Topic: Message #990548

[studentwheeler]

Well I think it is safe to say that I am never as happy with my truck as I am when I am working on it...that being said I decided to tackle two projects at once: 1. Pickup tailgate swap 2. New rear bumper to mount higher and tighter under the pickup tailgate. My plan for the rear window is to make a camper shell style rear window out of 1/4" plexiglass. (Eventually I will go to a soft top...) All in all the project is about 95% done as of now.

I will let the pictures do the talking:

How the original set up was with old bumper and stock 4runner tailgate.


Mocking up the truck tailgate...lots of clearance gained!


Pic of the tailgate in. I used a piece of 1x2, welded in between the body where the stock tailgate would bolt and then welded the hinges from the tailgate to the 1x2. I could have spent the extra time to make everything bolt on but for what it is I was fine with welding everything. Last thing to do here is to make a filler plate from the 1x2 to the bed.


4runner under the knife and making the filler plates to cap the fenders. Hit it with the grinder, coat of bondo and some paint.








For the bumper I picked up some scrap 2x3 1/4" and then cut it up to wrap around the rear quarters for protection. (On the passenger side it is now protecting a dent!)




Built some brackets that slide in between the frame rails and bolt to the stock locations. Also welded 1.75" tube from the wrap around corner protection to the frame. Figured if I ever take the bumper off I'll cut the tubes and make a sleeve that enables them to be bolted together.
Also picked up a new trailer spindle for the swing out carrier, hole sawed and then welded top and bottom.

Roughly mocked up.


I needed to modify the tire carrier because now that the bumper was raised, the spare tire was moved way too far upwards along with the top toggle latch (ordered a new toggle latch instead of cutting the old one off). I cut and spliced new tube to make it work. After all that I think I would have rather started from scratch as I can see a few things in the old carrier that I would like to make better...maybe a project later on.



Found the round plate that the studs are through in the scrap baskets outside of sims. I saw that and knew right where it was going!




Well thats it for now. Will post up more as everything gets finalized and finally buttoned up.