Tow point/frame damage

I've had the truck for about a month now but I didn't notice this until today. Judging by the rather large rocks and mud/clay lodged in the skid plate, I'd say the previous owner got stuck and someone tried to pull them out and ripped off the tow point in the process.
Is there any way to fix this? Will the frame damage still permit mounting an ARB bumper?

 

I found a similar problem on my 02, when I had it. It made mounting a brushgaurd difficult and getting it straight was virtually impossible.

 

take it to a frame shop. thry should be able to beat that back out to straight for pretty cheap! i have the whole fornt end of a honda pulled and straightened for about 200 bucks a year or so ago.

 

it shouldnt affect arb mounting, they mount via crush cans that are provided, not tow hooks

 

Did you buy the truck from a dealer lot or private sale? Was an inspection performed on the truck prior to you purchasing it?

Disappointing I'm sure, but a frame shop should make short work of the problem.

 

I believe that it will impede an ARB installation, since the ARB mounts use those tow hook mounts for the bottom bolt. they have to be squared for the bolts.

 

It was a private sale. I had a buddy of mine, a local foreign auto shop, and a Toyota dealer inspect it. Nobody noticed it I suppose. Hell, it took me a month before I noticed it.
I guess I'll look for a frame shop! Thanks for the help.

 

Have an ARB, have had it on and off multiple times. Have done the endcap mod on numerous rigs for winch bumpers.

Yep. That is going to be a problem. However, it might not be a deal-breaker. The ARB can kind of surrounds that area partially on three sides. If you can get it close, enough to accept the bolts, it likely won't effect the alignment of the bumper much, if at all.

However, with that area compromised, just do the endcap mod on general principles, to sturdy it up and take the load off that part of the frame.

http://www.nwtoys.com/tech/frame-endcap

 

Can I get a frame shop to do that? I have neither the tools nor experience.

 

Sure. That would be the "right" way to do it. Another would be a buddy with a sledgehammer.

Which approach you take is going to depend a lot on your approach to truck ownership.

 

Sorry, I think I misunderstood your question. You were talking about the mod, not the repair right? The mod is a maybe on a frame shop, it's going to depend, since it's custom work. Some places will do it gladly, others will complain about it not being something they normally do.

You might do better to have the frame fixed by a frame shop, then have a fabricator or local welder do the mod. It's going to depend on who you are dealing with in any case.

Even better, use it as an excuse to hook up with some local enthusiasts from around your area and do it yourselves