Club 80-90 Forums

I've just painted and fitted a replacement tailgate and although it looks tight against the seal from the inside I am getting a slight water seep in wet weather.

Before I try and and adjust again this week, is there any tips on doing it?

So far I've been adjusting it on the Allen bolts alone, but is there adjustment on the 6mm bolts too? I also had a pair of thin plastic shims fitted between the hinges and the van on the old tailgate so I've left them in, if that makes any difference.

Cheers

Rob

Get a helper to run a watering can or hose over the outside while you look for the leak inside, it may not be the seal.
Have you replaced the seal? It may have formed over the years to the old tailgate. You should fit the pane based on it being flush and even gaps around all your existing panels, you can adjust the lock striker plate slightly too to get a tighter fit. But even loose it shouldn’t leak unless it’s really loose.
My last bus used to leak on the tailgate, because a PO had screwed the curtain rail through the body to the outside!

Thanks for replying adie89, I had a bit play the other day, think I've got it tighter against the hatch seal and I adjusted the striker a bit more, so I'll see how it goes next rain fall we have

I've found it's helpful to run a whiteboard marker pen over the seal and then shut the tailgate. When you open it again you have a nice neat line to show you where the seal contacts and no line where it doesn't. You can then use that as a reference to jiggle the tailgate up, down, left or right. As noted, they do go flat when they get old so a new one may be the best solution.

I like that idea, I'll give it a go next - thanks