Access Cab Suicide Doors Rant

The rear doors of my access cab tacoma only open out to ninety degrees. I know. Everyone already knows that. Makes loading groceries into the rear of the cab a real pain in the limited space of a parking lot. Everyone probably knows that too. Rant over.

Anyone ever noticed the suicide doors on an extended cab Chevy Silverado? They open 180 degrees, completely back, more or less flat against the bed side, allowing decent access to the rear of the cab. That's about the ONLY thing I ever saw that Chevrolet did better than Toyota.

I have often tried to figure out what it would take to modify the Access Cab Taco door hinges to open like that. I wonder if I'm the only one. Am I the only one who has wondered why someone didn't make a modification kit to make the doors on an Access Cab Taco open like the Chevys?

 

Yes, You are the only one......

 

Doublecabber here. Share pics. I’ll give ideas.

Background: I wanted to be an engineer once and currently have lots and lots of good ideas that my wife is tired of appreciating.

 

Don't know bout Chevy, but a buddy had same doors on his F-250 Super cab. He opened the drivers side rear door, wind caught it, blew it past the door stop and into the bedside. Sheet metal damage to door, bedside and stop. I never had that problem with my Super cab, but I can see how it could happen. FWIW
After almost 8 years, you get used to it LOL

 

I'm more bothered by the fact that Toyota didn't make the window have a pop-out vent like on the first gen do.

 

It might require more space or beefier structure in the C-pillar. While the Silverado had the 180-deg doors, the smaller Colorado kept the 90-deg doors. Meanwhile the extended cab got dropped completely in the 3rd gen Colorado...

 

I drove an extended cab Chevy Silverado work truck for about fifteen years in all kinds of extreme wind and weather. Those rear doors never gave me any problems. Can't speak for the Fords tho.

 

What about a little peanut-shaped piece of flat steel that anchors between the frame and flat ‘limiting’ extension? Essentially, you’ll be making the lobe of a form of cam extension. I’ll make a detailed schematic:

 

Yeah. I too wish they opened 180.
I finally got used to loading from the front. It’s a process but it works.

Leave shopping cart in front of truck Open drivers door, open back door, shut front door, retrieve shopping cart from front of truck, load truck.


Or park far away from everyone else.

Problem solved.

Open both doors wide open. Throw stuff in truck

 

No!

 

You can unbolt the OEM door catch and see how much farther the door can swing before it hits something. My guess is not much. You'll need either longer hinge brackets or articulated hinge brackets like the GM ones:

 

Ew, is it the hinge limiting the swing out too? That’s more involved.

 

Lambo doors, baby

 

^So played out, that Lambos don't all have them...

 

Gull wing it is then

 

Looks like the crossbar limits travel of the "first stage", while the little articulated link on the left limits travel of the "second stage", and prevents the second stage from opening until the first stage is open.

 

Just get tube doors, problem solved.

 

You could just put the stuff in the bed.







I mean i can't cause i drive like jackass, but you might be able to get away with it.












Or better yet.....

 

In tight parking I put groceries in the bed.

Tonneau, bed mat, bed bar, easy peasy.