98 tacoma cab swap, help please

Hey there, i rolled the taco a month ago and its going to be cheaper for me to just swap the cab out. I found one in a salvage yard for a great price and i'm ready to get to work. I was hoping someone could give me some guidance on the subject, has anyone ever swapped there cab? How difficult do you think it might be? I've never attempted anything like it before so i'm not sure what i'm getting myself into, i keep getting mixed messages as well. some people say its not bad, some say its very hard. Any info would be greatly appreciated, a step by step how to would be nice, haha. This is also my first post ever so i'm sorry if its in the wrong spot! Thanks everyone.

 

I won't say it is "bad" or "difficult" but it can be time consuming. A lot depends on how much of a match the donor cab is. Are both trucks identical? (Same engine, trans, options, etc) The more of a match, the less work you have to do.

 

The donor cab is a 99 and mines a 98, but i don't think that will make to much of a difference. Yep, unfortunately the donor cab is from a 2.4 and an auto, my tuck is a 3.4and manuel. crap, i didn't even think of that... is it still swappable?

 

Yes, it is still swapable. Just will take more work. you will need to swap out wiring harnesses, ecu, and to be safe, the cluster.

As for the clutch, you obviously will have to switch that out. The cab SHOULD have either an opening with a plug, or a punch out where the master cylinder goes. Under the dash SHOULD have what you need for the clutch pedal.

 

I think member blackdawg may've done a cab swap before...

 

I think i'm going to go for it, gunna go pick up the cab this weekend. I've got a couple buddies who are willing to lend a hand. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

Yo. I have swapped a cab.

Takes a LONG time and a ton of work. I hope you have a lot of room. But yea. Totally do able. My build thread has lots of pics and stuff of it.

i swapped a 96 2wd I4 auto tranny 5 lug body on my 4wd V6 manual tranny 6 lug body. Everything you need will be there, but you might have to cut open some holes and such.

But it'll work.

 

2.4l? Doesn't that mean the donor was a 2wd? Are the cabs still compatible in that case? I thought there were some moderate changes to frame/structure on the 4x4 trucks? Beefier frame with [probably] different mounting points?

 

all the frame mounts are the same.

Every cab is the same really, like all the mounts for fuse box or whatever are there, just aren't all punched out with a hole and tapped with threads.

Mine was a 4 banger 2wd 5 lug and i swapped it onto m 4wd v6 manual tranny. Nothing a bit of drilling and cutting didn't solve.

 

Hell yea, thanks guys. I'm starting to feeling more optimistic about this swap. I just ordered an ARB bumper so i gotta get her lookin fly again.

 

i see your in MT too..shame im not in Wy still..

 

I am in the same boat:



Rolled it last week, thankfully found a cab on craigslist.

Blackdawg: When swapping the cab did you have to pull the motor? or just undo everything and lift the cab up and over?

 

just lifted the cab off. You have to undo a lot of stuff in the engine bay though like the cab harness and such. Well..i had to as i needed to swap my harness over..cause mine was a V6 with power this and that and the body i had was not that. And remove other such things.



Tons of photos and such in my build. if you go to the first page i have a section just for the rebuild portion if you scroll down.

 

oh boy this is going to be a big project! thanks Blackdawg

Is there any reason you couldn't just cut the roof off a straight cab's roof off and weld it on top of the old body? to avoid all the wiring?

 

You could if you wanted to..be a BITCH to get it perfect and straight though..

yes it is NOT a project that most can do. Takes a lot of time and space. money too..of course..ha

 

So after looking through your swap Blackdawg and it being winter at the moment i think i'm going to wait until summer to do the swap. I don't have enough garage room to do the whole thing inside and it is freezing up here in montana right now so i don't think i have much of a choice. Plus, i refuse to pay my mechanic to swap it until i at least attempt it. She still drives fine, just have to look through a spidered windshield, . I'll keep you guys updated when i finally do the swaperoo. Thanks for the info, blackdawg your rig looks epic, i want that tacoma cutout!

 

Good plan for sure..haha ill be in Wy too in the summer so maybe you can make it to a meet afterwords.

I drove mine all screwed up for a month haha it'll be fine haha

Thanks! I love it. Lots to do still but its come a longs ways haha

 

I just want to put a seat on it and drive it like that! Maybe put some sort of a floor though so I don't get covered in junk.

 

haha like this?