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Brackets on Tailgate

price209

Full Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
Loc.
Folsom
So I bought my bronco from my grandpa and I just picked up the spare tailgate he had sitting in storage which was in way better shape than my original. No idea what year the spare came off of, but it has several brackets mounted along the top of inside of the tailgate. They look like they were factory, but I don't know what they may have gone to. The new tailgate doesn't have mounts on it for a swing away tire carrier, are these brackets some kind of interior mount for a spare tire? I will try and post a pic later.
 

Slowleak

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Sep 12, 2013
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3,732
Loc.
Georgia
Most likely. Here is a picture I stole from another thread. There is also a safety stop to prevent the tailgate from being opened if the liftgate is locked.
735c409fe806b7467a7c73728b1a90e1.jpg
 

SevenT

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Sr. Member
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May 23, 2009
Messages
496
Loc.
Southern Colorado
tailgate brackets

Price209,

Slowleak is correct on the tab that locks the talgate when the lifgate is closed and locked. The bracket in the center does look like a spare tire mount for the factory tire and rim. The other two brackets have me baffled.

v/r,

SevenT
 
OP
OP
P

price209

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Apr 8, 2013
Messages
337
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Folsom
I already took some of them off, and didnt go looming for them at the moment. But here is a pick of what i could find real quick.
 

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Slowleak

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The brackets on the side are there to hold the tire away from the liftgate so it doesn’t hit the liftgate glass. Those are all stock factory parts.
be75b12b91a51efa05a4babe47570c9a.jpg
 
Last edited:

pcf_mark

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
3,574
^ what Slowleak said. My 68 gate looks just like that. Otherwise the spare would hit the glass.
 

Steve83

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Jul 16, 2003
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8,981
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Memphis, TN, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Slowleak's 2nd & price's pics show the center bracket's slot up; Slowleak's 1st pic shows the slot down, which makes more sense to me. If the spare is not mounted, and the t/g is closed, the bolt will naturally swing down out of the way. I can't think of a reason for it to swing up toward the glass, or over the edge of the t/g.

Does someone know for sure which way it was originally installed?
 

66CTBronco

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Jr. Member
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Nov 18, 2020
Messages
89
Loc.
New england
Hi Slowleak, can you get dimensions for drilling the holes to mount those parts? I have a 66 and just bought the parts to mount my spare to my tailgate and would like to get them in the right area. I'm sure it is completely possible that they were drilled wherever, as long as the tire would fit, but jic... Looking at my parts from Toms, i see there's a lip on the spacer blocks, which i would think fit into one of the grooves on the inside of the tailgate so the block would be flush with the tailgate. The photos at the top that you posted just don't look right with regards to that offset lip and how it mounts to the tailgate. Thank you!
chris
 

Slowleak

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Sep 12, 2013
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Hi Slowleak, can you get dimensions for drilling the holes to mount those parts? I have a 66 and just bought the parts to mount my spare to my tailgate and would like to get them in the right area. I'm sure it is completely possible that they were drilled wherever, as long as the tire would fit, but jic... Looking at my parts from Toms, i see there's a lip on the spacer blocks, which i would think fit into one of the grooves on the inside of the tailgate so the block would be flush with the tailgate. The photos at the top that you posted just don't look right with regards to that offset lip and how it mounts to the tailgate. Thank you!
chris


I wish I could help but I sold the Bronco I had that had the tailgate mounted spare. Somebody should be able to chime in....
 

Slowleak

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Sep 12, 2013
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Georgia
Ahhhh nuts... thank you for your fast reply though!
C


Look at your tailgate and see if there are some dimples stamped in it in that area. Seems like I recall seeing that before. Ford sometimes stamped dimples where the holes would need to be drilled....
 

66CTBronco

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Nov 18, 2020
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New england
Well daaaaaaaaaad gum! There’s dimples in my tailgate where the holes are supposed to be drilled! Flanged hex head self tapping machine bolts I’d guess? Or since there are so many other Phillips head bolts and screws on this truck a pan, truss or I think less likely a round head Phillips self tapping screw?
Thanks slow leak!!
C
 

Slowleak

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Sep 12, 2013
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Good deal! I can’t remember details about the fasteners but what is in the top photo seems correct. I believe they used a pan head Phillips screw on the two outside brackets.
 

sprdv1

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REBEL
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Messages
81,734
Well daaaaaaaaaad gum! There’s dimples in my tailgate where the holes are supposed to be drilled! Flanged hex head self tapping machine bolts I’d guess? Or since there are so many other Phillips head bolts and screws on this truck a pan, truss or I think less likely a round head Phillips self tapping screw?
Thanks slow leak!!
C

wealth of knowledge right.. :)
 
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