Thanks Jason...at least you didn't ask me about installing an engine or a steering wheel. I've always believed that if you build it yourself with your own spin, then who cares if others like it or make fun of it. So, Thank you for the kind words. Now, I think I'm done with my TIG table as I've just dropped off the firebricks and wood for the lower platform for it at work tonight. Can't wait to start having that thing repay it self.

 

Kart looks good man! I really like the suspension setup you got going on there. When you taking it out to wheel?

 

Thanks Dee...nice to know every one likes to raz once in a while.

So aside from the razzing, I was finally able to get started a long awaited project. Works been slow the last couple of days and I thought I might as well get a cracking!

The following pictures are a simple mock up and begining to my partial roll cage I've been putting off for almost a year now. If there's any comments or suggestions, please feel free to let em' fly. But please, let them pertain to the project at hand and not at how dirty the 4Runner is... I do appreciate the responses, even if they are at my own expense.

My thoughts: I wanted to make the main front bar hug the top and sides of the inside and just follow the lines naturally. However, while taking measurements, I found that the support to the frame rails were on the inside of the wheel wells. So to the inside it went.




As for the tubes heading to the rear I wanted those as close to the roof line as possible but to also follow the lines of the inside. I think I was able to accomplish this but still wanted to have enough body material to bolt into.






Initially it will be mounted to just the body but I will be making some mounts to the frame. So as I'll call this the first phase of the project, mounting it to the frame will be the final phase. There's some ideas about putting a shelf in above a spot I'd like to designate for the ice chest, but I'd some how like to be able to fit a place to mount a gun or two.

Thanks for looking and as before, comments are welcom.

 

I think it would look better if uou made the rear legs closer to the sides of interior panels instead of inline with the front.. that way you would have more rear space anyways

 

I agree. Nothing has been tacked or welded yet and just after the point where the pictures were taken, Jimmy (a friend and co-worker) came out and actually pointed that out. I'll fiddle with it some more tomorrow, but I don't want them to out of line from the front. My thinking behind that is to help strengthen the whole cage and tie into the frame just underneath the body where the tubes actually come down. But then again, this is the first cage that I'm building by my-self. Hell, just to get to this point, I had a loss of 59" of steel tubing. So all in all, I'm happy with the progress and the loss, I have a feeling I'll be able to reuse a fare portion of it elsewhere.
By the way, thank you for your input and eyes on it.

 

this is kinda what i was thinking would look good, offer great protection while staying out of the way



also this might help with the rear passengers



dunno why paint put that random red line it should have been blue anyways those are my ideas

 

Initially I thought about having something like that. But as I worked into it, that faded away. Aside from the safety issue of the rear passengers hitting their heads on the cage, I was quickly running out of steel. I'll have updated pic's on the completion of the first phase probably tomorrow.

 

I think you could keep the legs more outboard, and then tie them into the frame with stub pipes. That's how we did the cage in my dirttrack car but I wouldn't say we knew what we were doing either. I'm sure it will turn out great what ever way you go.

 

That is awesome, brudda! I cant wait to see what u have done. Just seeing that steel has me excited about my sliders

 

Well as luck would have it, work kept me pretty busy all day and I didn't remember about grabbin some pics until it was already dark. So tomorrow hopefully I'll remember before I head in. Anyhow, MikeS saw it and from what he said, wants me to help build one for his..so he can chime in here until I get the pics up.

 

Needs more triangulation!

 

I know exactly how you feel...I'm getting that way about the front/ rear bumper. Though I keep seeing designs I like and trying to incorporate them all would look like a mangled bowl spaghetti...so I have to settle on something, but it's just so damn hard to decide. Also, a small body lift might have to be worked in before as tire clearance could be an issue...definitely gonna check it before a single piece of tubing gets cut.

 

Yesssss! Soooooooooooo many nice bumper designs now! Males me nuts trying figure which ones I like, CBI OR TUBE OR WARN OR ARB.....AHHHH! LOL

 

DUDE!! This made me laugh...and helped here couldn't help it but thanks man. Yeah, I was thinking maybe a little bubble gum and some spackle and I'd call it good.

 

Alright, so I went out in the dark to see how the phone camera would do at night...

Again, I kept the rear legs closer in line because it's much closer to the frame and I will be tying into it in the next phase. Right now, it's just lightly tacked to the body for placement.




Questions, comments are welcomed.

 

Looks like its fitting really well, a cage is going to eat up room no matter how tight you keep it. Are you planning on running it on forward at some point I'm sure you said but I can't remember. Keep up the great work.

 

Looks really good. While you've got a bunch of the rear interior out it might be a good time to put the rear storage compartment from a 99+ in there, if you want more storage. There's a thread on the interweb out there somewhere on it (little bit more work than plug and play, but not much) but I can't find it right now. I'll post it up if I find it.

 

Hey Jason- Thanks for the kudos on the partial cage and no matter how tight I tried to get it in there, it just didn't make a whole bunch of sense to kick it out so far with the steel I'd already cut and bent. Short of setting up another piece of tube and putting it on the wheel well, (which isn't the best place for support) I chose to go with what I had already done. No plans in the immediate future to continue it forward...but will as it becomes more of a trail machine. Really only doing this so mom has more peace of mind. Thanks for dropping in...

I've never heard of putting the side storage in from a 99+.... I've heard about the center consoles being swapped....that's definitely a project in the not to distant future.

 

Alright...small update.... today I met up with TRDevelopment to pick up a present to the 4Runner...made the deal with AssyrianRocker (their cousins) handed the money to D and came home happy with a new little project.

If I'm anything I'm frugal and look at the potential someone else's discards may have. It needs some work but with the right pickings, it'll be all that I hope it to be.

Guess what it is? Roni/ D, need to let this play out a little.
Hint: Some 3rd gens had em and some didn't.

 

Found it! I wish I could find a rear panel from a 99+ in blue. The tan seems more common on the newer 4runners.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/m.../#post51121358