Do I Need A New Tailgate?

[Jaynen]

I got a 2001 Silverado reg cab and 8' box. The other day the cable for the tailgate on the passenger side came off on the taigate side of the truck. The bolt for the cable and the latch was still there but the nut on the inside of the tailgate was gone. Its a rectangular nut with a flange and the dealership doesnt have the part. What do I do? Scrap the tailgate cuz I am missing a nut? Anyone have one or know where I can buy one? I made a crude drawing of the nut so you guys know what I am talkin about.

[Mckenzie]

Try going to another dealer to see if they have it, or maybe even a hardware store. I've see the straps break, but never seen the nut disappear

[hrspwr]

If it is on the inside of the tailgate, there is a chance it is still in there. May need to get a magnet and start searching.

[Jaynen]

I tried with a magnet to search inside. Got a friend to help me to shake the crap out of it to see if we could hear it inside there and nothing. Even tapped it on the ground to see if we could loosen it if it was stuck in greese on the insde or something and nothing. There is holes on the tailgate to allow water to drain out and I think that nut can fit through. I tried two dealerships and showed them and they know the part I am talkin about but they dont have it. I tried taking a carrige bolt and welding on a lip to make it rectangle which worked but i need a bushing to line up with the diameter hole of the cable and blah blah blah so much fabing that I rather not deal with it that way.

[Jaynen]

Anyone?

[dlewis1111]

Anyone?

 

junkyard and get a "new' nut from a donor

[dlewis1111]

Anyone?

 

junkyard and get a "new' nut from a donor

 

 

lmctruck.com

[66and10]

Is it just a T-Nut? If so, McMaster-Carr has them in stock.

 

 

 

 

http://www.mcmaster.com/#machine-table-t-slot-nuts/=9uwpon

[revrnd]

It's a pierce nut. During the stamping operation a hole is pierced in the panel & the nut inserted into the hole.

 

Pierce Nuts

 

I'm not sure about repairing/replacing them, we just worked on the tooling. You might want to talk to a body shop as to their solution. They must run across damaged and or missing pierce/weld nuts that are behind the panel & not easily accessible.

 

I checked the McMaster Carr catalogue & found T nuts, but no pierce or strip nuts.

[tanked_darren]

Anyone?

 

junkyard and get a "new' nut from a donor

 

 

Or a mall parking lot.....

[Jaynen]

Thanks for the replies, gonna try gettin a t nut and putting a couple tack welds on it to hold it in place while i tighten it. Thanks for the replies, very helpful.

[Jaynen]

I ended up getting the slotted T-nut, it didnt fit but I was able to grind it down to size with a tapper and press fit it back in tight enough so I could get it threaded back on. Put some thread lock on and hopefully back to normal now! Thanks again.