Dumb question time....88 Suburban tailgate

[rt66paul]

If that safety doesn't work(like mine), make sure the window is 100% into the down position before closing the tailgate - wifey decided my tailgate needed to be closed with the window showing 6" - I am still finding little pebbles of glass inside the back.

 

[8888]

well, got out all of the little phillips head screws i could find in the back panel. they did a good job of hiding them in the carpet. panel wouldn't come off so i must have missed one, i assume the whole plastic/carpeted piece comes off. had my shoulder surgery yesterday morning and a lot of work was needed so it will be 3 months till i can do anything more with it. maybe i can talk one of my sons into it. i'll update when/if anything changes.

 

[8888]

If that safety doesn't work(like mine), make sure the window is 100% into the down position before closing the tailgate - wifey decided my tailgate needed to be closed with the window showing 6" - I am still finding little pebbles of glass inside the back.

thats what i'm told happened on this one.

 

[8888]

Here are some photos of the old girl. I have replacement oem bumpers, needs a donut gasket up front, tailpipe in rear, speedo cable lubed. its been sitting a while so i bought everything to tune it up and replace all filters.

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[Snoots]

Hope the surgery went well. Just heal for now.

Whup those boys into shape and tell 'em to take pix.

We'll be in their closet if they don't behave.

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[8888]

Hope the surgery went well. Just heal for now.

Whup those boys into shape and tell 'em to take pix.

We'll be in their closet if they don't behave.

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thanks. just remembered i have a chiltons square body manual at the other house that should be helpful i getting it apart. I had a few shortbeds back in the day but suburban was a 72 with barn doors.

anything more than those phillips heads holding the plastic panel on the tailgate?

both boys are toolmakers/machinists that have moved out and work a lot of hours but i can probably get one to help. the youngest is a car head too so he is the most likely.

 

[yevgenievich]

There are philips screws throughout perimeter. And it should have a lip in to the window channel. It will have to lift up. If that roller still works for interlock, I would give it another try. Raise all the way up, then start bumping down in until the window holder bumps the roller

 

[bucket]

It's just Phillips screws holding the plastic panel on. Besides that it kinda hooks in along the top of the tailgate. Then the actual service panel is underneath the plastic trim panel.

And that plastic panel is a funny thing. My '88 is a loaded Silverado model, but it doesn't (and never did) have the plastic panel. Both my 86's did and so does yours. I'm not sure why my '88 didn't get it, but I like it without it. You can slide heavy objects across the tailgate without damaging plastic or carpet. But to go without the plastic, you need a different weatherstrip at the top of the tailgate.

 

[yevgenievich]

I ordered the wrong weatherstrip for the top and ended up cutting the lip off the plastic panel. That was before I realized that some suburbans did not come with the panel. Works ok and easier to remove

It's just Phillips screws holding the plastic panel on. Besides that it kinda hooks in along the top of the tailgate. Then the actual service panel is underneath the plastic trim panel.

And that plastic panel is a funny thing. My '88 is a loaded Silverado model, but it doesn't (and never did) have the plastic panel. Both my 86's did and so does yours. I'm not sure why my '88 didn't get it, but I like it without it. You can slide heavy objects across the tailgate without damaging plastic or carpet. But to go without the plastic, you need a different weatherstrip at the top of the tailgate.

 

[8888]

thanks for the replies and info, i believe there is one more screw bottom drivers side by the spare tire i missed. So it goes up and off of the window lip, makes sense. Didn't know if there were clips in the panel entering the metal tailgate or not. Odd about the plastic panel being hit or miss, mine seems to be loaded and it is a Silverado 10 so it should be the same as yours. I thought about adding some stainless strips on top of the carpet sort of like i remember on older wagons (nomads maybe?) to give stuff something to slide across.

 

[8888]

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Well, it's been a few weeks since the surgery and I'm getting better at doing things left handed. I managed to get the carpeted panel and the metal panel off and here's what I'm looking at. I had 5 minutes to look at it before my wife picked me up and the only real disappointment at first look is the bent window channel. I really needed that for the other window because that channel is really rusty. Hopefully, the window provides more of the strength than the channel so I can reuse it. I was counting on this one not being rusty since the truck was from Oklahoma and it does look good, just bent.

I assume the usual cautions apply about power window regulators and springs cutting off fingers? I should drill a hole somewhere and insert a pin to lock everything in place?

Thanks

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[Snoots]

assume the usual cautions apply about power window regulators and springs cutting off fingers? I should drill a hole somewhere and insert a pin to lock everything in place?

Yes. Absolutely! But not a pin. Use a screw. A pin will fall out at the worst moment.

And don't rely on the window for strength. It's not make to take that sort of stress. Repair or replace the channel.

 

[8888]

thanks for the reply. I was thinking of a headed dowel pin with a hole for a cotter pin versus a tapped hole but a screw may be better. Any idea on where i could find a new channel? I don't remember seeing one on LMC but i'll look again.

 

[bucket]

Actually the channel will be fine once it is bent back to shape. The only reason it's as long as it is, is to assure that the two tracks are located properly. Personally though, I'd get a glass shop to install the channel onto the replacement glass with urethane. You don't want it coming loose, getting bound up and breaking the glass.

 

[8888]

thanks for the replies. what is the best way to get the rusty channel off of the other glass, if anyone has done this before?