'72 - '80 Dodge Pickup a tailgate Security?

Does anyone make a Locking Tailgate Handle or some good form of Tailgate Security Lock for '72 -'80 Dodge Pickups?

I have heard some people cut a slot in the lower right corner and fish a screw-type Hose Clamp to secure/slow down thieves.

I suppose I could mount a Gate Padlock over the handle, but that would be pretty ugly.


Are there any good tailgate security devices that will fit?

Are you trying to keep thieves from getting in the bed, or from stealing the tailgate?

A while back I was at the local u-pull with a friend, he wanted a tailgate for a '94 up, and one of the ones he was eyeballing had a "band" clamp around the right side pivot point, it sure looked factory, painted to match the truck and truck was not repainted ... kept the gate from being easily removed.

We moved on to another truck, better gate. None of the other similar ones had the clamp.

It was a Texas truck, I suppose it could have been a mexican market import.

Any way, it was effective enough, we moved on too.

For that purpose I think a mere hose clamp perhaps with a torx head or something would be enough.

Eliminate the quick grab and most will move on to another easier one ...

Move the handle to the inside & tack a fake one in place to fill the spot
Hard bedcover or lock on inside too

I've left the handle in place & moved the rods where I could pull them together with a pair of pliers on the inside

you will note that there is a lift out slot on one side to remove the tailgate---look on a later model dakota or fullsize and you will see a screw threaded through to block the lift out slot.....that will deter the average thief.....

Got a Bully lock handle for my 2003 Ram and it's every bit as stout as the stock one. Fit and install was quick and easy.

Thanks for the replies and ideas.

If this were a later model truck, '93 - up I guess, there are lots of aftermarket options, Clamp-type locks, handle locks, etc, but for '92 and earlier, there isn't much offered on the after-market.

I don't have a Snug Top, bed cover or camper shell at this point. It's just an open bed for now, so it's not to secure anything in the bed.

I'm just looking to discourage Tailgate Thieves and opportunists looking for a quick grab and sell at swap meet types.

If I park the truck out on the street at night, I don't want to come back in the morning and find my tailgate is missing.

it looks hokey, but if you're really worried, you can put a hasp and padlock inside the bed, on either side. you'd have to put a 90 degree bend in the long part of the hasp, to put it on the inside corner. what hood do you live in, where this is a serious concern?

* master lock has one pre-bent. the tab would go on the side post, the slider on the tailgate itself, as close to the top as possible. one on each side, your stuff isn't going anywhere. LOCK

Nice suggestion. Maybe that might work. Actually, just one mounted on the right side would likely work, as you need to open the tailgate to a 45 degree angle to allign, then remove the Right side as the left side fits into a full round socket.

As for the neighborhood, sometimes you could leave everything unlocked, open and never have a problem, ever.

Then again, the population of my city is 180,000 and all the neighboring towns are similar to slightly lower. Probably around 1,500,000 people within a 20-mile radius.

It only takes one to get away with my tailgate.

Around 15-years back, someone stole the removable roof off my Corvette in the middle of the night from my driveway. Insurance paid $3K to replace plus the broken window, crushed center console.

I now keep my fence closed in front pretty much 24-hours a day.

I really hate to be this guy but who in their right mind would steal the tailgate off an old dodge pick up? You can't sell it for any money like the newer pickups. The reason the newer tailgates get swiped is the fact they are worth something and fit a bunch of new models. I hate to say it but your tailgate ain't worth crap. I'd just put a hose clamp on it and forget about it.

You might well be right and in a way, I hope you are...

But, a replacement for even an old, ugly '74 pickup is still $200 or more, plus the hassle factor of finding a good, straight, dent-free one, painting it to match, etc.

The older it gets over time, eventually replacements may well be even harder to find and more expensive.

I may well go with the hose-clamp form of security, but just wondered if there were any other better options.

I may not have space inside the gated portion of my property to park this truck, so it might be parked down the street, out of sight on a regular basis.

The padlock option would be pretty secure, but I'd think the rattle would bug me.

True, but there might be a way to rubberize it a bit to quiet the rattles.

Id rather take the risk and find a way to block the hinge or try to find some sort of lockable handle then be drilling it up for a padlock.

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I really hate to be this guy but who in their right mind would steal the tailgate off an old dodge pick up?

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There's a NEW market for old tailgates, the more "patina", the better.