Taillight question

[TotalyHucked]

Ohhhhhh idk if you mentioned the replacement bedside before. That's your problem. The inner mounting area for the tail light is too far out. I've seen that a couple times over the years with some repop bed sides. You'll need to try to message that mounting area deeper into the bedside, without mangling it to the point you can't get the screws in

 

[bucket]

It may just be the angle of the picture, but the taillight opening seems a little mis-shaped as well. Particularly the upper portion.

 

[DatKat933]

Ohhhhhh idk if you mentioned the replacement bedside before. That's your problem. The inner mounting area for the tail light is too far out. I've seen that a couple times over the years with some repop bed sides. You'll need to try to message that mounting area deeper into the bedside, without mangling it to the point you can't get the screws in

Perfect thank you! I likely didn't mention the new bed side due to my assumption that it wouldn't make a difference. But I have found the fit and finish of a reproduced bed side is definitely not perfect.

 

[Scottgenex]

I had the same problem, amongst a few other issues with my replacement bedsides. I spent some time with a die grinder opening up the inner sheet metal oval where it caused the "bucket" of the inner tailight housing to not sit all the way in. Dabbed some paint on the exposed metal, bing bang boom. Now it has the standard 70s GM assembly line gap.

 

[DatKat933]

I had the same problem, amongst a few other issues with my replacement bedsides. I spent some time with a die grinder opening up the inner sheet metal oval where it caused the "bucket" of the inner tailight housing to not sit all the way in. Dabbed some paint on the exposed metal, bing bang boom. Now it has the standard 70s GM assembly line gap.

How did you go about identifying exactly what was hitting? Did you leave the mounting screw holes in place and just widen these sections in the picture?

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[TotalyHucked]

How did you go about identifying exactly what was hitting? Did you leave the mounting screw holes in place and just widen these sections in the picture?

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I would probably put some dabs of either grease or maybe a grease pencil on your tail light backing plate. Install it best you can, then remove and see where it made marks. That's where you start trimming.

I'm glad you posted pictures showing the opening, that's pretty ugly and I'd bet those edges are holding up the housing. I'd try that route first before beating the mounting areas back like I suggested.

 

[Scottgenex]

How did you go about identifying exactly what was hitting? Did you leave the mounting screw holes in place and just widen these sections in the picture?

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Sorry on the delay. Not sure if you got it figured out. You could use the method TH mentioned. I just did mine by feel and it stuck out so bad that I could see what was hitting. The marker light housing/wires had some clearance issues making it flex out when I tried to tighten it down. So I gouged out a spot for it to slip through.

 

[DatKat933]

Last weekend I took a grinder to the remanufactured bed side. I cut a small chunk out of the socket the taillight housing sits in. I was able to see where it was hitting as well. I got it significantly better but it will still take more work to be like stock, but it is better!

 

[Scottgenex]

Last weekend I took a grinder to the remanufactured bed side. I cut a small chunk out of the socket the taillight housing sits in. I was able to see where it was hitting as well. I got it significantly better but it will still take more work to be like stock, but it is better!

Glad you got it sorted. I got it looking like most other squares that I had seen. Still has a gap about half pinky size. About what I expected from 70s assembly line.

Did you get your bedside from LMC? I never expected perfection from a reproduction, but oh boy. The passenger fender fit and finish was way better than driver. Fell right in place, barely any grinding and massaging, bolt holes lined up.

Not so much on my driver one.

Bane of my existence.

 

[DatKat933]

Glad you got it sorted. I got it looking like most other squares that I had seen. Still has a gap about half pinky size. About what I expected from 70s assembly line.

Did you get your bedside from LMC? I never expected perfection from a reproduction, but oh boy. The passenger fender fit and finish was way better than driver. Fell right in place, barely any grinding and massaging, bolt holes lined up.

Not so much on my driver one.

Bane of my existence.

I'm not sure where this bedside came from. I had bought the bed along with the new bedside as a package deal from someone. It definitely had some alignment issues. But the taillight was my biggest issue. I replaced the bed floor and bed front and put an old used bedside back on that was less rusty, and the factory parts bolted up easily with no issue. But the reproduction required some finesse. And by finesse i mean a hammer, grinder and pliers.