Swing gate for pickups

The BN Guy

Expedition Leader
I plan on building one very soon. I've noticed some
(A)swinging from the passenger side (makes sense = get out of drivers side and open),
(B)swing on drivers side (that is the side I want to mount the tire on but weight on the gate that far out could be too much)
or (C)custom setup that would entail a slide out! Yes, pull two pins and the whole setup slides towards away from the vehicle allowing the tailgate to still drop. The slide out "receiving tubes" would extend all the way under the vehicle to the nearest crossmember.

For my truck both options A and B have problems. Either mount a vertical 2x2 and hinge it that way or use a trailer bearing spindle and keep it close to the bumper. The 2x2 would work best for A but it would cover the bulbs in my tail light assembly. Acutally it covers for A or B. So it's out. Problem with the spindle is that I'm not sure of the weight of a tire at the opposite end of a gate would be too much for it or a weld.

Now there was an option D. It was a whole assembly that has horizontal hinges on the rear face of the bumper. Pull two pins holding a bracket attached to the top of the bumper and the whole assembly swings down. Main problem was the concern of oscillation forward and rearward. That and the inability to drop the tailgate.

Any further ideas? What do you think about option C?
 
Last edited:

kevin

Observer
I built a swing gate for my old 1983 Toyota. I removed the tail-gate completly.
The new swing gate became the tail-gate. This had many advatages; the new swing gate increases weight behind the wheels, removing the original tail-gate offsets the additional weight. The swing gate creates less drag than the original gate increasing gas mileage (fuel range). I also really liked the increased vision out of the rear. Not having the tail-gate allowed me to mount items on the inside of the swing gate, this decreased the cargo space of the bed (only slightly) but greatly increased my departure angle, and moved heavy items closer to the rear axle for better weight distribution. I hope this helps with your plans.
 

flyingwil

Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
The BN Guy said:
I plan on building one very soon. I've noticed some:
  • swinging from the passenger side (makes sense = get out of drivers side and open),
  • swing on drivers side (that is the side I want to mount the tire on but weight on the gate that far out could be too much)
  • custom setup that would entail a slide out! Yes, pull two pins and the whole setup slides towards away from the vehicle allowing the tailgate to still drop. The slide out "receiving tubes" would extend all the way under the vehicle to the nearest crossmember.

For my truck both options A and B have problems. Either mount a vertical 2x2 and hinge it that way or use a trailer bearing spindle and keep it close to the bumper. The 2x2 would work best for A but it would cover the bulbs in my tail light assembly. Acutally it covers for A or B. So it's out. Problem with the spindle is that I'm not sure of the weight of a tire at the opposite end of a gate would be too much for it or a weld.

Now there was an option D. It was a whole assembly that has horizontal hinges on the rear face of the bumper. Pull two pins holding a bracket attached to the top of the bumper and the whole assembly swings down. Main problem was the concern of oscillation forward and rearward. That and the inability to drop the tailgate.

Any further ideas? What do you think about option C?

I would be worried about weight with all options. I know there are a few threads here that show a few different options. I wold also be concerned with your CG, for example the fuel tanks on the Tacomas are on the left, so, the majority of the new swing out would have to be on the right.

I think you could do something similar to Suty's carrier (Link to his thread). And change it to fit your '00 Frontier accordingly.

Also here is link to some of the parts you might need in your fabrication.

I am interested to hear more about your Option C, somehow I am just not picturing it supporting the weight when sliding. Can you elaborate on your idea a bit more?

Thanks,
Wil
 

The BN Guy

Expedition Leader
I hadn't thought about the fuel tank location. Good point. Guess I may just go with the tire on the driver's side and swing away like David Hale's Taco (http://www.tankota.net/). I absolutely love his rig! Brutal looking vehicle.

That parts link will come in very handy! Thanks!

I'm at school right now but when I get a chance I'll try and type something up a little more descriptive.
 

The BN Guy

Expedition Leader
Okay after further review...Option C is out. The internal "sleeve" would have to be too long for the space available unless I cut part of the cross member out and that's NOT going to happen.

But back to Option B...Scott and others that have the full-height swing gate (read: not like a Jeep gate), if you were behind your vehicle in a car or other vehicle can you see your tail lights and turn signals blinking? I'm afraid with the Frontier they wouldn't be visible.

I love Davids' and Scotts' gates but just not sure about the veritical support for the hinges. I also can't quite make out how those hinges work and what the components are.
 

Scott Brady

Founder
The hinges are heavy duty gate hinges (like for a large home gate door). The uprights weld to the main bumper and support the gate from both sides (hinges on one side and two latches on the other side).

If you already have a stout bumper, that is the way to go. Just weld on the two uprights and then fabricate the gate. Jig the hinges off of the gate and upright to ensure they are square and your done...

I really like the idea of having two hinges and two latches. redundancy in case of failure...
 

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