I've been thinking hard about what I want to do cage-wise with the 4Runner. I like the idea of having an EXO to protect the windshield, A pillar, and B pillar. When I flop this thing, I really want the windshield to stay in tact or have the ability to put a new windshield back in it without hammering the A pillars back into place.

However, I don't like the idea of EXO'ing the entire rear of my 4Runner. I plan on using the hard top and whatever route I take, I would like to be able to remove the top and put it back on. I also don't like having that much weight in tube that high in the air.

Internal wise, Toyota cabs are pretty tight. Cab cages cut into head room and leg room. They don't protect the windshield. I think making an internal cage for the cab would be tougher than an exo. But the COG weight is lower with an internal cage.

So, what do you guys think about this plan??? EXO'ing the front half of the truck from the front bumper to the rear of the doors. Then building an internal cage for the rear half of the 4Runner. That way the hard top would be easy to remove and reinstall. I don't think I've ever seen a half exo cage, half internal cage'd truck ever??

I know, it sounds crazy but what do you think???

 

Personally, I'd just go with a full exo. I've seen many exo's that still allow for the top to be removed through the back.

I'm a fan of the exo because A) You'll be less worried about body damage, since it will be mostly protected, so you might be braver to take a line that you might not otherwise; and B) If you do roll the truck, there's a better chance of the entire truck surviving, rather than just the passengers.

 

Personally i would love to see the half and half done right.

 

Volcom,

Perhaps you can build an cage such that much of it is on the inside and only the necessary amount is on the outside. Here's my thinking: the inner part can be heavier, studier material to provide the necessary stiffness. The outer part can be located only where is it necessary to actually protect the body from scraping rocks and things.

This would require some of the cage to actually go through sections of the body, like holes in the roof, out of the hardtop, but it seems like if it was sealed well it could work.

How's that for an answer full of theory and no practicality?

 

I know I can make an exo that will allow the hardtop to be removed. I just don't like the idea of all that extra tube to cover the rear and make it survive a hard rollover like an internal would take.

I do agree about the body damage part. But at this point in time, I can live with any amount of body damage as long as it's not the windshield or A pillars. Both of which gets it when rolled over

I'm thinking about connecting the tubes through the roof.


I think it could work!

 

i like the whole idea of an exo because it protects the whole truck, even though they are kinda ugly. if you could find a design for an exo that let you take your top off still would be the best IMHO.

 

flip through here and see if you can find something that you might like. http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95564

 

Exo all the way!!!

 

I've thought about the half and half deal, but I think I'll just get a soft top and not worry about the top.

 

IMHO - a "goog" half and half deal would be a WORK OF ART.

To do it "right" IMHO requires that the cage be "welded" to the rook skin (at least in the rear) in order to have a "water tight" pass through. The idea is that BOTH the cage and shell move as one or else the cage will just tear through the shell.

However - that will take a TON of work.

In some ways more work than a WRC type internal cage..
So basically it negates some of the benefit of an exo (that an exo is easier to build)...

I still would love to see this done
(its on my if I win the lottery list of things to do to the 4Runner)

 

The half and half thing wouldn't be tough at all. There's not any reason the two have to be tied together, or you could make a removable back half exo like the one Xtreme4x4 built for their FJC. (Which was so ugly it gives exo's a bad name, but a neat idea)

Here's a front half exo (one of the CO guys):

 

300sniper rig might give a few ideas on tying the cage through the body
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...=227069&page=5

 

I will probably be ordering an All-Pro or Marlin internal cage to use in my '81 as a base. Though not a 1st gen 4runner, this build that MossyRocks from ttora did is pretty cool design on his exo/Chopped top Runner:http://ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56001

 

that third gen is freakin awesome!

 

My brother and I sat around the garage this weekend trying to figure out the best way to do an exo front / internal rear. I think if I went this direction, I would need 2 B pillar hoops, one for the exo and one for the internal. Then they would need to be connected. I could use some 1/4 plate and sandwich the top of the cab and drill holes and use bolts. That would probably be easier to seal up rather than a 2" whole saw hole with 1.75 tube connecting them


Thanks for the link EWAYota, I'll look through there.

 

I'm not worried about the top, I'm worried about the rear passengers

Most of the time, I wheel with the hardtop off. That's kinda why I was thinking of an internal rear, just to protect my precious cargo (2 year old daughter)

 

why not make some sort of removable exo? I'm sure one could be done properly that would allow it to be removable while still retaining the strength of an exo....so say you had the stock internal rollbar allowing protection for the passengers in the rear with the top off, but still the solid exo up front? Then if you decide to trail in rougher weather, you can just put the removable rear section on to protect the entire truck?

 

Yea, that's a possibility as well. I don't plan on taking the super crazy lines with my daughter in the back but would like to have a sturdy roll cage over her head just in case. I really don't care about the sheetmetal on the truck, just the A pillar and windshield frame. That's what is making this decision so hard

 

I think you're too tied up on connecting the two cages together. I think that adds a TON of complexity for minimal benefit.

Just build an exo over the front and an inner in the back over the passengers and be done with it!

 

I would definitely worry about your daughter too, I just meant go for the soft top for ease of making it water-tight. The soft top is more pliable than the hard-top.