What a coincidence...or perhaps not considering the questionable design.

I'm rewiring my tailgate at this very moment (I've completed the driver side & am taking a hot chocolate break to warm up before I finish the other side.)

To answer your question I have not removed the tailgate, merely propped it open with a 4 foot ladder. I believe this is sufficient however, I supplemented this support with two wooden crutches. (The crutches have nice rubber on both ends allows me to tightly wedge these without marring the paint.) With the proper support, you can completely remove 1 hinge at a time and leave the tailgate in an open position.

I also lined some thick fabric under the bottem lip of the gate to protect my paint as the gate may shift slightly.

Listen to what these guys have to say. There's also a FAQ for tailgates at: http://www.swedishbricks.net/faq/tailgate.html

Good Luck!!

I've sent you a copy of the procedure I have used several times to repair tailgate wiring. Some of the procedure may be helpful in replacing the harnesses.

If anyone else needs the file on repairing the tailgate wiring email me at:

starkie_j@hccanet.org

Randy

If you decide to repair, you can often reuse the existing harnesses by pulling some slack through the hinges and positioning a splice either under the headliner or inside the tailgate.

You should realize that the wire used in these harnesses is special wire. It is highly stranded to withstand flexing. It is not ordinary "flexible" wire, such as lamp cord.

You can run new wires (as I've done on 5-6 of my 245's over the years) using instrument test lead wire. This wire is highly stranded and highly flexible. The insulation is rubber (not plastic), so remains flexible even in deep cold.

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Joe,

If you would like to email me with your mailing address, I will send a photocopy of the instructions I found in this site.

these call for installing a new harness into the hinges.

I am not doing that. My answer is to make an external harness that flows down through the headliner to the upper part of the vertical frame of the rear window where there is an eccess hole exposing the wiring indise the door on each side. Looks like the wires can be spliced together with no additional new wire. I'll merely twist them, solder them tight, shrink wrap of "liquid tape" them for insulation, then cover the bucnh with loom.

Yup, happened to my 83. IPD offers a set with instructions

for the repair.

I guess you could go to Radio Shack and get some wire and do it

yourself but IPD has a neet package that is worth it