What year tailgate is this??

[OldBlueDually]

Gents, I picked up a tailgate and hood, near the same blue as my dually, tonight I'd planned on putting on the gate, however I soon noticed my parts from my green tailgate won't work on the blue one.

The blue one doesn't have those upper alignment fingers, and it looks like it had the release latches and tailgate arm pin all in one bracket...??

So what year is this gate I've got? The green one is a 76, same year as my truck.

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[bucket]

Gents, I picked up a tailgate and hood, near the same blue as my dually, tonight I'd planned on putting on the gate, however I soon noticed my parts from my green tailgate won't work on the blue one.

The blue one doesn't have those upper alignment fingers, and it looks like it had the release latches and tailgate arm pin all in one bracket...??

So what year is this gate I've got? The green one is a 76, same year as my truck.

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I always thought the one with the pegs was '73-'74.

 

[OldBlueDually]

I always thought the one with the pegs was '73-'74.

When you say pegs are you talking those finger gizmos at the top of the green tailgate that align it to the top rear of the fender? Or the peg that holds the pivoting bracket? I honestly don't know what either are technically called, so I am making up my own words here

That green gate came off my all original parts truck, my green 76 GMC 1/2 ton, 2wd, long box. My dually box has those openings to accept those alignment fingers at the top of the green gate too....

 

[Tonimus]

'73-'76 had the stud for the link arms on the tailgate and these also had the fingers. I believe '76 was a crossover year and could have either style. The '77-'87 had the stud on the latch without fingers. I think all the link arms had the space for the alignment fingers, no matter the year. FWIW, LMC lists the later style tailgates with the GMC in the middle as '76-'80.

 

[legopnuematic]

76 was a changeover year I guess. There is a first and second design tailgate, per the repro catalogs.

My 76, built in April of 1976, has those alignment tabs welded to the gate. However, it's a Chevy, not a GMC, I have found, especially from 1973-1976, GMC vs Chevy there's lots of subtle differences on things that got updated or changed sooner one one or the other.

If you notice, it has the tabs, but also has the support rib at the top of the gate, whereas your green gate lacks that, looking on BaT, it seems that even (most, some?)1976 GMC gates did not have that rib.

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I'm sure what plant the truck was built at too factors in too.