry valuable tools or small items in the bed of your pickup, consider adding a tailgate toolbox. This will help keep your tools and materials organized and easy to find, and will also help safeguard them against theft. Many styles of truck-bed toolboxes are available. Some mount across the front portion of the bed and attach to the bed rails (see "Installing a Truck-Bed Tool Box" in Car Care and Repair episode 107), while others mount along the side rails themselves. The two units we installed for this demonstration mounted side-by-side across the inside wall of the tailgate. In this case it helped add valuable storage space in a truck frequently used with a gooseneck trailer-hitch. Since the trailer mount takes up a lot of the bed space, using an underutilized storage location like the tailgate was beneficial. The tailgate storage is easily accessible and secure. The storage unit comes equipped with pockets and dividers that are helpful for organizing contents. When opened, the lid is held in place by pneumatic lift-arms (figure A) similar to those that hold hatchbacks up on some vehicles. This is a relatively simple installation but does involve some drilling into metal.
Materials:
Toolbox installation kit including mounting hardware
Cordless drill and drill-bits
Grease pencil
Center-punch and hammer
Screwdriver
Silicone sealer
- Lower the tailgate and position the toolbox in its mounting position in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions (figure B).
- Using the holes in the toolbox casing as a guide, mark the locations where you'll need to drill, using a grease pencil (figure C). Repeat the procedure for both toolboxes.
- After marking the locations, center-punch them and drill holes for attaching the mounting screws (figure D). To keep from drilling to deeply, you may want to use a piece of rubber tubing to mark a stop on your drill bit (figure E).
Important: Anytime that you drill into the metal body of a vehicle, first check to make certain that there aren't brake, fuel or electrical lines in the area underneath where you'll be drilling, or any other critical elements that might be damaged or punctured. You should be able to find additional information about this from your vehicle's service manual. In this case, since you'll be drilling only into the tailgate, there may be no need for worry. Nevertheless, it's advisable to check before drilling.
- After drilling all of the holes, apply a small amount of silicone sealer to each to help prevent rust (figure F).
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions to install the locking mechanisms and fasteners for the lift-arms (figure G) inside each toolbox.
- Once the inside hardware has been installed, secure the toolboxes to the tailgate using the provided mounting screws (figure H).
- After both toolboxes have been secured to the tailgate, install the inside pockets (figure I), dividers and lift-arms according to the instructions.
RESOURCES :
Ultimate Auto Detailing
Model: 0879389419
Author: David H. Jacobs
(1995)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Motorbooks International
Auto Repair for Dummies
Author: Deanna Sclar
ISBN: 0764550896
Vehicles provided by Lance Cunningham Ford
Vehicles provided by Lance Cunningham Ford
4101 Clinton Highway
Knoxville, TN
Web site: www.lancecunninghamford.com
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