Replacing Core Support / Tacoma Clip Mod

[jlstick2]

Well, the girlfriend wrecked my truck on Friday. Slammed into a stone neighborhood sign. How? I have no idea. My bumper, grille, driver's side front fender, fan shroud, radiator, hood, and driver's side headlight are toast. Everything damaged has been removed from the truck and thankfully the frame was not harmed. My core support is perfect all the way up until where the driver's side headlight mounts, and where the core support meets the inner fender rails. It's all bent and I've tried moving it back to its original position but unfortunately I think the entire core support will need to be replaced.After searching the web it seems that the cheapest new OEM core support I can find is going to cost me at least $800. Am i better off drilling out the spot welds on a 4runner at a junkyard and then putting it onto my rig? Am I better off just taking it to a shop? Additionally, I have been thinking about purchasing the tacoma clip and going with the tacoma front end conversion instead. If anyone has any experience replacing our core supports I'd really appreciate any insight/advice you could give as I'm 18 and have never done anything like this before.

 

[Tyler James Inc]

Unless you have auto body experience- I would definitely recommend having it professionally repaired. Even if that means just the core support repair/replace, and you do the rest of the assembly. It's likely more tweaked than you realize, and a donor core support will not easily be re-installed. The apron will likely need some pulling/repair before a new core support can be welded in. If it's out-of-pocket for you, you could save money by hacking a straight core support off at a junkyard, and bringing that to the body shop. Make sure you cut more than you need- like take half the aprons too.

All that being said- you should take it by a body shop first, and ask if it's something that can be straightened out without being replaced.

 

[jlstick2]

Unless you have auto body experience- I would definitely recommend having it professionally repaired. Even if that means just the core support repair/replace, and you do the rest of the assembly. It's likely more tweaked than you realize, and a donor core support will not easily be re-installed. The apron will likely need some pulling/repair before a new core support can be welded in. If it's out-of-pocket for you, you could save money by hacking a straight core support off at a junkyard, and bringing that to the body shop. Make sure you cut more than you need- like take half the aprons too.

All that being said- you should take it by a body shop first, and ask if it's something that can be straightened out without being replaced.

It's a bummer but I suppose you are right on having it professionally done. Just one question, excuse my lack of knowledge but what exactly are the aprons that I should take about half of?

 

[Tyler James Inc]

Sorry- the aprons are the panels that connect the core support to the firewall- the "inner fender-wells". [emoji1360]

 

[IBallEngineer]

Unless you have auto body experience- I would definitely recommend having it professionally repaired. Even if that means just the core support repair/replace, and you do the rest of the assembly. It's likely more tweaked than you realize, and a donor core support will not easily be re-installed. The apron will likely need some pulling/repair before a new core support can be welded in. If it's out-of-pocket for you, you could save money by hacking a straight core support off at a junkyard, and bringing that to the body shop. Make sure you cut more than you need- like take half the aprons too.

All that being said- you should take it by a body shop first, and ask if it's something that can be straightened out without being replaced.

This is a routine repair for an experienced body man, not an easy one though. Drilling spot welds is tedious, and making a used panel fit is even harder than making a new one fit, and neither will be a simple task. The above is sage advice, take it.

 

[joeczabaranek]

jlstick2,

I got hit by a red light runner and my '98 SR5 front end looks identical to the damage in your photos: fender is trash, crumpled radiator support that needs replacing, and an apron that can probably be pulled back into shape. Fortunately the only other parts that appear to be damaged are the plastic headlight mount and the forward fender support bracket. Frame, radiator, condenser are all intact. What route did you take to fix yours? Im confident I could do it myself, I just bet that the time I'd spend scratching my head and the $ Id spend on the right tools would be better spent having a body shop do it.