Help Needed - Tips And Tricks To Get Wire Down The Tailgate.

[Skyliner33]

I am trying to get some wires from here:



Down the side of the tailgate to put some LEDs in the tailgate ply. I cant manage to thread the wire far enough so I can get hold of it at the bottom of the channel.

 

[airhoguk]

Have you tried putting a feed er line in from the point where you want your wires to end up? If you haven't, feed thru and then tape your wires on and gently pull back. Also what are you using as the wire guide? the wires themselves will be too flexible so use something like a net curtain wire which is strong but very flexible

 

[ei-aprilia]

If I remember rightly I used a metal coat hanger straightened out, fished that through first then taped the cables to that and pulled them through.

 

[Ads_Essex]

If I remember rightly I used a metal coat hanger straightened out, fished that through first then taped the cables to that and pulled them through.

I used this myself, but found it didn’t bend with the curves of the tailgate (you’d thing that nearside section would be straight, but it’s not entirely straight) and ended up using one of those snake cameras to see where I needed to bend and shape the coat hangar to.

Funnily enough I’m doing the same thing, this weekend.

The net curtain wire sounds like a good shout. Might have to pop round to my mums and pinch one.

Good luck.

 

[Skyliner33]

Thanks for the suggestions, I used coat hanger to get the wire through that rubber tube and yes the net curtain wire sounds a good shout. Now to think where I saw net curtains last.

 

[Dellmassive]

You could try an electrician fish tape.. works a dream.

 

[michael thorpe]

i used a fish tape to do it still not easy

 

[Pauly]

The problem you get is if you feed from the top it will drop down next to the glass which runs to a dead end and doesnt come out, as above if you feed something up from the bottom and use it as a pull wire i find it a bit easier
If you dont have anything a bit stiffer to use then you can get it to the opening a few inches down (where the heated screen connection is) then fish on again from there, it gets you higher and a few inches closer ?

 

[Skyliner33]

Thanks managed it with a combination of coat hanger and this nylon thing from toolstation.

 

[catfood12]

This was the single bit that took the longest with my rear camera install. I first managed to break off a fibreglass electricians rod, as it got wedged in when pushing up from the bottom. It became jammed solid, and the more I pulled the more it jammed in between the inside and outside panels.

No joy either trying to push anything down, as I couldn't get anything round the bends at the bottom.

Did it in the end with a wire coat hanger from the bottom, and pulled it out of the hole at the top of the tailgate with some needle nose pliers. Lots of swearing involved throughout.

 

[catfood12]

The jammed and broken off rod in the tailgate... It's staying there. It was a fcuker of a job.

 

[kiter]

Did this on Friday night, took 2 mins, piece of 2.5mm gauge fencing wire (little bit of insulating tape on the end to prevent any damage) and up from the bottom, mate was watching at the top and soon as he saw the wire, pair of long nosed pliers to grab it. Defo much easier if you have an extra pair of hands to help out.

 

[DXX]

I managed to get 1mm steel gardening wire down through the left hand side.
With a very small eye bent into the end of this wire I used my phone camera to see when the eye was through to an opening and eventually managed to hook the ‘eyed’ wire with another piece of ‘hooked’ wire and put it through to the centre for the camera.
It took hours, don’t give up.

 

[Skyliner33]

I started at the top. There are 3 holes about an inch long down the side of the window. Used the electrician nylon thing to get to the first hole. Pulled the wires out through there then used a coat hanger bent into a U shape (bit like a big suture needle) then fed that through from top hole to second pulling the wires, then second to third then third and out below the window. Once I had worked this method out it was fairly simple and only took a few minutes.

(Sorry for the poor description and lack of photos but I had forgotten all about photos by this point.)

 

[Daviesmd]

I did this over the weekend and it is a pain! In the end I used a bit of washing up liquid - massages this through the tube and the wire ran straight through with no need for feeder wire.

 

[Ads_Essex]

I did this over the weekend and it is a pain! In the end I used a bit of washing up liquid - massages this through the tube and the wire ran straight through with no need for feeder wire.

View attachment 41757

Nicely done. I used a fish-tape tool and Vaseline on mine, and it was still a bugger to get through!

 

[travelvolts]

Lots of lube and persistence! Sometimes it drops straight in and other times it takes ages. I think a lot depends on how the existing loom sits.

 

[catfood12]

Nicely done. I used a fish-tape tool and Vaseline on mine, and it was still a bugger to get through!

Vaseline & bugger in the same sentence....... not heard that since choir practice all those years ago....

 

[saxoboy]

It took time and patience....but I ended up using a piece of string tied to the top and on this piece of string I tied a couple of small but weighty nuts, then I popped these into the hole where the wires want to go and shut the rear tailgate. The string fell near to the bottom, then I opened the tailgate and used a magnetic pen to connect to the nuts.....dragged it out and pulled the new wires from the top through with the string. Job done

 

[travelvolts]

Love it. Isn't it great how we all have differing solutions to problems?