Industrial Gate Drop RodThe key function of drop rods is to lock a swing gate into position by dropping a metal rod into a hole in the ground. Drop rods are much easier to install on a large gate than a regular locking handle would be because you can make a larger hole to deal with alignment issues. If you are installing a double swing gate, you will need to install a cane bolt on one leaf of the gate so that it can be locked into position for the other leaf to latch