Topic: 1st Gen 4Runner tailgate to pickup tailgate conversion

[Volcom]

I'll start by giving myfriend Jeff a big thanks in helping me yesterday at his dad's sheetmetal shop.  There's no way I could have done the tailgate conversion by myself in my garage.

The bonus for swapping tailgate is getting rid of the heavy 4Runner tailgate.  You loose all the glass, elec. motor, and all the other stuff in the window to make it go up & down.  You also gain 4" of clearance at the bottom of the gate.  It makes connecting a bumper to the frame much easier.  The negative, you loose the back window.  I've only run the hard top 5 months out of the year and don't get much during that time.  If it was a daily driver, I probably wouldn't suggest the conversion.  I'll make a soft top window for the rear to keep some of the heat inside.

I took some heavy damage to the driver's side rear quarterpanel a couple of years ago running BV Carnage on 33's with no rear bumper.  Wasn't the smartest idea I've had.    Here's the result of that trip.



Instead of fixing the damage, I just cut out the damage and left it for a couple of years.



The conversion was a good way to get rid of that low hanging quarterpanel and to make it eaiser to connect a bumper to the frame.  Here's the pics.


Last picture with the stock tailgate in place.  You can see my orange test spots to see what color orange I want to paint it somebody.  The passenger side rear quarterpanel has taken some damage over the years as well.


Here's the damaged area that I've covered with cardboard & duct tape to keep the CO fumes from getting inside while running it with the hard top.  Nice & ghetto.


Here's the pickup tailgate test fitted.  Notice how much trimming has be done on the bottom quarterpanels.


Jeff welding up the 1" by 1" sqaure tubing frame that we used to relocate the hinges.  The hinges sit between the 2 supports on each side.


Hinge supports tacked into place on the rear 2" by 3" crossmember I've put in between the rear framerails.


Hinge supports welded in.  This shows that rear crossmember better.


Pickup tailgate hung and quarterpanels trimmed.


We welded a bottom piece of sheetmetal to the quarterpanel.


Driver's side was worse since we had to weld in a filler piece of sheetmetal between where I had trimmed and the bottom cap.


Passenger side welded.  Just need some seam sealer on the inside and it's done.


Amazing how well the pickup tailgate fits in there.


Just need some paint and a rear bumper.


Driver's side was hard to work on.  The Toyota sheetmetal is sooooooo thin.  It's hard to weld without blowing holes in it left and right.  This side will need some grinding and some bondo to make it look OK (it's not a show car so I'm not worried about it )


Another picture of th driver's side.  The exhaust pipe used to touch the bottom of the quarterpanel.  It's now 4" low


The finsihed product.

I'll get some pictures of the sheetmetal work inside.  With the conversion, I gained 4" of interior space as well.

[*** YELLER ***]

This is some kinda joke right.... 








you sport the Marlin sticker...









yer rockin' da RUNNER....










and then......














you buy yer kid a JEEP

[Volcom [OP]]

This is some kinda joke right.... 








you sport the Marlin sticker...









yer rockin' da RUNNER....










and then......














you buy yer kid a JEEP

Hahahaha.  Grandparents bought my daughter the Jeep for her 2nd birthday.  My dad owns several Jeeps and has gotten my kids to call my Toyota a "Jeep".

[austintaco]

Looks good. Yeah, if you got a soft top, you wouldn't even miss the rear window. I use my soft and hard top so I need the rear glass for the hard top, but I want to gut out a spare tailgate to use when the soft top is on.

Very nice, and the orange, down the road, will look sharp.

[Volcom [OP]]

Looks good. Yeah, if you got a soft top, you wouldn't even miss the rear window. I use my soft and hard top so I need the rear glass for the hard top, but I want to gut out a spare tailgate to use when the soft top is on.

Very nice, and the orange, down the road, will look sharp.

That's exactly what I was thinking about the soft top and back window.  I can't wait to actually paint it, it's needed it for 3 years now.

[*** YELLER ***]

 

Hahahaha.  Grandparents bought my daughter the Jeep for her 2nd birthday.  My dad owns several Jeeps and has gotten my kids to call my Toyota a "Jeep".

hahaha  I own a 55' CJ  , and as funny as it is  to call yer Runner a jeep  its just mean  funny as hell  but mean 




 

[Volcom [OP]]

hahaha  I own a 55' CJ  , and as funny as it is  to call yer Runner a jeep  its just mean  funny as hell  but mean 




 

True story - My brother, friend, and I worked all day trimming out the rear tubs to get my 40" Iroks to fit.  My daughter comes out to see what's going on.  I ask her, "What do you think of daddy's new Monster truck?".  She takes a quick look at it and walks off.  She turns her head and says, "It's OK but my Barbie Jeep is better!".  I was teared up I was laughing so hard.  Probably the cutest thing she's ever said.

[bleakhorizon]

so are you using the same latches for the tailgate as you did the 4runner gate?

[Volcom [OP]]

so are you using the same latches for the tailgate as you did the 4runner gate?

I used the latches from the truck tailgate.  I'll snap a picture of them.

[Jakesteads]

ummm this is sick........ now u need a soft topper and u can enclose ur truck again and forget the dumb hardtops.... my window half works and its so lame u gotta roll it down to drop the HEAVY TAIL GATE

[wakkjobb]

Looks awesome, never heard of this sswap before... did you get inspiration from somewhere else?
Like some other board or something I mean.

Sorry to hear your daughter calling it a Jeep... it's still early enough to correct it!

>>Dan

[Jud]

That is the only way to keep a runner looking good imo

[Volcom [OP]]

Looks awesome, never heard of this sswap before... did you get inspiration from somewhere else?
Like some other board or something I mean.

TacoRunner has his 4Runner cut the same way, I used his for the idea

http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=58572.0

That is the only way to keep a runner looking good imo

By calling it a Jeep?    Or by cutting the tailgate off and replacing it with a pickup gate?

[Jud]

By calling it a Jeep?    Or by cutting the tailgate off and replacing it with a pickup gate?

Option B.

[Volcom [OP]]

Option B.

It makes it look completely different but if were to park it in a parking lot, nobody would really notice unless they really knew their 1st gen 4Runners or you told them.

[John Doe]

It makes it look completely different but if were to park it in a parking lot, nobody would really notice unless they really knew their 1st gen 4Runners or you told them.

Thats 1 thing I like most about it, few people will notice the change, then when you tell them they will be...... Wow!

[wifesaysimadumbass]

that's an older style tailgate i'm pretty sure the hinge on the newer ones were on the side so you wouldn't need that whole crossmember mount

[Volcom [OP]]

that's an older style tailgate i'm pretty sure the hinge on the newer ones were on the side so you wouldn't need that whole crossmember mount

Good to know!  It was off of an 86 2wd.

[Volcom [OP]]

Here's the rest of the pictures to show the latches and the sheetmetal work inside the tailgate.


I just reused the stock latches from the pickup.  Seemed easier than fab'ing up another solution.


Height difference between the pickup latch vs. the 4Runner latch.  I'll just leave the 4Runner latch as another tie down point for the rear.


We used sheetmetal over the 1"x1" frame and just tacked it to the tub in multiple spots.  It's plenty strong to stand on.


Close up of the pickup hinge location, sheetmetal, and the orginal hinge location for the 4Runner tailgate.


Just alittle gap that I'll close up.  Once I seam seal and heculine the rear, it will look somewhat stock.


Here's the space I gained in the cargo area.  It's not much but I'll take as much of it for camping gear as I can get.  I've always loved the way 4Runner's looked bob'ed but I use all the cargo room when I go camping so it wasn't feasible for me to bob the rear behind the seats.


Couldn't see the rear frame rails before the trim.  Now it's a straight shot.  It will make building a rear bumper easier & stronger.


Just sits in the garage 98% of the time.

[austintaco]

I didn't realize how much room you had gained. Cutting the sheet metal behind the wheels  works too. If you can fab something for the rear window, or just go to a soft top, this will work out nicely.

[Volcom [OP]]

or just go to a soft top, this will work out nicely.

One of these days!  I end up rocking it with no top 7 months out of the year.  I might start with a DIY bikini top and then save my $$$ for a full soft top for the colder months.

[87pickup]

I will be doing this to my dads runner soon. alot of clearance to be gained considering 4runner's drag there ass everywhere here in az.

[Volcom [OP]]

I will be doing this to my dads runner soon. alot of clearance to be gained considering 4runner's drag there ass everywhere here in az.

Yup, I drag alot of ass here in CO too   It's going to have to be one hell of a ledge to scrap rear bumper now on 40" tires.

[Volcom [OP]]

Here's how my buddy Jeremiah said I should paint my 4Runner 



Hahahahahahahahaha

[bleakhorizon]

yup looks good.... then your lil girl might like it....

[bigarms23]

what no pink tailgate lol