Drivers Side Grab Handle (Strap)

That is correct. You can even buy the passenger side handle and revers it to fit the driver side. I don't think you need a different handle bar to do it.

 

How about a 1/2 MESO design, one that incorporates a print of the handle and the few inches of base that would then match the curvature of the existing pillar? It won’t be as big of a piece, and maybe you can call it a “MEFO” since it’s not quite as awesome as a MESO-perfect match?

On a side note, I just installed the OEM rack, and the first recess in the plastic is perfect to grab onto if you’ve got long arms.

 

I have a Yakima round bar rack on the front of my cab and regularly use the end of the bar as a grab handle.

 

I wouldn't mind having one but not at the expense of the overall looks of the interior.

 

So you upload a teaser pic with no descriptions or details?! Is that a custom A pillar mold? Is this for sale? Will there be an identical design for the passenger side?

 

Here is the entire build process. I used the same handles we use on our roof racks. We come from a custom fabrication back ground. The project isn't "easy" and it requires some specialized bits/tools but it could be duplicated with some ingenuity and patience.

Short answer: No. We will not be coming to market with anything even remotely close to this. Roof racks and bed racks eat up all our time now but if you want to tackle it on your own I will help you along the way as much as a I can. Knowledge is power.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-pillars-grab-handles.593703/#post-19927136

 

Do the visor clips screw into something or is it bare metal?

I’m thinking of going this route with the RS style straps but on both sides since my wife doesn’t like the pavement of the “oh shit” handle on the passenger side when we’re going down a rough road.

I just don’t want to risk striping the hole

 

There is a threaded insert for the visor clip screws.

 

When you can, could you get a picture looking at the A pillar and sunvisor screw mount locations?

I am also thinking about doing this on both sides...as my wife also wishes there was a normal/higher/closer to the seat Oh Shit handle, especially with our 1000+ft. rutted out gravel shared private road....let alone actual off-roading

 

The airbag pops the A-pillar plastic, effectively breaking the plastic at the screw hole where @oly51 installed the strap. So anything non-OEM installed in that screw hole, even a larger washer, can prevent the airbag from deploying properly.

 

How do you explain the same airbags on the right side? The same upper hole is used to attach the handle.

The only rational reason that there is no handle on the left side is for Head Injury Criteria scores during the small overlap testing since that is (oddly) only done on the left side. A smaller, softer handle could have been installed on both sides, IMHO, or given that actual collisions are not in a controlled environment, just install the damn handle on the left side. That last one is a bit less rational though, but Tacos seem to do extremely well in the real world.

 

The 3rd Gen has the same cab dimensionally as the 2nd Gen but with high strength Steel, the 2nd had an airbag and a grab handle in that spot using those screw holes.

 

The right side handle is OEM, meaning Toyota designed the plastic to shear properly and included it in crash tests. It isn't the same as adding your own handle.

 

I know. I had a 2nd gen. If you installed a 2nd gen handle and 2nd gen A-pillar plastic in the same spot in a 3rd gen, the airbag will probably deploy properly. But the 2nd gen plastic doesn't fit with the 3rd gen dash.

 

Good point. I am not 100% certain what we are seeing in the first pic. It might be what you are saying.



Most likely the pillar trim flex out and back within a frame of slow mo.

 

And in other news, I'm an idiot. They do test small overlap on the right side:



So, I have no reasonable reason why we don't get a left side grab handle.

You can see in the interior shot that the pillar trim does not need to flex much for the airbag to deploy. I would suspect that an aftermarket part would have to be molded using similar material.

 

Here you go.

 

I appreciate the timely response!

That angle seems perfect, kinda hybrid of the A pillar and overhead passenger style.

I was also considering a single point door pull vs. two points, but this setup has me giving it some serious thought.

 

You can see the single point in my first post. I found the loop to be small with the strap I used. The two point works much better for me.