Frame swap for my 01 Tacoma double cab with an extended cab frame

[Kruso]

My frame was damaged from a previous accident aswell as an offroad accident and became almost impossible to drive in rain and wore through tires like crazy. I had previously purchased an extended cab wrecked cabin truck for the E-Locker swap and the frame on it was immaculate surprisingly. Only difference was that the rear cab mounts and the front bed mounts on the frame were welded in a different spot. I went ahead and ordered the new mounts that would be welded into place from Toyota, which took about ten days to arrive. All this was done in my garage, MacGyver style, I had to improvise with limited resources. The actual work time it took to get this completed was a little under a week but due to several other projects going on at the same time in the middle... took much longer over all. About to post the pics once photobucket comes back online.

Due to popular demand and Photobucket filled with malware.... here's the direct link to those wanting to refer back to the frame swap. Link added 8/23/2017

Link: Tacoma Frame Swap by Contrabandist
HIGHLY recommended to install "Fair Ad Blocker" Extension to Chrome browser before clicking on the Photobucket link as the site bombarded me with 39+ spam ads the second I clicked on the link.
DO NOT COPY AND PASTE THIS WRITEUP ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE, USING A REFERENCE LINK TO THIS SITE IS FINE

 

[Kruso]

New frame prepped, painted and ready to go.

Ran out of room, very close to the garage door on the ceiling, had to figure out a way to lower the front end to allow frame plus engine to slide out. Ninja skills and a spare set of old rims came in handy.

Check out that clearance, engine barely made it by .5" to spare!

Looks like a hot rod in the making, I'm sure it had my Supra jealous for a few seconds there.

Unbolted EVERYTHING from the old frame and left the accessories sitting there, once unbolted, simply removed and put in place the new frame.

No frame, only accessories.

New frame sitting in place, time to start bolting everything back into place.

A sight to see... I'm sure the home owner association is getting a stroke looking at this sight. Out with the old, in with the new.

All of back end bolted up, suspension is next.

New Toyota mounts finally arrived, time to start measuring once and welding twice! j/k

Old bed front mount removed and cleaned up, this is where the rear cab mount will weld into place for my D-Cab.

The truck had a habit of leaving sweat marks all over the drive way from all that horsepower! So decided this was a good time as any to replace the rear main and the front transmission pump shaft seals, and engine being put back in.

Welds came out pretty nice, the stock Toyota welds look very weak and flimsy.

Gobs of paint to keep any rust from occurring in the future.

Drive shafts being hooked up, front and back.

New shoes!

Getting in position to slide back in.

A good friend of mine came over sporadically and gave me a hand with lifting some heavy items.

Look at that clearance!

Process of setting the cabin down.... one side at a time.

And then the Toyota Gods said... let there be INTERIOR!

Doors starting to be put back on.

First time the cabin in complete in a long while, finally started it and cranked right up.

Whats left of the frame looks ridiculously small to fit a bed in but it definitely fits.

Hitch.

Rear bumper.

Wobble wobble.

98% ready to go, just need to bleed the system and hookup the front bumper/ winch.

Look! Two left hands!

Nice to see my light force lights back on the truck.

Look at those fresh tags.

First bath after the ordeal.

Enjoy.

Kruso

 

[AlienXtx]

Job well done man, not sure I would have taken that project on.

 

[Silverback]

Awesome man! Not your everyday project for sure. Well done!

 

[yotarob]

Looks like it was one hell of a project, Nice work.

 

[TKGN1]

Wow, nice job. Also, wise choice on doing the seals on the rear main and tranny, beats the hell out of doing it under the truck.

 

[mud_duck]

damn nice job man

 

[SamSter0077]

WOOT! Sweet write up, thanks for posting pictures! Kudo's Kruso!

 

[Kruso]

Thanks guys... If anything the main thing I'd want anyone to walk away with is that this is very possible and definitely a one man job. The whole thing was done by me, my friend Chris gave me a hand with lifting the ARB bumper and the bed on and off the truck. The only other documentation I've seen was done with half a dozen guys which I and a normal Joe the plumber doesn't have readily available. I read a post where Toyota took two weeks to complete this very job with all their mighty lifts, which was most of the work. Doing the job didn't take me as long as contemplating on doing it.

Kruso

 

[night_angel]

nice and good project.... Pics are awesome....

p.t.: nice supra....!

 

[TacoXpo]

Very nice! Lots of work and nice finish!

 

[Anathollo]

Damn! Nice job Kruso!

 

[Boomtacoma01]

Thats a pretty impressive swap in a garage no doubt! Nice work.

 

[B's4Runner]

Holy hell that was an awesome job man!! Way to take it on yourself!!

 

[TacoXpo]

I assume that the history/DMV stuff relates to the frame VIN? Just curious, did you go through the DMV/state police (equiv)?


Much unrelated kinda - Boyd, a guy in my town got popped by the feds for VIN monkey biz - you would think a guy at that level in the business (ZZ top car and others fame).

 

[Kruso]

I assume that the history/DMV stuff relates to the frame VIN? Just curious, did you go through the DMV/state police (equiv)?


Much unrelated kinda - Boyd, a guy in my town got popped by the feds for VIN monkey biz - you would think a guy at that level in the business (ZZ top car and others fame).

I didn't... if it ever came down to it I suppose I could. Remember I had actually purchased the truck that the frame came off of when I purchased it just for the TRD diff so I have the title for it.

 

[Toyotastew]

Kruso,
I know this is an old thread, but I am about to do this to my 97 Tacoma extra cab, I finally found a double cab to swap on to my frame and I'm not having any luck finding the rear cab mounts for the double cab also the front bed mounts, if you could post a link to where you got these or did you get them from the local dealer? Any help would be appriciated, could I possibly use the mounts that are already on my frame if I can remove them carefully? At this point I am planning on just building a flatbed for the rear, so the front bed mount is not nessacarily needed. Thanks for any input here

 

[tex]

Kruso,
I know this is an old thread, but I am about to do this to my 97 Tacoma extra cab, I finally found a double cab to swap on to my frame and I'm not having any luck finding the rear cab mounts for the double cab also the front bed mounts, if you could post a link to where you got these or did you get them from the local dealer? Any help would be appriciated, could I possibly use the mounts that are already on my frame if I can remove them carefully? At this point I am planning on just building a flatbed for the rear, so the front bed mount is not nessacarily needed. Thanks for any input here

If the mounts are riveted on the frame they can be removed. Air chisel will be your friend with that.

Also found this method of drilling just the head so it pops off and then punch the rest out the back.

 

[tx_shooter]

I think @Silverback did the grinder method to remove frame riviets. Considering the work he is wrapping up on his neighbor's truck he probably has a good opinion on this. Also @taco4x4rar knows a thing or 4 about Toyota frames.

 

[Toyotastew]

O OK so he removed the original body mounts off his original frame and reused them, that makes since. For some reason I was thinking he just bought some new ones to put on the other frame. This might be a problem for me considering I don't have a double cab frame to remove the mounts from....