Anybody in RI or MA get their frames replaced?

I was under my truck today trying to clean the rust off my frame so I could spray some rust preventative and while trying to chip a large flake of rust off discovered a pretty big hole/crack. It’s looking like I need too take it in and get it inspected and if it fails I’d like a decent dealer to fix it. I’m in the Woonsocket/Attleboro section of the states. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

I had mine done about a year ago, but I'm just outside Boston, not really in your area, so I can't recommend a particular dealership down your way. But I did a bunch of research, talked to a few service managers, and ask a lot of other Tacoma owners about the process, so I do have a few suggestions:

Pick your dealership before you get it inspected. Whoever does the inspection and documents it will be the one to do the paperwork with Toyota and will own the work. I am aware of 4 people who tried to switch dealerships after the process started and all were shot down by Toyota.

If you're worried about the dealer having experience with frame replacements, don't be. Even the smallest dealerships in the Northeast have done dozens of them. The large shops are probably in the hundreds by now. They have designated teams of technicians and areas of the shop set up just for frame swaps. A couple people said they had to bring the truck back to get small stuff taken care of, but I haven't heard of anyone having a major problem. I had zero issues when I got mine back.

Inspect your truck thoroughly before you bring it in. Once they start the work they will call you with a list of stuff they found that you should get fixed. Everyone I talked to got this call, and it was always a huge list. Some of it is just a cash grab. I had my own list before I went in, and they still managed to find a ton of other issues (most of which I know were BS). Be prepared to Just Say No.

If you do want extra work done you need to talk to the service manager beforehand. This may be a factor in choosing which dealership to go to. Ask about free or reduced labor on replacement parts. Ask if they will install parts you brought in yourself. This is something that varies from dealer to dealer. Some give no break at all, while others will do almost anything for free. In my case I had a couple thousand dollars in parts installed in addition to the frame swap stuff. I negotiated each item individually - for example, no labor charge on shocks (easier for them to put in new ones than to carefully remove and reinstall the old ones); half labor on charcoal canister above the gas tank (much easier access with the truck apart); no labor break on new front bumper because the frame swap had no impact on that work.

The dealerships want to do this work. Most will go out of their way to get your truck into their shop (although the odds are that you'll end up dealing with at least one jerk somewhere during the process. That's just life.) Make some calls, pick a place that works for you, and enjoy your like-new truck when it's done.

 

Thank you, very helpful post.

 

Can’t speak for every dealer or tech working on it but the way we do it is if it comes off with the frame there’s no labor. Most other stuff is discounted if it’s easier to do when the truck is apart. Obviously some stuff doesn’t make a difference when it’s done. Biggest thing from a customer stand point is be waiting for a call from the dealer. There are many times we can’t get a hold of the customer and by the time they call back the truck is together again. Some techs leave the motor hanging in the cab while replacing the frame so I don’t know if they would discount engine related work. I’ve done over 350 frames and always pull the motor out, all the techs preference.


Most guys do a good job while doing the frame but I have seen some shady work done on trucks they were done at other dealers, and even some that were done at ours. Some techs take the time to go above and beyond some just want to do it as fast as possible to get onto the next job. I’d just roll under and do a visual before and after if you have any doubts. I don’t know anyone from dealers down that way so I can’t help you out on that part.

 

@tacobell007 you had your frame replaced correct?

 

I had mine replaced over the winter. I brought it in for a inspection first week in January and got it back first week in march. Boch Toyota south did the work. I usually hate going to the stealership. They called me the day before the work was going to start and again to look at few things they wanted to replace while the truck was apart.

 

here's a couple of pics.

 

I have bought all my Tacoma's from Boch, love that place.

 

If you ever need parts they have there own online store. I believe they ship from the warehouse in Mansfield. I usually have them ship to the dealership and pick them up there. Shipping is super cheap that way.
EBParts.com

 

That is correct. Their $7.95 pickup fee is a bit BS, but typically MA sales tax is cheaper than shipping. My Pro fogs were at the dealer next day and they handled a problem with the order (Toyota put a left-hand assembly in a right hand box) without complaint.

I'm getting my tires from them in two weeks as they're doing a buy 3 get one free deal.

 

Were you happy with how they did? That’s one of the two closest ones for me, the other is dch in Milford. I don’t really trust dch because they used to be Ira and did a complete garbage job on my drum brakes. They basically put them back together wrong and didn’t believe me when I told them my braking was scary bad. It took a call to corporate for them to take my truck back in and fix things and even then they still tried to blame me.

Boch south did my 2001 first gen frame years ago so maybe I’ll go with them. Did you get any work done while it was being replaced? I have a new set of shocks and front springs I plan on asking them to install. The fronts are not assembled, would toyota still do that for free or do you think they’d charge me an assembly fee? I’ll just call and ask them about it.

What tires are you getting? That’s the other work I’m thinking of doing but the was going to buy from discount direct.

 

Yessir

 

Here's a couple pics from when my truck got swapped in early 2015. They wanted to charge me full price for a water pump job even though the motor was out and the water pump (which was barely seeping) its right on the front of the motor. I got my truck back with the CEL on and it needed the upstream O2 sensor (Denso Wideband O2 sensor was $110 on rockauto, at the dealer it was $225). I also later noticed they had crushed the passenger side taillight harness between the bed and the frame so I brought it back for them to fix that. Which in return about 4 months later i had several bed bolts come loose. I'm pretty anal on keeping up with my maintenance items and such, along with diagnosing my truck of issues to see the urgency of which they need to be taken care of.

My truck was done at Balise Toyota of West Springfield (they have a location in Warwick, but i have never been there so I can't say good or bad) overall I waited, with the truck in my possession, for 6 months for the frame and parts to come in, then 4 days for the truck to be done, due to the fact of when I dropped it off.

 

I was fairly happy with the whole process. Glad they kept me informed that the work was stating and that it would be ready in a couple of days. I had them replace the tow hitch (that I bought from their web site) and rear extended length brake lines. They called me to come down and look at the truck when they had it apart. I gave them the ok to replace power steering lines and rack. I also got new brake lines front to back on their dime. So, yes I was pretty happy with the work they did.
One of their service writers (Mike) is a real good guy. He's owns a FJ80 series. He always complements me on the mods to my truck.

 

Talked to two places today and will be going to Boch South. For anybody else with my same issue, I'd recommend Boch over DCH of Milford any day every day. DCH took 2 calls before anybody answered and they sounded annoyed with me, like I was bothering them. The guy I talked to didn't do a very good job of answering questions, was very vague and didn't seem that interested in helping me.

Boch south answered my call almost immediately, the guy was very helpful and gave me a lot of information up front without me needing to ask anything. He took his time and answered all my questions and was very specific and upfront about the extra work and charges that I want done. Boch is also going to give me a rental upfront before they even inspect the frame, DCH was going to make me wait for 2 hours (their time estimate) before deciding whether I could get a loaner car. Boch even asked me if I needed a truck for the loaner. Overall very happy with the start of this, hopefully it continues to go this smoothly.

I'm assuming the hole I took a picture of above is enough to fail the inspection and I wont' be surprised if they find other holes in other places. I didn't take very long inspecting things since that first hole is so obvious. I plan on having my shocks and springs replaced and I'm going to buy new tires from discount tire and have Boch install them before doing the alignment. Anything else you all recommend having done while it's apart? I'm at 130,000 miles right now, I've had the brake fluid, transmission fluid, and coolant all replaced in the past year.

Boch said assembling the struts would be about an hour's labor and the tires would be $90 mounted and balanced. Seem reasonable?

 

Sounds like you're going to have a good experience with Boch. I wish I was closer to a major dealership. I live a couple hundred yards from Lexington Toyota, maybe a five minute walk. The Parts & Service guys are competent and nice, but the place is tiny. Sometimes difficult to get a service appointment (probably because the 2 frame swap areas take up half the shop) and they almost never have the parts you need.

Reasonable? For a dealership, yeah. Sounds like standard rates.

 

Inused Copeland Toyota in Brockton when my wife's was bought back, but I've heard they do a fair amount of reframes

 

Interesting thread. I had my truck inspected at one of the dealers mentioned in the thread when I received the recall notice back in April. I'm pretty OCD with my truck and how I take care of it. I wash it throughout winter, no other rust on the truck body, etc. so I wasn't expecting a failure upon inspection. They told me that it passed and coated it. Didn't think anything of it. They called me back two days after dropping it off and told me it was ready. When I got there, the coating was dripping wet so I left it. Called me back again that it was ready after two more days, still wet. Left it again. Finally picked it up after 6 days I think. Not impressed with the experience at this point.

Fast forward to now, I'm trying to sell my truck to buy a new one. Prospective buyer crawls under my truck to look for rust, I explain that it's been inspected by Toyota and passed and was coated. Nothing to worry about. Doesn't he find a rotting hole in the passenger side rail and a rotting weld of the cab mount to the frame, SONOFABITCH!! Needless to say I lost the sale and I am now waiting for a replacement. I'm not looking forward to this. I'm stuck where I am at because they started it. Hopefully they can improve.

 

Anyone have any experience with IRA in Danvers, MA? Thats where I bought mine new in '09 and need to get it inspected when I get home (I work offshore). If theres been bad experiences there, it sounds like I'll make the drive to Boch.

 

I am a tech there (Not a master tech by any means, still at toyota school) but i have done numerous inspections to taco frames, some pass and some failed. A few members here have had theres done there that i have spotted getting new frames. For the most part our techs are pretty damn fast and we have atleast 5 frames going at once. Our techs legit will go down entire frame rails for HOURS with needle scalers till i want to just go insane, so i would say we are thorough.