tailgate assist

[lawnclippers]

Can anyone help me. What do i need to get to make an tailgate assist. I have a 4foot gate.

[mx495]

A big ole dang o geeradge door sprang, an' some dang ole eye bolts.

[edrenckh]

Basically this
Parts
====
1-140 lb garage spring w/ safety cable
3 eye bolts, I used Stainless ones. You need lock washers too.
2 - 1.5" pulleys, bought at the fleet farm store. They have a base to mount it with four screws.
7' of 2" PVC, the white stuff.
3-12” Stainless hose clamps


Instructions
========
Put the pulleys at the top of end of the rail, next to the gate. Mine are 4" or so apart, but doing it again, as close as possible. Attach an eyebolt to trailer gate, 6" or so above where the rail is. The cable should point up when ramp is closed.

Measure the distance the spring must stretch for the gate to go down, add the length of the spring. Measure the diagonal imaginary cable. Mine was 4' + 2'.

Now add an extra foot or so and attach eyebolt to rail. This is the anchor for the spring. This eyebolt is ~7.5' from the ramp.

If the spring is going to be 6.5' or so stretched, cut 7' of PVC. Put an eyebolt at the end of the PVC. Now you have two eyebolts on the rail at each end of the PVC. The main cable runs under the first pulley and on top of the second pulley.

Spring is enclosed in the PVC. Safety cable runs between eyebolts on the rail, through the spring. Main cable attaches to end of spring and eyebolt on ramp. Use small cable clamps to secure the cable to the eyebolt. I used two for safety.

Attach the PVC pipe to your rail with hose clamps.

Pretty simple, especially if you see it. No pics though, no digital cam.

[lawnclippers]

Thanks alot for the info. My back was starting to kill me.