Open Rear Doors Wider 2020 4runner

I’ve been searching for a way to make my rear doors open wider and have seen recommendations for installing front door stops back there. Has anyone done that? If not, does anyone know if that would work? I’m so tired of having limited range getting into and out of that space. It’s hard on my dog too! Any thought/comments appreciated. TYSM!

 

Any luck figuring this out?

 

@riskyfiz last seen November 2023...

 

It’s a good question though.

 

Let them slam open in a big tail wind, that will work.

 

Good chance the first person to experiment with this and post about it would be the first.

Plenty of talk about this in Honda midsizer-land but I don’t think I’ve really heard of it as a common 4Runner mod, or really a mod for any other car.

 

So I had a look at my 4Runner. I opened both doors and they swing out at the same angle. The rear opening is smaller, but not because the rear door doesn’t open as wide as the front. It’s because the rear door is shorter front to back.

 

I am just curious why you would want then open wider. What types of items would want to load that would not fit.

I think the backseat and doors are plenty big on our 5th Gen (especially now compared to 6th gen.

 

Alternatively, he could open his back doors, then back up them up close against an immovable object, ie. a giant tree, a railroad locomotive, a giant bulldozer’s blade, etc. Be sure to have 4WD engaged.

 

It's actually really handy for loading things or even people into the back. It's not that the seats are too small, but a large opening just makes it easier - like a funnel.

Honda actually got this right - a lot of their newer models the back doors open to almost 90 degrees.

 

When I'm gearing up to mountain bike, I sit on the rear seat with my legs out to put on my kneepads and bike shoes. Every time I do this, I wish the rear door opened wider.

Also, if I'm parked in uneven ground, sometimes my 65lb dog doesn't want to make the leap into the back seat, so I have to lift him up. A wider door opening would be nice there too.

I don't think this is a 4Runner specific complaint though, other than the Wrangler and maybe some fullsize trucks, I don't know of any vehicle that the doors open a full 90 degrees.

 

Great. I'll make sure not to park next to newer model Hondas from now on.

 

Indeed, people only found a reason to bitch about it on 6th gen...

I think opening the rear door wider can cause it to crash into the front door at certain points of travel?

 

At the risk of having my man card revoked, the solution to this problem is a minivan. On a vacation to Hawaii once our rental car was a Chrysler Town and Country minivan. Say what you want about Chrysler, and minivans. It was eminently practical. I especially loved that the second row seats folded flat into the floor leaving a cavernous storage space. Since then Ive lamented that there hasn’t been a concerted effort on the part of auto manufacturers to offer a trim of minivan aimed at men.

 

What would a "manly" minivan look like?

Manufacturers have tried more boxy "SUV" styling, you can get a slight lift in the Sienna Woodland, I don't think there's a way around the minivan-shape stigma for the average buyer especially as folks line up for "mid"-size (full-size?) CUV's.

My opinion is that the minivan is firmly stuck where it is and there isn't really an easy way to "trick" people into buying the most versatile vehicle form-factor without compromising what makes it a minivan. (if you don't tow heavy or leave the pavement often, naturally)

I do miss my 1998 Sienna though, albeit more for nostalgia purposes and how they designed vehicles back then. Since then, I do enjoy having modern appointments like a cabin air filter, traction control and side airbags.

What doesn't help my personal situation is that the minivan today is firmly a full-size vehicle whereas the old ones were more Sorento, Highlander, 4Runner in footprint - roughly. So if I decided for maximum utility, I'd have to go even larger than now.

 

Makes a lot of sense for sure. Especially with the dog. I guess it’s all based on how we use our vehicles

 

100% agree. I think minivans are one of the most versatile vehicles out there. When I was in Moab a few years, we had two rentals: a Suburban and a Caravan. We could fit three people, three bikes, and our gear in the Suburban, in the Caravan we could fit all four of us with bikes and gear.

My buddy in SoCal has the best of both worlds, an 80 series LC for trips out to the desert, and a early 2000s Sienna for hauling his mountain bikes and surfing gear around.

I often think about getting a Sienna or similar, but then I don't know where it leaves the 4Runner. I don't think the 4Runner is gnarly enough to be kept as a trail only vehicle, so I don't know that having that and a minivan makes sense, and I don't really want to get rid of it yet.

 

You ask and you shall receive.

The "Man-e-van"

 

“Yes officer, that is solely for extra thrust when merging.”

Edit: Obligatory xkcd

 

I owned a 2006 8 seater Sienna for 14 years. It was insanely useful for pretty much anything I needed it to do. Its utility was pretty manly all by itself, but I agree, driving around in an egg isn’t all that exciting.

The best rental ever for a road trip was a 2017 Town and Country minivan. So easy to configure. Classier looking than the Sienna’s, but still peak minivan.

I wish astro vans were still around. Those can be manlied up easily.

This one here though takes the cake.

 

That's a super smart idea to try and make your back doors open wider! I've heard of people trying stuff like that, and it makes total sense if it helps your dog too. Hopefully someone knows if those front door stops will actually work in the back!

 

Maybe someone should put a Sienna body on a 4R chassis? That would be a fun thread.

 

I've thought for years that a minivan based on a capable off-road chassis would be a fantastic vehicle.

Some of the old shool RWD-based ones had optional all-wheel drive and were close, but they didn't have a low range.

I have heard of people swapping low-range transfer cases into Astros and making pretty cool rigs.

 

Since we're getting into minivans and rougher terrain, at that point, aren't we just talking about full-size SUVs?

About a half-foot difference in length, ~1.5" difference in width*, the extra vertical interior space and a ladder frame underneath are likely mutually-exclusive without going very tall.

The minivan third-row well usually takes up the space where the spare is mounted on a truck. (Optional spare is mounted on the side of the cargo area inside the Sienna, it's under the second row floor in the Odyssey.)

And if folks want a solid axle, that means a third row that sits on the cargo load floor rather than folding flat. (and is why we have that cargo area vs. third row tradeoff in the 4Runner and the fold-flat regression in the new Sequoia)

*current Sienna vs. standard length Expedition

 

Man, I saw a lifted one a couple weeks ago on KO2s with custom bumpers, it kicked ass. You can apparently swap a transfer case from the S10 / Blazer pretty easily as well.

 

I'm picturing a midsize or full size SUV with sliding doors. I.e. the perfect vehicle.

 

"Lambo"?

 

5th gen does it better:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0HkQMIRDk-/

 

I will never not be mad seeing those goons break the rear window of a 4Runner instead of rolling it down in Black Panther!