Hey folks,

I'm trying to chase a few very annoying rattles that seem to originate at the B-pillar near the vertical seatbelt adjustment.

Anyone have any experience or tips removing the trim to access that area? I'm pretty well-versed in interior removal over the years, but those pieces really, really don't want to come off.

Is this just a case of "pry harder?"

Thanks in advance!

It's quite simple. you just need to unbolt the seatbelt on the bottom and then the bottom piece comes off and the top with it with very little effort.

That would explain why starting from the top yielded no good progress...

I'll give it a shot, thanks!

Hey there did you ever find your rattles and fix them? I’m having a ticking noise I’ve been trying to isolate coming from the b pillar seatbelt assembly and it’s driving me mad. Thanks!!

Hey there did you ever find your rattles and fix them? I’m having a ticking noise I’ve been trying to isolate coming from the b pillar seatbelt assembly and it’s driving me mad. Thanks!!

A bit late, but here are some notes:

1. Open the front door and pop the hard black plastic door threshold up. This reveals the end of the thick flexible rubber weatherstripping around the doorway. Pull it away from the front edge of the B-pillar, from the bottom of the doorway all the way up to the headliner. Do the same for the rear edge of the B-pillar, in the 2nd row door.

The B-pillar has an upper part and a lower part. To remove the lower B-pillar:

2. Near the bottom of the B-pillar, unbolt the front row seat belt anchor, using a 15mm socket.

3. Pull the lower edge of the lower B-pillar directly away from the side of the 4Runner, towards the other side of the vehicle. This will pop open two removable round white plastic push-clips that hold the lower part of the lower B-pillar to the side of the vehicle, a few inches above the floor, one towards the front seat and the other towards the 2nd row.

4. The lower B-pillar attaches to the upper B-pillar at two integrated clips that push into matching rectangular holes in the bottom edge of the upper B-pillar. To disengage these clips, pull the upper edge of the lower B-pillar directly away from the side of the 4Runner. Doing this will reveal a bolt that secures the upper B-pillar to the sheet metal body of the 4Runner.

To remove the upper B-pillar:

5. Remove the bolt from Step 4 using a 10mm socket.

6. Directly forward of that bolt hole, the lower front corner of the upper B-pillar is held against the sheet metal body with an integrated clip that pushes into a rectangular hole in the sheet metal body. It is shimmed with a yellow plastic-coated metal clip. Pull this corner of the upper B-pillar directly away from the sheet metal body to disengage it, but be careful to hold the yellow clip, or it will fall inside the metal column of the B-pillar.

7. The upper part of the upper B-pillar is held in place with one round plastic push clip. To disengage this clip, pull the upper part of the upper B-pillar directly away from the wall. But there are also two rectangular holes in the upper B-pillar that hang on two small thin metal bars that protrude from inside the headliner towards the outside of the vehicle. To disengage the upper B-pillar from these bars, move the bottom end of the upper B-pillar away from the wall, then push its upper end towards the outside of the vehicle.