1st Gen Cab Cage Pics Please : )

I swear there used to be more pics of cab cages on the forums. Having a hard time finding pics of cab cages for 1st gens. I even did a Google image search which is normally pretty reliable but having difficulty. Really looking to see where the B and C pillar cut through the floor to tie into the frame. Will pry do outriggers from the frame possibly with sandwich plates. At a brief glance there's a body mount that appears to be in the way near the area of the B pillar...

Thanks in advance!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/nathans-long-travel-build.217479/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/jds-02-tacoma-build.126596/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anthonys-99-tacoma.175933/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/anthony250f-supercharged-4wd-long-travel-build.333574/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/someone-elses-build-sc-linked-4dr-xlt.401632/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/blanco-taco-build.352499/



https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-dirt-yota-lt-build.396918/#post-10984948



https://www.dezertrangers.com/threads/4x4-dbl-cab-tacoma-build.124138/



https://www.dezertrangers.com/threads/4-projects-1-driveway-no-time.238288/post-3955035

 

That's the MOTHERLOAD! Thank you dude! Seriously.

 

Good thread with a lot of info in only the second post lol.

Who’s got pictures of a 1st gen with a third seat or bench seat in the back and full cage

 

@Anthony250 (Green truck) and @2002 tacoma s/c LT (last gray truck) both have third seats above.



Not exactly a Taco but a 3rd gen 4runner - I believe he made it to have a bench in the back part time.

This is similar to what you might look at doing?

https://youtu.be/Di_QBuztdzc

 

Yeah the terra video is what I’m basing mine off of.

 

@malburg114 check out tire_plug on IG - he’s got a caged double cab with stock rear seats in his story right now.

 

I BOUGHT A DIE!!!!!!!!!!!! YEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

 

Bump!

Ok, starting to stress a little here. Does engine cage make it impossible to work on engine and accessories without pulling or is it still doable with a basic engine cage? When tying engine cage into cab cage via dash bar, how do you get a 360 weld at those intersections? Same with cab to bed cage tie in. I understand how to drop the main cage down to 360 weld the top intersections but other intersections I'm having trouble thinking through the process. Is it possible to do the main cab cage initially then at a later date create the engine cage and tie ins and tie in to the bed cage or maybe cut out the old bed cage and redo? Or should they be done at the same time? Wasn't really preparing myself for an engine cage. Kind of want to chop the body mount and clearance for 35's since I've had them almost 3 years now lolol. My initial method was the BFH to the cab a bunch of times. Still rubs during up travel and wheel turned. IDK... might be getting myself into too much here lol. I hate having the truck down for more than a month at a time so anything that I do I want to do in phases if possible to allow enjoyment of the vehicle while the weather is nice. Aside from that I live in a condo so the HOA only puts up with so much so I can't have the truck in pieces for more than a month at a time before I start getting warning stickers on the window. I don't think I'll be able to do the cab cage at my work either because the truck would need to be parked outside and no 220 hookup outside so not really sure what I'm doing at the moment.

Other questions: Is it really necessary to remove windows???? I understand that doing the bed cage tie in with the exterior tubes that go from top cab cage out to the bed cage you have to remove window to cut out the sheet metal to drop the cage to weld 360 correct? Trying to do the least amount of work possible here lol and although I would like this to be Score legal, I have no realistic future in racing as of right now unless I win the lottery.

That rear hump in the ext cab floor, what the hell is it there for? I used to think it was for the drive shaft at full bump but I don't think it has anything to do with anything.... Can it be cut out????

A pillar is all one piece from frame plate/base up along the roof back all the way out of the cab or just to the back of cab? B and C pillar are just uprights that intersect with A?

Thanks for all the help... Considering about posting on DR but that's the upper echelon of fabrication and don't want to get laughed at. Kind of nervous being a noob.

This is becoming a reality real quick. Die arrives Tuesday and then all I have to do is replace the blown HF jack on the bender and get it out of storage. I looked at HF, the jack I have/need is $59 or $69, can't remember but the pneumatic air jack is like $150 I believe. I think I remember saying it would be a $100 difference to go full air. What do you guys think? Just adds more money and being new, maybe another dynamic. I'm not a pussy and definitely don't mind hand pumping the jack... Jury still out but sequester ends SOON!!!!!!!!!

 

O yea, bender is the GOT TRIKES vertical bender. Super beefy. The die I went with is the Pro Tools look alike from Eastwood Tools. 1.75" 6" centerline 240 degree max bend. I said F it. If I'm buying one and spending at least 3 bills I want to be able to bend more than 100 degrees.

 

Not IFS but that shouldn't matter I literally tore the whole interior apart, took the windshield out, rear window out, dash out, everything. Even took the doors off so I wasn't fighting to work around them. Cut out a bunch of sheet metal so I could tuck the cage up as high as I could too. Worked out nice! You'll have to be methodical in how you assemble things so as to not back yourself into a corner and not be able to 360 weld everything. Some of my tubes I wasn't able to get 360 but its stout enough that I'm not worried about it. If I tore everything out from behind the dash I could have got 360 welds around the windshield defrost vent but I'm confident in it. Everything works too, windshield defrost, both side vents (driver side needed mods), center vents, AC, wipers, everything. Really up to you how "right" you want it done. You don't HAVE to do all the stuff I did but if you take your time, you'll be happier with the end result.

I did basically build the entire top section (with tubes coming out of the back of the cab), cut the sheet metal out above the rear window and dropped that section down to weld everything 360 then pushed it back up and finished building the bottom half. My engine cage isn't elaborate but its strong in all the right places, can still easily work on stuff if you make key tubes removable. The only tube I'll have to make removable to pull the engine is the middle back tube against the firewall. Also had to make one tube removable by the brake booster so I could change that if I needed to.

 

Come on bro, you know I have a 3 seater now. Going to a PRP bench seat soon though

 

I always forget you put a single seat in the back. I always think it’s a full width bench. I have so many pictures from your ig saved lol

 

Thanks man! Really appreciate it. I've actually been reading and re-reading your threads on DR! The whole thread about the wipers and then the other about seat tube size/wall thickness. I have a photographic memory so seeing pictures is how I learn. I was actually going to ask you if you had any pics of the cab on DR but I've never posted over there. Just creep from afar. Working up the courage to create a thread on DR. I think I will once I start or begin to start the cage here in the next week or so. I usually like to look at a shit ton of pictures before I do something then go out there and start thinking and seeing the parameters you have to work with. Then it all starts clicking. I like looking at pictures for ideas not necessarily to copy something exactly. Really just to get the creative juices flowing as they say. Your cage came out so clean. If mine looks anywhere near that good I will be extremely proud of myself. I started thinking about the window question I had asked previously. It does make complete sense that I will have to remove the back window to cut and drop the cage assuming I want to extend the A pillar out the back of the cab (which I do want to do). However, once you're able to drop the cage down to weld 360 on the top, don't you also have enough room at that point to get anything that would be next to the front windshield or is there still not enough room? I figured I'd cut out enough of the floor to get the cage away from anything by a couple of inches on each side but maybe because I'm not out there seeing what I have to work with yet it's not making sense. I guess the next logical question would be, how big a bitch is it to get the back window out? Front respectively as well? The front I have glass coverage on my insurance so not as worried about that because I will likely just have a new window put in at that time if I do have to pull the windshield.

Thanks again for commenting man. An honor! lol

Joe

 

Depends how extensive you want the cage to be. I wanted 4 tubes to connect the engine cage and cab cage which means welding directly to the middle of the dash tube and that can't be done when you drop the cab cage to fully weld. If you only want a sick cab cage but no engine cage then you can more easily access everything. My rear window was super easy to remove, took maybe 10min with a piece of rope. Some are glued in like the windshield, in which case it will be more difficult to remove. Think all 1st gens are removed the easy way though. They have kits to remove windshields with copper wire which is what I did and I was able to save the window but I could have saved myself that time and energy by hiring the pros remove and replace it, ended up with a new windshield anyway. Have a lot more build pics on my IG if you scroll down a ways haha @breynolds84

 

Second that rear window removal and replacement is pretty easy with 2 people (in my case) following this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvcJ_lU_VpQ

 

You better not delete that ig. Have to many pictures saved under favorites from your build

 

Naw you're good hahah

 

So last night I saw that Kibbe is doing a shop show on YouTube. I watched a few of the episodes and I guess the way they do all of their cages is A pillar starts midway at the dash bar. They miter a square on a b and c I believe and then work off of that. They then drop the entire roof section with A pillar and pull it out the back window and weld that section on the bench. Then back in and add B and C pillar. Kibbe said they do it this way every time because he hates and absolutely does not cut off the roof. I thought it was super interesting. Might try that. We'll see. I definitely need to watch the video and read up on how the window comes out and best technique. I figured there would be wired involved similar to de-badging with fishing line. Steel wire and work it back and forth to cut through the sealant.... Thanks again for all the info guys. Definitely appreciate it. I'll check out your IG too Brian.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlI8XrNhrM