Tailgate securing hook, could have come from any of the earlier brand pick-up trucks, early Jeep, military vehicle, etc. Usually these are found with a thin rubber cover around the chain. A used bicycle wheel's inner tube makes a great replacement for this cover, used them for years on my older CJ5 jeeps.
yep most sixties vintage pickups had these in various contorted shapes. Funny side note is that these never seized up, froze up, or screwed up, unlike the newer design. The only thing they did do was they would jingle jangle when the rubber sleeves would deteriorate. "Buddy its a truck its supposed to ride like that and sound like that if you wanted a ride like your living room sofa you shoulda bought a large car". I always remember hearing that statement from the old mechanics that where in my parents garage employment, when townies would be complaining about rattles and squeks coming from their pkps, funny you never heard it from the farmers.
The link in the bracket is just a common chain repair link.
Old timers would break a chain or cut a chain for use on a farm or ranch and repair it or reconnect it to something with that style link. When you buy them they are open so you can hook it in your chain. It is then hammered shut. Grand dad type farmers out in the boonies would just hammer or peen the pass though end so it would not pull back through the eye. Well equipped farmers would arc weld the end to the loop after hammering the link closed.
They are the kind of item you find in a musty old general store or hardware store from 50 years ago.
https://www.mcmaster.com/chain-links...t-for-lifting/
PS it looks like my granddads 56 chevy pickup.
Most farmers would skip the rubber sleeve over the chain and let them rattle eventually wiping out the paint where the chain jingled against the tailgate.
All of those old farm trucks were rusted under the chains.
Last edited by EDG; 04-12-2020 at 06:38 AM.
EDG
Tail gate chain on a HMVEE
photo on right is a cold shut link had the hook and chain on a old 66 chev. had a 283 4 on floor , good truck steel dash no plastic and vinyl like the new ones
Already been beaten to the ID, a "cold shut". The hook, I do not know if it has a name. The assembly looks like it has "Camo" paint, so a military side or tail gate of some sort.
Like others said its a cold shut repair link.For most things a clevis type works better but costs more.
A cold shut is what I've always heard the link in the right hand picture called. Its weaker than the chain and I don't like them. They work ok for light duty work, like on a tailgate. I much prefer a double clevis type for repairing or lengthening a chain.
Looks like the hook on my 78 Ford stepside tailgate
Thanks for the help, I had no idea what a cold shut was until now.
tail gate hooks aren't all that vintage. My 1977 chev short box step side had them. But I guess im getting old because that's probably considered vintage now.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |