Rear frame reinforcement, what are the options?

Looking at reinforcing the rear frame. I've only found 2 options so far, Trail Gear and FROR. Any other options out there? I know BAMF used to make some but they don't any longer.

Trail Gear's plates are 3/16" thick and don't appear to cover as much of the frame as the FROR ones.

FROR look the best for coverage but are only 1/8" thick. Maybe combine them with boxing the frame?

Trail Gear plates

Trail Gear frame box plate kit

Front Range Off Road plates

 

I'll want to reinforce mine soon. I think I've already bent it

 

I'm trying not to. Adding a plate rear bumper with tire carrier soon and with the RTT, bed rack and gear in the bed, it's a concern.

 

Yeah I think when I bent mine I wasn't even doing anything stupid (like jumping it) but I was driving up a muddy trail and didn't see a hidden stump under the mud... Bounced the truck 30 degrees sideways and tossed me into the center and passenger seat area.

 

CBI made them as well, I bought a set in July, but cannot seem to find them on their site now

 

Yup, they aren't showing them either. Pickings are slim.

 

I know Box Rocket made his own out of a piece of 4" x 3/16th flat bar. That size was almost a perfect fit for our frame. I still have my cbi's uninstalled if you wanna make a template

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/box-rocket-2003-trd-doublecab.117265/page-25#post-4624516

 

My CBI frame plate reinforcements as I was installing them. The FROR do cover more.

 

Dunno if this will actually work or not, but CBI apparently has some sort of affiliate/supplier program for their stuff and so there are 3rd party resellers still listing their plates. Here's one:

https://tacomabeast.com/products/1st-gen-tacoma-frame-plates

I put the CBI ones on my truck and they seem pretty good. 3/16" thick and I'm not worried that they aren't as long as LROR. The "critical" part is the bend, and they've got that covered.

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That would be awesome, IF I had a plasma cutter. I'll keep this in mind for a backup plan. Thanks!

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Thanks @turbodb, going to give ordering them from tacomabeast a try. Cheaper than either of the other options as well.

Any thoughts on boxing the frame along with plating? Overkill and not needed with the plate?​

 

Probably depends on what you're doing and how hard. I wanted to get the plates on because of the weight on the rear bumper (bumper, tire, jerry's), but I'm not out jumping the truck so I didn't feel like boxing was necessary.

Boxing would have also been a lot more work (at least I felt like it) to do properly - there's the shock mounts to contend with (I suppose you can box around them, but if you're eventually going to relocate them, it could be a good time to "do it all") as well as all the rear brake stuff (BPV, brake line that runs in the frame, etc.) I'm sure I could have dealt with all of that, but I just didn't feel it was necessary for they way I use the truck.

If I were catching air and long travel...well, then I'd probably feel differently.

 

Yeah, I might go long travel but only in the front (unless SAS ) and I'm not big on jumping my truck since that tends to break things fairly quickly. I ordered the plates from tacomabeast.

 

I've had the CBI frame plates for years and they've help the frame hold up to quite a bit of weight, a lot of beating, and the occasional jump. Easy afternoon project as well.

Went ahead and boxed the frame with a trail gear kit as I was relocating the shocks. It's quite a bit of work to get those in properly, but figured they couldn't hurt.

 

I cut mine out with an angle grinder and 3/16 plate. made them as long as possible. Better than any option i found online

 

Frame plates from tacomabeast/CBI came in today.

 

Burned the passenger side on today. I'll do the driver side tomorrow.

 

And finished the driver's side today.

Bare steel, cleaned and ready for primer.



Krylon red primer, dries fast, within 30 minutes.



And the Krylon bedliner for a top coat. Also dries fairly fast, you can touch it within an hour or 2.

 

I know this is an old thread, but is this just a good "insurance" policy to beef up the frame for off road and would it help
protect the frame in a rear end collision.

 

Coupled with a beefier cross member or cross bracing - the sheet metal cross members for the gas tank and spare tire are weak.

 

can you buy bolt on replacements for these, or do they have to be made.