Smashed tailgate has me thinking.....

[fryer1979]

Over last weekend I decided to take my pickup for a cruise around town. During that cruise I stopped at a local drive through for some chicken. In the middle of making my order I got smacked from behind, then a few seconds later wacked again! When I got out of the truck, I was surprised to see an elderly man with a Jeep that had been converted to hand controls for disabled drivers (was expecting to see a young kid). He explained that his lever got caught on his window crank and he had no brakes......Tanya suffered a dented up tailgate that doesn't like to open and close anymore, and a driver's side window knocked off the tracks. All in all not too bad I suppose, and I am working with his insurance on getting some replacement parts and compensation, so that's not really a concern. The reason I post is this incident really has me thinking: do I really want to continue with my plans to lower this truck even further? Or should I replace the lowered springs with the brand new set of stock ones I have laying around and just build myself a nice clean driver of a truck (reinstalling the over built utility bumper that came with it)? My wife says she thinks I should continue with my plans to lower it, and that I'm not going to be happy with it if I don't. I don't know though, I'm just not sure anymore and I don't like the idea of replacing body parts everytime I get into a little fender bender....I really could use some help to make up my mind, what do you all think?

[fryer1979]

Here's a shot of the damage for those who want to see. What's really sad is that before this incident, this tailgate was almost perfectly straight.

[jonzcustomshop]

lower it...
fender benders are just that, you might not ever get hit again, or you could get creamed by a drunk driver (morbid I know, but all too common these days), or have some one back into you in a parking lot.

you just can't predict what is going to happen, and you shouldn't let that dictate how you build your vehicle (of course safety upgrades should always be considered, seat belts, dual master cylinder,etc...)

[jonzcustomshop]

btw sucks about the gate, make sure the insurance company buys you one of those nice "early take off" gates, they go for $4-500....and if they give you any static remind them that they are getting off lucky, any newer car with a plastic bumper at a minimum would be $1500-to $2500 to repair....

[aerotruk63]

Scenario 2: You've decided to return it to stock height and in the same parking lot someone driving a lifted 4WD backs into you or a Tractor Trailer etc, No matter which way you go up or down someone can always run into you. Your lucky it was the tailgate, imagine if it was the side of your truck. No bumper there but plenty of body work to bring it back to what it was. Glad to hear your alright! Hope the elderly gentleman is OK as well.

[srziemkowski]

I agree with evryone else,a accident will happen when it wants to,damage will happen either way,and your wife backing you up to continue should have you out there lowering it this moment lol.

[erock805]

How many fender benders do you get into? Unless you are real unlucky you should have gotten your fender benders out of the way for awhile. Dont look back forge ahead!

[theastronaut]

I definitly think you're concern is legit, here's a pics of my cousin's car after his wreck. He drives a lowered early '60s Chevy and recently rear ended a Cavalier. If it had been stock height, he probably wouldn't be replacing the whole front clip right now. That said, I'm bagging my '66 C10 and I daily drive a '64 VW Bug that's dropped low enought that I can't get a floor jack under it.

On the other side of the argument, a friend of mine drives a bug a couple inches lower than mine and had an 18 wheeler cut him off this past weekend. The rear overhang of the trailer actually passed over the top of his hood/fenders/bumper. If the car hadn't been lowered, it might not have cleared!

[TheDark1]

Stick with building your dream truck.

[MalibuKasey]

Drop and Drive!! Oh... and now you have a good tailgate for a bench!!

[Str8axle]

Originally Posted by theastronaut

I definitly think you're concern is legit, here's a pics of my cousin's car after his wreck. He drives a lowered early '60s Chevy and recently rear ended a Cavalier. If it had been stock height, he probably wouldn't be replacing the whole front clip right now.

If that Impala WASN'T lowered, he'd be replacing the FRAME by the looks of that hit.

[markeb01]

I think your concerns are sound and justified and would have me thinking as well. In reality, compared to a roll pan a good bumper would probably make a lot more difference in another incident regardless of the height of the chassis. You have no way of knowing if the next person to bump your truck might be in a Honda Civic or a lifted 4x4.

[theastronaut]

Originally Posted by Str8axle

If that Impala WASN'T lowered, he'd be replacing the FRAME by the looks of that hit.

Here's a shot of the car he hit, barely any damage. If the bumper/frame hadn't been under the cavalier, it would have took out the rear of the car he hit instead of tearing his own car up. The radiator support took the brunt of the impact and the thin sheetmetal panels crumpled around it. I'm sure the frame would have suffered way less damage.

[losthope]

i think you should build it the way you intended in the first place but look into buying a stock rear bumper and bumper brackets(not a thin cheap re-pop)....might have not dented your tailgate!If you worry about "what if happens" might as well keep it in the garage all the time.....but "what if" garage catches fire while trucks in there?? ...build it for your enjoyment or weld a gaint roll cage around it and drive the thing! A truck can always be replaced,take my 65 for example ,life moves on!

[chad64chevy]

i agree with losthope and everyone else! you never know what will hit you or what you'll hit! get a rear bumper and atleast "if" you get rear ended again it will take most of the impact, "if" you get t-boned then your screwed! get a quote for a new tailgate shipped and everything, then go look for a good used tailgate and a bumper w/brackets and call it a day!! then you can send me that tailgate and ill fixs it, lol!! or make a bench seat like i did!!

[Slow Build]

Originally Posted by fryer1979

I don't like the idea of replacing body parts everytime I get into a little fender bender

How often are you planning on getting into fender benders. If somebody hits you, something is going to be bent no matter how low or high your truck is. Don't compromise your build worrying about something that might, but probably won't, happen again. If you build it differently than you planned will you be happy? Look at it this way, if you lower the truck it will probably handle a little better and that might help you avoid an accident somewhere down the road.

Build it like you want it and drive it with a big smile.

[fryer1979]

Originally Posted by MalibuKasey

Drop and Drive!! Oh... and now you have a good tailgate for a bench!!

WIN!!!

Honestly though, I've actually had my tailgate hit in almost every truck I have ever owned, just a way of life out here I suppose. This is just the first lowered truck I have had, and the first one that is old enough I can't go pull a new gate from a wrecking yard. It's just a bit discouraging I suppose, but I guess it would be the same regardless of the truck I drive. My wife says the exact same thing you all are, so onward with the build (once the insurance adjuster finishes his thing that is). Thanks for the encouragement.

[joedoh]

bumpers arent supposed to prevent crash damage, if they were they would be called "crash damage preventers" and not BUMPers. Older cars had sprung bumpers but there are no shock absorbers between the bumper and the frame on these trucks, just steel brackets.

anything over a 5mph crash is a serious impact and if the masses are roughly equal energy transfer will either MOVE the object that is struck by accelerating it efficiently or DEFORM the object until either it has accelerated inefficiently to the speed of the striking object or until the energy transfer is complete. efficient transfer is like a newtons cradle. inefficient transfer is like a newtons cradle of crumpled tin foil balls.

and speaking of 5 mph bumpers, that was a regulation of INSURANCE companies, who were tired of seeing so many parking lot claims for low speed crashes and deformed sheetmetal. they helped mandate energy absorption through shock absorbing materials so that only the bumper would be damaged and not significantly. In the case of liquid shocks on bumpers, fluid is used that will move in crashes less than 5mph and act like a solid in crashes over 5mph, transferring crash energy to the crumple zones of the body.


cliff notes: a BUMPer will help prevent sheetmetal damage in 5mph collisions, but it is just part of the larger system in higher speed collisions.

[sandog711]

Stay with the build and drop it