Inter rear tailgate steps

[STDDIVER]

Dear All - can anyone please help with the dimensions for the steps (2 of) bolted to the rear inter tailgate to make egress easier?  Need to make 4 of, with two for the Mk 3 and two for the F1.  Any dimensions would be greatly appreciated. 

If any person has some to sell -  , swap  , or  otherwise provide - I'm interested!!!!! 

STDDIVER

[Diana Alan]

I can measure for you but may not be before Friday.

However you may be able to work the size out for yourself from the following image.

[STDDIVER]

Thanks Diana - I really appreciate your assistance on this - in all reality I won't be building them before the weekend anyway.

PS I am making some seat latches which fit on the top of the "T" bar rods for securing the outward facing seating arrangement. Do you need any?

Frank

[Diana Alan]

Hi Frank

Most of mine are pretty tragic or completely missing the hook part, so I'd be in for a complete set if you're doing a run.  Its on the to do list.

Diana

[STDDIVER]

Diana - I will make an extra set for you.  When finished I'll post them on.  I have laser cut them out and are counter sinking the recesses.  Should be a week or two.  (or three)

Cheers
 Frank

[Diana Alan]

Hi Frank

You're stimulating me to get on and fix the seats.  I may even have to re-timber and paint them, they are very splintery ATM in spite of sanding them back hitting them with oil based primer, automotive filler primer and several layers of Camo green.

Measured the steps, they were original fittings but have suffered from 50 years of misuse, repair and subsequent lack of maintenance till I acquired them. The following diagramme is the average of all measurements with the best guestimate.  Hope it is sufficient.  BTW: the steps were removed from an original rusty/black sheet Mk3 tailgate and retrofitted to the current tailgate which came off an F1.

I can check the mounting positions on another Mk3 original tailgate if required.

Diana

[STDDIVER]

Thank you Diana - This is extremely helpful.  The steps will be made (4 of) two each for the Mk3 and F1.  I imagine that the tail-gates are interchangeable between the two, there should be no differences in the steps either?   One final question if I may, What is the distance from either outer end of the tail gate to the nearest vertical edge of the step?

My thanks again     

Frank

[Diana Alan]

Hi Frank

AFAIK not all the inters had the stirrups on the tailgate.  The Mk3 all had them but many of the F1 and I believe the Mk4 (with the gal drop sides and tailgate) had a hinged frame separate from the tailgate to use as a step.  IIRC this frame could be attached to the tray even if the tailgate was off the truck.

There was a reinforced section on the Mk3 tailgate where the stirrups bolted through, on my F1 tailgate I used 4 sections of duragal flat bar about 40mm X 2.5mm x 100mm long glued and clamped to the inside of the C section using Sikka adhesive before I drilled them.

I'll measure the locations off Cookey's unmolested 17 Const Sqn Vietnam vet Mk3 tomorrow.

[Chazza]

All the Mk3's and 4's I drove had the stirrups as in Diana's photo - this was between 1980 to '86,

Cheers Charlie

[Diana Alan]

damned slow ISP, my post dropped out as I was attempting to post.

Cookey's Mk3 doesn't have the stirrups but the frame as per image.

My old rusty tailgate was sitting of the tray.  The reinforcing for the stirrups is flat bar about 1/4" x 1 1/2" about 18" long welded to the top of the tailgate.

Whomever made and fitted the stirrups didn't take much care or use a drilling template.  Both sides are different.  On the RHS the inner bolt for the end of the stirrup closest the centreline of the truck is within the C section of the vertical rib, but too close to fit a socket on the nut.  On the LHS the same bolt is outside the C section but still too close to use a ring spanner.  Being pragmatic I'd drill the hole just far enough away from the rib to fit a socket over the nut.

RHS the holes are centred from the end of the top of the tailgate 22", 23", 30 3/4", and 31 3/4"

LHS the holes are centred 570mm, 570mm+1", 570mm+ 9", 570mm+10"

Sorry about the mixture of imperial and metric, but sometimes the metric made a closer full measure.

Hope it helps.

[Mick_Marsh]

Mine has the stirrups.
I can lend it to you for a while. Bit of problem in getting it to you, though. Won't be able to drop it off for a month or two.

[Diana Alan]

sorry didn't mention that the centre of the first hole in each foot of the stirrups is 1/2" from the end.

[STDDIVER]

Thanks Diana and Mick - The dimensions are extremely helpful and I am happy with imperial.   Mick thanks for the offer but I wouldn't want to put you to any trouble, it is always good to catch up though.  With Diana's help I have now sorted it out.

Frank

[Bluebell One-eight]

Frank, for what it's worth all the Mk3s had the stirrup type step and so did the Mk 4s made in 1968 under contract No. C105874. The 1971 Mk 4s contract No. V114022 had the fold down type step. As both batches were made in the first half of the respective year it would seem that the change was made sometime between the contracts. this indicates that 1969 to 1970 would be most likely when the change occurred. The change would have applied  on F1s in that time frame. The 6X6 contracts appear to be smaller in number and more of them than for the 4X4s, so the change could have applied  earlier than the '71 Mk4s. There are quite a few production changes like this one that affected both 4X4s and 6X6s. The galvanizing of the bodies and the guttering at the back of the cab are a couple of examples. There were some that applied to 6X6s from the start and were introduced on the Mk4s, eg the dual exhaust, the upgraded instrument panel and the brake treadle. John

[STDDIVER]

Thanks John - That is appreciated and very informative.  I am trying to keep the vehicles as a 'time capsule' and as accurate as possible.  Having said that, the vehicles have been modified before I got them, so as far as possible I am trying to learn as much about them and maintain them in order of priority -- accuracy of type first, usability as a second with any "improvements" capable of being unplugged or removed to restore the vehicles to "as was" condition.  Your information is great in that is helps me get it right.  Diana, Ravin, Mick, Scott and Chazza are subject matter matter experts and are an invaluable source of accurate information to keep the standard.

My appreciation and respect to all of you

Frank