Help with Front end Damage. What to replace?

As long as everything “seems to line up evenly” it should be fine. Lmao. Bro, you really need to set it on jackstands and start taking some measurements. It was hit front left, but there is damage left rear and the right rear bumper “is popping out a bit.” Just the things you say describing it paints “tweaked frame” all over it. Why did the insurance company total it if it is just plastic stuff that is broken?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpLWNhbtsU8&t=848s

As for straightening the metal front end parts, it is possible, and very easy to do, but know that its structural integrity is history and if it gets hit there again the damage could be much worse. Those parts do not protect much to begin with, and next time they’re going to protect less.

 

The only way to know for sure would be to take measurements as you indicate.

But if it is a tweaked frame, it would be kind of disheartening to know that it could happen with so little apparent damage. I would have suspected at least the aluminum bumper to have visible damage, as it appears to be there expressly to absorb impact energy. To associate the rear bumper cover with the front end, I would guess some diagonal forces on the frame would be necessary. You’d think there would be other body damage focused on a particular quarter

But physics is a cold hard beotch. Hard to tell how the cookie will crumble in real life accidents. The bumper cover could have been from poor handling, or who knows, the thing could have been jumped hard and the front end damage was just what happened at the end off the “accident sequence”.

There is the question of why the insurance company sold the car off. Would they need to disclose knowledge of a bent frame if they knew it? Im presuming they would have to know something if they decided to sell it as salvage.

 

There's two ways to go about this:

Do the ethical thing and make sure your frame is good before slapping on parts. Going with a full front and full-rear metal bumper will save you the money of having to paint and blend. I am not sure about the rear bumper, but with a full metal front bumper you don't have to worry about replacing the bumper absorber and the absorber mount.

You can of course not frame measure and slap everything together and sell it, I would just hope that you would not be a brokeback sleaze bag scum slug invertebrate by hiding the past and make sure to tell the next owner you never had the frame properly checked and that they buy with that question in the air.

Im glad to hear it sounds like all else is intact and good. if you end up not fixing the quarter panel because you plan on doing some serious Offroad-ing, you can pocket the 2.5K+ and end up with a good deal

 

So the truck wasn’t totaled or salvaged, it has a clean title. Sold by a dealership at an auction, which they often do, maybe a trade in, not sure. If I said ins, I meant dealer. Also it’s illegal to sell a car with frame damage with a clean title in this state. If I find the frame is bent their fucked. And no, I wouldnt just slap parts on and sell it, then I would be liable.

Im not sure I know how to take frame measurements, I liked that video, but it doesn’t explain how to do it, I will research more on that.
The auction yard does use a forklift to move the cars around, possible explanation for the rear

 

Unfortunately, these frames are not all that tough. If you don’t believe me, grab some frame with a pair of vice grips, give it a twist and watch what happens. I hit a 150ish lb hog in a 2010 Tacoma going 45. There was almost no initially visible damage and it drove home ok. When I went to wash it the next day tailgate didn’t shut right and the tires scrubbed on hard turns. All of the little stuff around the bumper was tweaked, but the bumper was in tact and the air bags did not blow. When I went for an alignment they told me the frame was twisted. It drove fine after the alignment. It’s now permanently on a deer lease in Leakey, TX because it’s not safe on the highway. This is how I learned how easily these things can get bent. I hope he got a good deal on a solid truck, but man you gotta be POSITIVE and not wing it on that. The handling characteristics will not be right when it comes to emergency stops, hard turns to avoid collisions, etc. At those critical moments a warped frame, bad alignment, bald tires, worn brakes, et al come into play. I am not riding in it.

 

Thanks for clarifying. I saw ins co mentioned once , and I just ran with it. Good to know.

Once you get her in good enough shape for a test drive, maybe you could embark on a bit of test flight program and do some quick stops, hard accelerations, etc. to feel it out. Of course in a safe area, not in traffic. If there is anything wonky, maybe it will reveal itself in handling.

@BionicRandy get your point on the tacoma. 4runner frames should be a bit tougher since they are fully boxed, but yeah, it is hard to tell what would tweak a frame.

Deer lease? Does that mean it’s one of those fancy hunting limos lol. ?

 

Ahh I thought somewhere a while back I read this thing was totaled. As far as the measuring goes, set it on jackstands and measure from equal points on the frame from each side to opposing equal points on the frame (not bolts - frame to frame), measure both sides from equal points to the ground. Just a couple will tell you if it is straight. If it has a clear title I would not sweat it so much.

 

https://www.coastaloffroad.com/product-page/5th-gen-4runner-front-bumper-kit/

 

I appreciate that thank you….
Just took it out for another Drive, went 40.
Accel, brake, turns, all good. 4wd high and low work. I still can’t get the multiterrain to stop flashing.
I did call the auction, if it has frame damage and was sold to me with a clear title, they will take the car back for a full refund, so that’s good if need be.

so looking at replacing both fenders and the core support, and radiator support beam. With those replaced things should line up nicely I am hoping.

 

Will I need to replace headlights if the tabs are broken? Anyone tried to replace just the housing?

 

I don’t believe you can see the tabs so if your down to using some jb weld to save a few bucks you can make your own tabs and put those lights back on.

 

Generally speaking, you're far better off replacing the headlight housings than attempting to epoxy broken tabs. And your driver side unit is way too far gone to save. Remember, I have a virtually brand new set if you want them.

BTW, you cannot buy just the back part of the housing.

 

Yeah for $300 I would buy these if I were you OP. It makes things easier.

 

The front bumper attaches to clips. Two of these clips are fastened to the bottom of the headlight assembly. If the position of the clips are not exact, you will have issues attaching the bumper. I would stay away of fixing broken headlamp assemblies. Good price.

I would have jumped at this a few months ago. I paid more for mine.

 

If he balks ill buy, DM me if he dont.

 

yes, thank you for the offer.... Im looking for a pair of smoked out ones with Drl's. need to bid on them. see what happans

If buying a metal after market bumper that eliminates the crash bar, what else does it eliminate? do you still need the upper bumper support beam? thank you

 

The aluminum crush bar and the 4-6 inch steel plates that connect the crush bar to the frame you will not need. The new bumper should replace that and connect directly to the frame

 

Trying to figure out how everything attaches and what brackets go where, Do you have any completed pics? Specifically what connects to the radiator support beam.
Also how the upper grille attach. I ordered the Trd pro upper grill, but can’t seem to find the trim cover piece, I think they call it a surround.

 

What is this piece, how does it attach?

 

look for videos oh heritage grille install. Somebody had the procedure for removing the upper griilll

 

I don’t know what it is called either, but it is pushed onto the front of the plastic frame that houses the grille and kinda snaps in place with a few tabs. There is one on each side on the bottom surface of the part where you see the seam between it and the lower plastic bumper cover. There are about 3 or 4 more tabs along the upper surface that plug into he top part of the same plastic frame (not sure of the correct terminology). Once it is snapped into place, there are some 10mm bolts on the inside that hold it into place. It has been a while since I had mine apart, so I may not remember exactly rightbut I will be under there tomorrow and see if I can give you better details.

 

Are there any brackets that go from the actual radiator to the core support?

 

Not that I can see. It looks like the radiator is just cradled in there, sandwiched on both sides by the piece in red, which is bolted to the metal framework, and the fan shroud. I never really looked at it this closely before, but the part in yellow connects directly to the radiator and has a rubber bushing between it and the front crossmember. Looks like all it does is add 1/2 inch of likeliness on both sides that your radiator will get trashed if that crossmember gets bent. Lmao

 

As for the grille housing/cover thing. It slips over the grille insert with just a couple tabs and across the top and in the bottom corners is held onto it with about 8 Phillips head screws that go through the grille insert into the cover.

 

I see that cover thing now, thank you mine was broken. Plastic cover that’s below the hood lock also attaches to another bracket on the grill itself, I do not have that grill part so I didn’t know what I was missing.
And I still can’t find this piece, there is an additional piece is there not?

 

I will look again tomorrow to be sure, but that looks right to me.

 

You need a parts truck! Is there a pull it yourself junkyard nearby?

 

No I don’t see another piece. That piece is the main part holding the top of the grille in place, fyi, not much else
There are plastic pieces on each side that appear to be there for directing airflow through the radiator, and not really for any structural reason- flimsy stuff. Here are the part numbers for those pieces: 53287-35010, 53287-35020

 

Find your part number here: https://www.4runners.com/threads/grille-bracket-pz327-35701.14617/