Front end swap?

Can you change the front end on a 1998 tacoma to the 1997 front end grille and headlights?

 

Yes.

 

Ok cool thanks man

 

See my build for some details

 

Definitely possible. But ....to do it right you need to change the core support(PITA) or splice in parts of the core support where the headlights buckets sit like I did and use oem parts for the headlight buckets,trim,springs ,spacers ,adjusters and screws and the aftermarket grill and filler pieces.Recommend IPF(820h) or Hella's headlights that you can put your own bulb in, I have IPF Fatboy bulbs . About $350 and I upgraded the light harness too and a bunch of labor to do it.

The 95-97 4x4 core supports are completely different around the headlights then the 98-00 supports and is the big hassle.
I tried it the half ash way of attaching to the support without splicing in supports and it just wasn't right. Headlights sat back too far,hard to aim and without a proper support for the buckets they kept moving and getting a noticeable shake/vibration on rough roads.

The main reason I did it,although I do love the look, is the aftermarket H4 headlights that you can a bulb in are soooo much better then the 98-00 headlights. The light and pattern are literally night and day. A friend has the Hella H4's in his 97 and they are really good too.

Last year,stock bumper and now with the AP bumper.

 

The 98 front bumper actually looks good with it. Nice truck