3rd Gen Blueprints

[SURF RUNNER]

People are already making custom bumpers, skip plates, and sliders similar to CBI, ARB, Savage, Shrockworks, etc. I've read posts where the owners state they want ____ like Company A makes and they start mocking up what they want in cardboard or on their computer.

Most of these companies are probably starting with a 3-D blueprint of a 3rd Generation 4Runner to mock up their designs.

These companies do a great job, but nothing they do is rocket science. Only the most skilled designers and welders can render, mock up, and build something worth having. In my opinion if you are going to build something from scratch it will be custom - not an exact copy of a CBI bumper. Not only could CBI sue someone for making an exact copy of their bumper, but there is a good chance if you tried to copy it you would end up with an inferior product that costs more than if you simply bought directly from the company. Obviously there is a lot of cost savings from replicating a plan over and over vs building one from scratch.

 

[MTD]

Most of these companies are probably starting with a 3-D blueprint of a 3rd Generation 4Runner to mock up their designs.

Not true. Most companies stat with a donor vehicle and then take the measurements, design the bumper, build, test fit, and then rev the design from there. There are no accurate FULL CAD models out there that would be beneficial to these companies.

Some may make a quick sketch of the frame horns, but that is as far as it goes typically.

If anyone designs something cool though feel free to upload to the T4R CAD library. I doubt anyone knows it exists actually lol.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gener...fficial-truck-builders-cad-model-library.html

[MENTION=96151]dozerfrelich[/MENTION] said he was going to upload his model of the front horns when he was done with it and possibly the entire bumper that he is designing.

 

[SURF RUNNER]

Most companies stat with a donor vehicle and then take the measurements, design the bumper, build, test fit, and then rev the design from there.

That makes sense.

 

[sn0wrunner]

Not only could CBI sue someone for making an exact copy of their bumper, but there is a good chance if you tried to copy it you would end up with an inferior product that costs more than if you simply bought directly from the company. Obviously there is a lot of cost savings from replicating a plan over and over vs building one from scratch.

Have you looked at my build thread?

I like the way you think, but a lot of people aren't honest people like you and me. If any big company gave the general public access to their design, anyone could change it slightly and start mass producing and selling it. I'm no patent attorney or anything, but I'm pretty sure a product only needs to have a few slight differences in order for the patent to be null and void. But let's be honest, not many of these companies have patents on their products anyways. Maybe the big ones like ARB. I'm not saying that you have to have a patent to be able to protect your product in a court of law, but I've experienced this first hand when I worked in this industry. Take Trail Gear for example. They've stolen many different companies design's and gotten away with it. Literally direct copies, didn't even try to make any slight changes.

 

[MTD]

If any big company gave the general public access to their design, anyone could change it slightly and start mass producing and selling it.

#TeslaMotors

 

[mikePerreman]

Alright, resurrecting this old thread. I have solidWorks and autoDesk inventor experience. I would like to make a complete enough model to, at the very least, build an RC car body from, and im running into OP's issues. if anyone can find some 2d drawings, Ill see if i cant make them 3D, and then upload them to grabcad. Does anyone know of a good quality model that is free?

 

[sn0wrunner]

Never found a free one, but here's another option.
https://hum3d.com/3d-models/toyota-4runner-1999/

 

[RedbeardPete]

wow, really resurrected an old one here! I just started hunting for a model and also wow, very discouraging, doesn't seem to be anything. Nowadays, however, 3D scanning has come a long way. I may work on a scan of at least the front end.

 

[glenyoshida]

FWIW I tried the Hum3D models for the 3rd Gen 4Runner and it looked nice but it wasn't all that accurate. In some places around a 1/2" off from my actual measurements.

 

[RedbeardPete]

oh that's fantastic to hear feedback, I was looking at that. Honestly I'm not surprised... accuracy isn't their focus for those "design" oriented 3d model sites, just shiny, good looking models, and what we need is the opposite.