I want basically a longer 4Runner (1st-gen); thinking about doing this by taking an ex-cab long-bed pickup (probably 4th-gen), chopping out the back of the cab and the front of the bed, and joining the sides and bottoms together. Is this going to weaken the torsional rigidity of the vehicle or cause other problems, or does the frame do all the work of bracing against flex? This vehicle will see, at most, moderate and infrequent offroad use; I'd be very surprised if it ever gets one wheel off the ground.

 

The frame is the backbone of the vehicle. That's where all the real structural rigidity resides. The body is more or less along for the ride so to speak.

First let me say that I like your idea so far, reminds me of some others that I've seen in my neighborhood.

I wish I had some pics of these frankenyotas a couple guys I know put together. Heck, right now I wish I could just remember their names...but that's besides the point.

Anywho, first up. The old man has a 1st gen 4Runner body sitting on an 85 long bed chassis(minus the engine). Let's see...how to verbally explain? Alright, I think I've got it. He chopped the body in half around the middle, behind the cab. Then welded in some panelling to stretch it just long enough for the rear wheel wells to fit over the rear wheels on the long bed frame. It's looks almost stock, he did a really nice job on it. But that still left some frame sticking out behind the extended 4Runner body(I can't quite figure out why, but that's the way it appears). I'd say a good 1-2 feet maybe. So he built himself the tiniest little pickup bed you've ever seen to fill in the frame space back there. So it's basically an extended cab 4Runner with a super-mini PU bed behind it on an 85 LWB chassis(and no, the back door doesn't open, but the window does). I dunno if you can picture it, but it looks really cool IMO. Plus it's got a stump-pulling, super-modded 4.3L Vortec V6 with straight pipe exhaust and headers on it that sounds like an fricken alcohol dragster. And a welded rear + boggers w/ TSLs front. Pretty beasty little trail rig if I do say so myself.

Next, the Sidekickota. So, Steve's buddy(the only name I can recall out of the three, he's the old man's son) has Steve's old 80 long bed chassis with a Suzuki Sidekick body on it. And that one you'd never know wasn't a stock Sidekick, if you seen it from a distance(from the front atleast). Just lifted with 37" BFG KM1s on it though. But seen from the behind it's got a few inches of frame sticking out from behind the body. Almost a perfect fit, but not quite. However, looks aside, it's A HEAPING TON stronger structurally than any Sidekick with a Sidekick chassis. The Toyota frame, drivetrain, and axles are a MAJOR upgrade over the stock Suzuki crap. It's also got dual-cases and a beefy looking home-brew crossmember, and a welded rear-end too. It's pretty cool I guess. Actually I think it's pretty dumb. Who the hell puts a Sidekick body on an 81 Toyota long bed PU chassis? Well, obviously somebody does. Why? I haven't the froggiest. Must have been out of decent Toyota bodies at the junkyard that day...

 

subscribing to this thread, i want to do almost the same thing just turning my pickup into almost a 4runner I have one baby on the way and were planning another down the road so i was just trying to get my plans together

 

This guy did that with a 1st gen pickup:


Seemed to work OK. I think there was some connection of the cab and bed roll cages. The bed "cage" was more of a frame for a canvas cover (kind of a Can-back top on steroids) he used more than a fully triangulated roll cage.

 

If you are thinking 4x4 generations, a 4th gen puts you into a Tacoma.
You might also take a look at a limo forum, I know they are out there.
There was a conversion in 4 wheel drive ToyOtA owner magazine that detailed how one guy took his 2nd gen x cab and grafted a 1st gen 4runner top on to it. A ton of work.

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I'm going to have a bunch more questions about the build as the scheming and then the building progresses, largely because I'm new to anything that sits more than 10cm off the ground and has a separate frame.

Sorry, I was using the worldwide Hilux nomenclature, where 4th gen is the 84-89 series. I'd go one generation earlier, but those weren't available with long beds AFAIK. I'd consider a 90-95 as well, but I prefer the older ones overall.

The reasons for this are more space (the overall plan is to build a camping rig, but I want to keep the width down), longer wheelbase so it rides better (90% of its use will be long on-road highway trips), and that apparently the X-cab LWB pickups weigh some 200# less than a 4Runner, despite being physically larger.

The 4Runner + minibed idea is... odd. I don't see the point of two separate cargo areas, especially when the work was done to lengthen the first one.

I don't trust my welding and fabrication abilities enough to mess with the frame itself. I'm not building a limo here, anyway

 

try searching mini truckin web for project twisted metal, they took a blazer top and grafted it to a 1982 pickup. im glad i finally found it because thats exactly what i want to do to my 4x4 pickup (except for the whole ground clearance thing). i found it by searching google toyota pickup body graft if you cant find it from their website.

 

Over on Pirate a guy is making a quad cab pickup. It is a very nice build and you could probably get a few ideas from it. It's called Low & Slow 84 *Quad Cab project*

 

Would one generation or bodystyle be better suited to this than others, or should I simply pick one that's the right length and start chopping?

 

body style would be entirely up to you. you're basically trying to make a trekker that's longer, right? probably going to be the same amount of work no matter what model you choose. i believe the xcab trucks have the same wheelbase (or very close) as the longbed single cab trucks - at least my 3rd gen xcab is the same length as a 2nd gen singlecab longbed. can't really say i've seen any longbed+xcab trucks ever from the factory (MAYBE a 2wd?). i would do something similar to what's pictured above for sealing in the cab with soft top.

personally, since i've been kicking around the idea of chopping up a vehicle sometime in the next 5yrs as a project - i would start with an 80series land cruiser. already has solid axle and overbuilt parts. also has seating for 7. but that's just me because i've always wanted a cruiser since i was a kid. got the wife her IFS 100 series, so now i get to have my solid axle 80 series and chop the top off that heavy pig. i plan on welding the rear doors shut and either soft-topping it like a 1st gen 4runner or doing some sort of Ute conversion (truck conversion) and installing the roll-down back window off a 4runner (since the body's wider, the glass should clear the wheel wells )

good luck man! start photoshopping some pics and figure out what you like the most.

 

3rd gen 4WD extended cab = 122" LWB

2nd & 3rd gen 4WD regular cab long bed = 112" LWB

79-95 4WD SWB = 103"
79-83 4WD LWB = 109"
84-88 4WD LWB = 112"
89-92 4WD LWB(long bed) = 112"
89-95 4WD LWB(Xtracab) = 123"

79-95 2WD SWB = 103"
79-83 2WD LWB = 109"
84-95 2WD LWB = 112"
86-95 2WD ELWB(Extra Long Wheel Base) = 123"
86-95 2WD SLWB(Super Long Wheel Base) = 137"

Those figures are all rounded-off to the nearest inch of course.

 

Close. More like this, except no (or barely) wider than the bed:



Or this, but longer and without the pop-top:


I was thinking a semi-permanent hard top, bolted to the cab and bed and sealed with weatherstripping, caulk, insulation, that kind of thing.

This is my first choice for now. Seems to be the same frame and length between ex-cab and long-bed. On paper, weighs some 3300#.

Any idea what it weighs? Somewhere between 2800 for the 2WD and 3800 for a comparable Taco is a wide range.

I've seen photos; it's an excab + longbed, and apparently only 2WD. How hard is it to swap 4WD bits onto a 2WD truck?

Never heard of this. I've seen some long 2nd/3rd pickups with flatbeds or dumptrucks, but assumed they were conversions. Were they sold as 1-ton chassis-cabs?

 

Well mine(88 4WD regular cab long bed V6) weighs right about 3900lbs. w/ full tank of gas + light/rollbar + 35x12.5s on 15x10 aluminum + me in it. I might carry 50lbs. more crap stuffed behind/under my seats than most guys, so call it 3850lbs.

No clue, but I bet it's around 4000lbs. if it's a 4WD with a V6.
Check Car-Part.com. It looks like all the SLWB are regular cab and 1 Ton(probably all motor homes). All the ELWB are 1/2 Ton, some are regular cab and some are extended cab.

The 2WD and 4WD frame are based on each other(except the SLWB which is only 2WD). So it's not impossible to swap parts, it's just a little impracticle. There's structural differences as far as internal bracing that make 4WD frames stronger, supposedly. I just know about 4WD frames, and let me tell you there's plenty of it in those.

Sidenote: It's actually 122.6", so call it what you will. Which should be 123" if you want to be a little more correct than 122".

Oh, and I got one I bet you haven't seen. My buddy just bought an 83 2WD 1/2 Ton regular cab extended(?) long bed. I'd never seen one of those before. It's apparently just an 83 LWB(109"), with what looks like a ~8' bed instead of the standard ~6' long bed.

 

So, the 89-95 clearly has more room in the cab, but between the first two, if they both have the same length bed but different wheelbases, is there less total room in the 79-83 (combined bed and cabin volume)?

Also, is there much of a difference in weight between these three generations, all things being equal (say, all 4WD LWB)? It'd be great if I could keep total weight of this camping rig under 4000 pounds.

 

I drive a 1st gen, so yes the cab volume is signifcantly smaller
if you are worried about volume do a 3rd gen.

stands to reason that if you have more metal in cab etc that weight would go up.
By the time you equip it, doubt you will be that close to 4K.

 

Are you accounting for the different body mounts between the Cab and Bed? You'd need to make sure you went with rubber on all or I believe you'd end up twisting your new body work.

 

No, I was not aware of that. The bed's solid-mounted, and the cab's on rubber, is that right? How hard to put rubber on everything? 4Runner body mounts, or are there major frame differences?

 

Lots of homework later, I've got one more question: are the frames the same between the 1st and 2nd gens (the early ones with solid axles)? I'm torn between buying this '85 project for a grand, or holding out for a 1st gen because they look better to me. The sizes and weights are the same and it's really just down to looks, unless there were other improvements from '84 on.

 

similar however because the 2nd gen wheel base is longer due to the cab, mounts will be different...
there is a comparison of frame measurements in my Mini FAQ-link in my sig...

 

Yeah, I see some dimensional differences. I meant more in terms of bracing, gussetting, other reinforcements.