T-1000

Expect this to take a least a couple of hours. You WILL need a second pair of hands to help, especially if you don't want to break another window. Rear windows are not too hard to find, especially when compared to the side cargo windows, which are usually only at junkyards or the dealership. I got my replacement from a junkyard for $100. There's probably better deals out there, but oh well.

Once you have your tailgate down, pop off the carpeting. It should come off fairly easily, just use firm upward pressure all around the edges.

When that's off, unscrew the black metal cover over the plastic film.

Peel back the plastic film (all it's there for is to keep dust out of the cab, it doesn't really protect the mechanism at all). However, if you keep it in one piece you can re-stick it on later.

The top piece of trim must be removed to put the new glass in, it is unavoidable. Remove the six screws holding it on, and the two screws under the tailgate latch.

There are two fairly thick wires running from the window interlock (the thing you have to pull up to lower the gate) and the actual latch. Disconnect these from the main mechanism by rotating the plastic clips holding them in, and then simply pull them out.

Now maneuver the interlock out, and then push upward on the whole trim piece and up and out on the latch to pull them off completely. It takes a pretty good amount of pressure, you might need to bang on it some.

If you had a shattered window, it's almost a certainty that glass pieces will still be stuck in the weatherstripping, go all around it and pull it all out. I used a flathead screwdriver. It tends to collect at the bottom, just flick/scrape it out of there, or it will interfere with your new window.

Once that's all out, take the time to vacuum out all the little pieces of glass inside the tailgate if your window shattered like mine. Get the leftover ones by hand, and don't forget about the pieces in the strengthening girder at the top of the gate. Don't forget about the window heating wire, find it and remove it from the old window.

This is also a good time to put some grease on the big gear mesh in the middle. You can make the window move up and down with the tailgate lowered by closing the latches on the side (trick the system).

You also need to put some grease in the metal bracket on the bottom of your new window to ensure the scissoring mechanism can move freely. I used lithium grease. If there's rust on your "new" brackets, try to remove as much as you can, at least on the inside of the track.

Now, raise the arms up as far as they will go. You can even get your friend to hold one arm upwards while you hold the other, and make them "jump" over the little ledge at the top for some extra height.

There are two little rubber corner pieces at the edge of the window, remove one of them. You're going to slide the window in from the side.

Once it's gone, start sliding the window in from the side (I went from left to right). Avoid the first arm, and at the second one (the one you want) get your buddy move the window back/forth up/down while you hold the wheel arm up to slide it in the bracket. Once you get that one, slide it over more until you get the other wheel close to the bracket on the other side.

Again, hold the little wheel up, and move the window around as needed to get it to slide in. The challenge here is moving the window far enough to the right while getting it far enough in to make it work. It's a tight fit, because the window is not quite past the edge of the gate while you're trying to push it in and make it reach the bracket.

Once it finally pops in, your only remaining challenge is getting the top trim, safety interlock, and tailgate handle back in.

I put the trim on first (make sure the window is down and the little metal tabs on the inside of the trim are out of the way). It's gonna take some force, get your buddy to push on one side while you push on the other and maneuver the middle back into it's little depression.

Now, for the next part, the window will be in the way. Raise it, and get into your cargo area. With the window out of the way, you can easily put the interlock back into position, and with some maneuvering and quite a bit of force (the trim needs to be pulled towards the cab) the handle will go back in. Reconnect them and check for correct operation.

Don't forget about the little metal clip for the heating wire, just pop the little plastic piece into the hole to hold it in place, and slide the female connector onto the male connector on the window.

Now just put everything back together, and voila! New window.

NOTES: I suppose you could put the handle in at the same time as the trim with some finesse instead of force later, but you would have to have some freaking angel hands to do it.

Also, any glass you leave in there will rattle around and make noise, so make sure to get it all!

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'90 4Runner SR5 V6 Automatic, pretty much stock.

I don't have a T100, my name is a reference the bad guy in Terminator 2.