Billet Grille Insert 01-04 ?

For those of you who have done a billet grille insert mod on your 01-04 Tacoma, I have a question. When removing your stock grille from the vehicle, how exactly do the plastic fasteners release? I do not want to break any in the removal process.

Thanks for the help.

 

On a side note, has anyone installed the 3 piece Roadmax (RDX) Billet Grille Inserts on their 01-04 Tacoma? It would cover the center area, as well as the 2 triangular black areas between the center and the headlights. If so, how was the installation, and the quality of this product?

Thanks.

 

I have been contemplating getting one for my 03 also,
Removing the grille is really easy, you remove the corner lights with one screw each, then you push the tab on the grill mount clips and pull each one loose until they are all out. I replaced my gray grill with a chrome assembly and now I may do the billet when I install the tranny cooler. I will have to take the grill off anyway, what the hell.

 

Do you need to remove the headlights or the painted piece of plastic below the headlights to get the grille out? Also, do you just bend the tabs downward on the grille clips with a screwdriver, and they release? I don't want to jack anything up when I remove the grille. Not wanting to add any parts to the project, if ya know what I mean

 

I just came back in from doing the tranny cooler,

The headlights stay in, the corner lights need to hang out of the way a little bit after you remove the one screw that holds them in and pop them out of their clips. The small painted wedges below the headlights are attached to the grill, there are 5 grill mount clips across the top, there are at least three in the lower row, there is a tab inside the mount that will release when you push down on it, that tab stays in the radiator support when the grill comes off. Its a really small plastic clip, that locks the grill in at all those points, you will line those up when reinstalling it.

My tranny cooler is mounted to the AC condenser, I moved the air conditioner line that was in the way, I put it in front of the center support for the hood latch. I also repositioned the horn that sits there to gice me a little more room. Then I installed the cooler with the plastic mounts that came with the kit. The lines are my next project. I want to run hard lines as far as I can, I gotta go under and see where they end and if I am better off going all the way to the tranny, or using the factory lines with a hose to another set that go under the radiatror shroud.



Hey!, you know what I never thought of until now,
The safety lever for the hood! I saw a grill that comes with a lever extension. How else do you reach it?

 

"Hey!, you know what I never thought of until now,
The safety lever for the hood! I saw a grill that comes with a lever extension. How else do you reach it?"


I am wondering the same thing!

 

Well i just bought a one piece stainless grill insert, should be shipped by the end of the week!

Im wondering the best way to cut a straight line in the plastic grill all the way around. It doesnt sit flush on the chrome part of the grill, but on the black plastic behind it right? ( i dont have the instructions yet.) So that would mean you need to cut out the plastic grill and leave around an inch or so all the way around? Same with the small triangles on the left and right. make sense?





here is a "before" shot ...



edit: and Im not sure on the hood release either. Would it be a bad idea to remove it alltogether? I dont see how an extension would help, as it wouldnt fit inbetween the bars of the grill..???

 

That is 1 Clean Azzed Tacoma! Looks brand spankin new, even the Meats!

 

COMPLETELY OFF SUBJECT...

How do you like your Subaru Baja?

 

Thanks, the pic was taken right after I got the tires, then i gave 'er the 2 hour hand wash.

Actually its my future father-in-law's. He hasnt let me take it for a spin yet. I doubt it's seen a dirt road, but he had zero problems getting around in last years blizzard in Denver. Id imagine it'd be fun to rally.

 

I miss my Subaru Legacy. It was fun to drive - anywhere.

 

well I managed to install the 1 piece grill to my 04, but I wouldnt say it was easy. I used a dremmel to cut the plastic on the stock, the pros probably have a better method. It came out pretty well, but far from perfect. Ill keep it for awhile. If i did it again, i'd probably go with the bolt-on kind.

Perhaps when I install an ARB bumper, Ill buy a stock grill in black, since I'd like to get rid of all the chrome at that point anyways. Here are a few pics:

 

That looks great! Good job!

 

a couple more pics....

 

How about the saftey catch extension, how does that work?

 

the one that was sent with mine was cheap. It was too tall, it would hit the top of the hood before lifting the latch high enough to release the safety latch. Basically an angled piece of metal that you bolt on to the latch.

However, there is room between the billet and toyota grill to lift it with a key or similar sized piece of metal. Good enough for me, as I only open the hood once a month anyway....

 

nice grill dude, i have the same one

 

Also on the hood latch... You can just reach above the grille and under the hood and just push the latch to the side. I was freaking out when I did mine too. No big deal.