I've been wanting to do a satoshi grille for my 4Runner and started looking at people's builds and the compiled satoshi grille thread for information/inspiration. What I'm seeing is the ones who have done the satoshi grill on 03-05's have used retrofitted 06-09 grilles as the basis for the satoshi grill. Is there a reason why the 06-09 grill is used on the 03-05s? I'm wondering if I can use my 04 grill or do I have to use a retrofitted 06-09 grille since this is what most people are using? I was planning on doing this mod next week, but if I have to find or order a different grille than that changes things.
Advice on the satoshi grill for an 04 runner
- Thread starter jsha22lr
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paraordnance
New member
I have done 03-05 satoshi grill mod on my 04 and here are my thoughts.
If I would re-do this mod, I would go with 06-09 grill this time simply for the reason that it is bigger and easier to work with. I had really hard time to fiberglass and bondo around sides of the 04 grille, once you cut out horizontal bars you have very little material left on the sides of the grille and its literally falling apart. I spent hours to reinforce it with fiberglass and sanding but it looks like crap, and it cracked over the years. I really want to re-do my satoshi to 06-09 style and I probably will at some point.
Thanks, it sounds like I'm going to need to find a used 06-09 4Runner grille or oder one then. I looked through some of grille threads, and the bigger grill from the 06-09 makes more sense. I've looked through and I see that a lot of people have done the 06-09 headlights. Can I still use my 04 headlights and trim the grille to fit or would that remove to much material from the grille thus weakening the structure?
paraordnance
New member
I would be too interested to find out if it possible to reuse headlights, mine are retrofitted and I would like to keep them.
TiN
New member
Overall, I prefer the looks of the '03-'05 grille more because the '06-'09 grilles kinda look out of place to me. Toyota kept essentially the same hood profile and stretched the new grill over it, so it protrudes and looks as if it's taped on or something. That being said, I began designing an '03-'05 mesh grille from scratch using a 3D printer to prototype last summer. I'm hoping to complete the project this summer.
Thread can be found here: 3D Printing and the Satoshi Mod
Sweet! I just read through that thread and subbed to it. If you complete it and get it going I'll definitely buy one! I'm planning on getting a spare 03-05 grille anyways. I'd rather cut and screw up a replacement grill than my stock one, just have to find one at a good price or at a junkyard. I'm going to take my mom's grille off (she has a 06 sport edition) and see what kinda fitting I would have to do around the headlights. If it doesn't look like I'll need to cut away a lot I'll find a grill to actually test fit. Either way, I'll have at least two spare grills to cut on.
Yesterday I took my mom's 06 grille off and laid it down next to mine, just to get a good look at what differences there were and what I'd have to do to make it fit my headlights. After bolting the grille on, test fitting it showed that I'd have to cut away the corners of the grille to make it fit properly with the 03-05 headlights.
I am also looking into getting a satoshi grill on my 04 and it seems to me that going with a 06-09 grill would be the way to go. Just so I understand this correctly, if I get a 06-09 grill and put it on my 04 I would either have to trim the grill to fit my headlights or get new 06-09 headlights for my 04? So will the 06-09 headlight fit 03-05?
Yes, it is a popular upgrade to go to 06+ headlights and they will bolt on just like the grille. You will need to wire up the turn signals and the different headlight bulbs. Also, you need the trim pieces that go under the headlights.
I choose this route as opposed to cutting the sides of the grille to work with my 03 headlights. The project really wasn't bad at all. I decided to trim down the grille enough so that I didn't have to trim the bumper at all and still keep the black trim on the top of the bumper.
I choose this route as opposed to cutting the sides of the grille to work with my 03 headlights. The project really wasn't bad at all. I decided to trim down the grille enough so that I didn't have to trim the bumper at all and still keep the black trim on the top of the bumper.
GreenbowCounty
New member
I would go ahead and get the 06+ headlights and the grille. Looking back I should have gotten 06+ headlights from the start, but I didn't know that they would fit on my 04. I'm still going to try to fit the grill to my head lights, since mine are still good and I don't want to replace them yet if I don't have to.
momo.75
Registered User
Yes, it is a popular upgrade to go to 06+ headlights and they will bolt on just like the grille. You will need to wire up the turn signals and the different headlight bulbs. Also, you need the trim pieces that go under the headlights.
I choose this route as opposed to cutting the sides of the grille to work with my 03 headlights. The project really wasn't bad at all. I decided to trim down the grille enough so that I didn't have to trim the bumper at all and still keep the black trim on the top of the bumper.
When you switched to the newer grill did you have to buy anything besides the grill? I wasn't sure if the latching system was the same for the 03-05 and the 06-09? I was about to switch to the newer grill myself.
paraordnance
New member
Yesterday I took my mom's 06 grille off and laid it down next to mine, just to get a good look at what differences there were and what I'd have to do to make it fit my headlights. After bolting the grille on, test fitting it showed that I'd have to cut away the corners of the grille to make it fit properly with the 03-05 headlights.
Thanks for posting these pictures. Really helpful to see what needs to be trimmed in order to retain 04 headlights. My lights are retrofitted and I'm not looking to install more inferior 06 headlights with stock projectors. If I ever to re-do my retrofit, I would use 04 headlights again since they have way more room inside to mount larger projector such as TL or LS460. With 06 headlights you stuck with factory projector or retrofitting task would limit you in choice of projectors. I would rather cut the grill to fit.
All I purchased was, the grille (ebay limited unpainted), 06+ headlights (ebay dt moto), the trim under the headlights (amazon unpainted), and bulb sockets for the new turn signals (amazon). Since it went on a 03 bumper, I have to shorten the grille, because of this, I needed a different latch rod. I used a rod from an aftermarket door lock actuator trim and bent to fit and painted black. The latch mechanism swapped over from the stock grille. Everything I bought was obviously aftermarket, since you have an aftermarket bumper already you might not need to do anything special with the latch except swap it over from your original. Worst case you may need a new latch rod.
I can snap more pictures if anyone needs.
momo.75
Registered User
I appreciate the info. I am pretty sure i will just need a new rod since i won't have to shorten the grill. Thanks.
ZacMac99
New member
I went in a little bit of a different direction and made a whole new grill from scratch. It still needs some tweaking but I think it looks half way decent for using all free material I scrounged up. Still deciding if I want to put a Toyota logo across the front.
Sorry for the crappy picture quality...
Sorry for the crappy picture quality...
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I was torn between keeping the oe headlights and trimming the grille to fit, and doing the facelift. I really don't like the look of projector style headlights especially retrofits. The increased light output over my stockers is what made me decide to go this route. I thought it made for more of a completed look too.
paraordnance
New member
Can you please explain? Looks very cool, but how do you fix the mesh to existing location without the frame?
ZacMac99
New member
Thanks. I ended up building my own frame from angle iron and flat stock I got from work and used stainless steel mesh from a friend.
The bottom piece is angle iron with a tab welded to it to bolt the hood latch to.
The rest is flat stock. The frame and screen are bolted together and connect to 6 of the original bolt locations. I had to make plates for the side bolts to reinforce the mounting points. I'm still in the process of making some nice aluminium spacers to replace the stack of washers that are there now. I also need to fix the hood latch mechanism since the hood closed on it and crushed it while I was trying to line up the bolts holes.
