The Frankenstein Build! LT/Expo/Trail rig..and BS

I imagine they are the same frame so it's probably not much harder than the cab swap Monte did.

 

Yes actually.

Some one did it on TTORA a while ago. Also bobbed the bed.

You should be able to do it. It's the same frame basically. I'm sure you'd encounter some small issues but nothing that would stop you.

The thing with swapping front ends is that you'd have to use 95-97 fenders and hood..or fiberglass fenders..but still a 95-97 hood. Colors wouldn't match..but other then that should work just fine.

Ill see if I can find the dbl cab swap...now that I think about it..it was onto a single cab frame..which was smaller and he bobbed the bed for it too..

Either way. Double should swap fine. Things I know would need modified if your keeping a manual are like master cylinder install. Cutting the tranny tunnel hole bigger for it if it's not already 4x4. Ecu swap.


All in all..be a hell of a project..

 

here ya go! totally do able. Some rewelding of the cab mounts and bed mounts(not surprising) and your good.

ton of work though and i can say i know first hand. I wouldn't do it just to do it. Only if something was damaged and i had to really.

 

Man that looks like a lot of work just to get 4 doors... BUT I wouldn't have to do quite as much because I'd be keeping everything with the frame except the cab, right?

 

Well..yes and no..

still a shit load of work. You have to remove everthing that is attached inside the engine bay to the cab/fenders walls/front support. which is a lot of stuff. A LOT haha

everything on the under side which ain't too bad..few wiring stuff and fuel lines.

Then you'd have a major wiring issue..you'd have to put out the harness of one of the trucks and decided on which you want. 01-04s are going to be different.

The deciding factor of course being what tranny you want..im going to assume your manual so you don't have to transfer the crawl box.

so you'd have to swap ECUs over to the 01-04 body..which should be pretty simple. But the tricky part is the in cab harness for the fuse boxes. Im not sure how you would use that...if you'd just leave everything as is..or if you'd have to swap your 96 in cab harness over and loose some features. Why? well..the double cab in cab harness will be wired for an AT tranny...so some things will be there that suddenly won't..

Id look at doube cab manual T swap threads to get a better idea of that side of it though..but could be a nightmare..not sure. In theory..should be fine..


But why you want a double cab? You'd have to change your sliders..have a smaller bed..loose the softtopper..

 

But you gain useable cab space.
If you keep the 96 ECU then you can't put a TRD SC on it stock.

 

SC fix is getting a 97 ECU. And there are some cases where the 96 ECU does fine some times.. But he can't put a 01-04 as all double cab ECUs are for AT trannies..

 

So go to a junkyard, find a truck with his engine/trans, 4x4, that's 97-04 (if he wants to SC.

 

Im assuming that the 01-04 body swap he is wanting to do comes with an ECU as its in the cab..

Not talking about SC.

The only ecu he can run in his truck right now is a 95-97 4x4 5vzfe manual

nothing else. there are too many small tweaks made otherwise. Most 95-97s have EGR or remnants of it and we have no ABS at all. The pin out could be different too. As far as i know. Thats the only option is a 97. No 98-04.

 

Couldn't I keep my ecu, wiring etc. And only use the physical cab? Where is my ecu anyway?

 

Yea you'd want to keep your ECU and engine harness. Its the Cab harness of the Dbl cab you'd be using though to keep all the power windows..power mirrors..dash lights..wipers..blinkers..ect. Which would be fine. i think. You should in theory just be able to leave the fuse box mounted and everything should be fine..Unless the pin out for the fuse box to the ECU is different..which it could be..in which case some wiring would need to be done. Im not sure on that. But the only major function the cab harness does to the ECU is really give power..so you should be fine.

The ECU is right up ontop of the heater core under the dash. You access it by ripping off the glove boxe and the upper piece of plastic thats like the bottom of the dash. I should have a pic somewhere if you want me too look.

 

Yeah I'm pretty sure that I'd give RyWire a call for an OBD I to OBD II harness conversion. I did that when. I swapped an Integra motor/trans into Wifey's civic and it worked great.

So, physically, do you think the cab would match up to my front end?

 

Your truck is OBD1?
My 95 was OBD2.

 

no need for that. Your OBDII as it is.

Im talking about just the ECU pin out. The rest should be fine.

Yes the front should be the same. From what i have seen you'd have to change the rear cab mounts and bed mounts on your frame and it should be fine. Im not making any promises though. Could be a slight difference. But i doubt it.

your grill will also line up but you'll need to swap over your hood and fenders too. So you'll have to wrap or paint the truck since no colors from 01-04 are the same as 95-97. or just live with it haha

Honestly though..this is a big project just for a back door..Be easier to just get a double cab and swap your goodies over and call it day. Unless you roll the truck tomorrow..i wouldn't really recommend doing this swap. Takes a LOT of work and space and time..

You can always do just a manual swap into the Dbl cab and move all the armor over too it as well and locker and suck.

 

Doh! I retarded... I mean't OBDIIA to OBDIIB. Or are all of our trucks on the exact same OBD setup?

(I know that I had to do the Rywire jumper on Wifey's car... but it was a JDM Integra Motor/Trans/ECU I mated to her USDM Civic harness.)

And you're right, Blackdawg, about all the work. I'm not too serious about the project, but I thought it would be cool to be the only '96 dbl cab out there. I thought it would look cool too.

 

hmmm..ya know..im not sure about that..Would have to get that confrimed by someone that really knows.

And ya it would be pretty sweet! haha i have both in my possession..could do it..but..having done it once..NOT in a rush to do it again..haha even though it might be easier then what i did as its not a full interior swap. But still...lot of work just for a back seat..

 

Hey sooo I'm looking to clean up my wiring since I'm waiting on my other mods and can't spend on the one I really want (Elite rear) but what exactly is the negative bus on this:

$29 Blue Sea Systems 5025 ST Blade Fuse Block 6 Circuit with Ground and Cover

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...TF8&qid=1383196089&sr=8-1&keywords=fuse+block


Is it a screw that you ground & then attach your individual 'ground' wires (that run to whatever you're wiring)?

 

Yea basically, pretty much useless for us. It's used for boats with fiberglass body that do t conduct electricity.

For use..you can easily just make a short ground for your lights right next to it..cause the whole body and frame is grounded.

 

I connected mine to the negative post on the battery with 4 ga. in case I used the full capacity of the fuse block. Should I have grounded it to the chassis instead?

 

The neg bus? Nah if you connected Tim I'd do it to the battery. But running two wires to everything is annoying and pricey. Instead you could just run positives everywhere and ground the lights on a point somewhere by it.

Even if you do or don't have the neg bus connected directly, power still flows through the block. Max rating of 100amps.