Quote:
Originally Posted by 83TD
Your first post states that the passenger side hinge is broken. If that is the case, that issue needs to be taken care of before doing anything else. As pointed out, the tailgate is extremely heavy and could seriously injure or kill you if it falls on you.
This is not a one person job nor one for the inexperienced.
Be careful out there.
Peter
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Yes Peter, it is the hinge that is broken. One person was talking about the struts, and in this case new struts may have contributed to the hinge breaking. I replaced them not long ago (not too hard a job, but a little tricky) and the new ones are very strong. They almost throw the tailgate into the air - or did, until the hinge broke.
I will try softly hitting the hinge with a hammer and a drift - I had thought of that as well and am glad someone else mentioned it. If that doesn't work I'm going to contact some body experts locally and see if they have any suggestions. It's a drag because the car is not drive-able as is and I need to finish its restoration and sell it if possible.
I have had tailgates off and yes, they are heavy, and yes, it is a two person job. They are awkward and need to be respected.
Thanks everyone for all your ideas. I hope I can sort this one out. Seems a shame to lose a whole car for a lousy hinge.