Frame Replacement - What additional cost to expect from the Dealer?

[2006 4x 6speed manual, Double cab, ~220k miles, still on the original clutch, the Throw Out bearing does whistle a bit so I know its on its way out sooner or later] I've had new brakes put on once, 75-80% of the way through my second set of tires. One Universal joint has been replaced to-date.

I do have a Leaking Front Window, so there is another issue that could cost several thousand to fix. Paint is also oxidizing bad on the front hood. I have had the top repainted about 5 years back, the paint up there was gone from the sun.... this is a Florida truck.....

I was informed this past week that my will be getting a Brand new Frame and Rear Leaf Springs- at No cost to me. Okay great.

Now how much is Free really going to cost me...? AND is it really worth it to sink any more money into it?

I have loved the truck, and don't want a new car payment. But is a 3rd gen Tacoma really that much better to get into?


Does anyone have a good list of things I should have replaced while they have the car dis-assembled?
I'm also curious how much the job would cost me, even if i elected to replace Nothing.....

My gut says: Its a Toyota and will drive to 400k miles.... and now with a new frame coming, i'm sure it can. So will a few $k now be well spent? How long until a 4th Gen Tacoma comes out?

 

Probably a couple thousand at least.

You should certainly replace those shocks

 

Mine’s in the shop right now, if you search on my account you’ll find my write up and some pics of the condition before it went on. Keep in mind I’m in the salt mines up here every winter.

They have to give you a loaner, ask for the 3rd gen so you test it out. Riding in a 2018 access cab LB right now. Cvt transmission is garbage, makes the 6cyl feel useless.

They quoted me $17000 in “optional” repairs on mine. I’m going to update as I get more info next week from the techs who took it apart.

I have to say they’ve been good about it, and communicate well when when I ask questions. About 3 months wait for me in MA.

Not very savvy on vehicles, myself. New member, and the guys on this forum have been incredibly helpful.

 

HOLD ON. what? How in the hell are you getting 100k+ miles out of a set of tires?

0 dollars.

 

Hey im 95% sure ive been under your truck! I saw it sitting out back to be taken to our other lot and took a peak under it assuming it was a frame job and damn was I right, that thing is Crusty for how many miles are on it. Our guys crank out frames too, seems like they got a good amount of yours done already by the photos youve put in your album!

But really the frame job is free, optional work is optional work and its totally up to you it is just the dealership trying to make money. If i were you i would fix the leak in the windw seal though for sure.

 

Depends on how rusted certain things are. Most will need control arms, brake lines, lots of hardware at minimum. You literally can't transfer some parts over because they are too rusted or it becomes a safety / liability issue for the dealer.

 

New lower control arms are part of the replacement actually. So those are free.

But yah rusty tacos need new nuts and bolts here and there.

 

I paid absolutely zero dollars for my frame job.

Frame replacement includes lower control arms w/ball joints, brake lines, alignment, and new fluids at the bare minimum. Will usually include new hardware that bolts directly to the frame. Truck will get new leaf springs if it still has the recall open for that.

My truck got frame, brake lines, lower control arms, rear leaf springs, spare tire carrier, and new hardware all along the frame. Also included were re-fills of fluids necessary to drain when removing the cab from the frame (coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid).

 

I would tell them to pound sand if they tried to charge me a dime for a frame replacement.
It's your own damn fault if you open your wallet. Frame replacement is free and if anything breaks in the process oh well, someone else can pay for that... like Toyota

 

As it should be. Everyone else just let their dealers hose them

 

They arent charging anybody unless the customer wants some custom stuff done depending on how nice the dealer is. But every dealer rec's work to make money. Also, idk about you but i like to know whats going on with my vehicle that may need replacement even though i do that myself, but you get the gist.

 

lol...
dealer broke a rear shock during the job (I'm 99% sure the nut was rusted on the top, and the tech said F-it instead of spraying it with PB). Tried to hold my truck ransom until I paid them for a new shock.
I said "nty. I drove it in with a non-broken shock. I expect to drive it out that way".

Posted a thread here about it, I got called a crybaby just whining for free parts

People telling me how grateful I should be that Toyota is "being nice" and giving me a free frame.
Saying how I'm getting a $15k investment in my truck for free.
"Eh it's a wear item. Just pay up and be happy"

 

And you care what some asshole on the internet calls you?
I think you are 100% right

 

Woulda done the same thing. When i changed my rear bilsteins to OME shocks the top holding nut to hold the shock from spinning was trashed. I ground away at the piston to make it like an 8mm to hold it. Worked mint, although not reusable in any way

 

No way? That's awesome. I'm pretty impressed with the size of the operation there in Peabody. My service guy (JR) told me that they do over 200 vehicles a day.

Thanks for the head's up on what "comes with" the service job. That oil pan was never going to end happily with me doing it in the driveway - I have visions of me screwing up the engine block - so I feel that the advice was really spot on with that. And I'm happy to pay for someone qualified to do it right.

May I assume that a full lube job (including the drive shafts, diff's, etc) is performed as well? It would be nice to know that the clock was reset on all that. Pretty happy with those beefy new leaf springs and bump stocks!

So that leak on the passenger side is a window seal problem? Thank you for letting me know - they didn't comment on it in the write-up from the dealership. I think I saw a thread about that on here - will do some looking before I ask people to repeat info they've already been kind enough to share elsewhere.

Since you've been kind enough to give me some advice, may I ask you your opinion on my mouse intrusion problem as well? Main question is this - do I need to pull the dash apart to search the rest of the vent system, if the smell is still there?

Thanks again for giving me an inside scoop. You live right down the road from me - let's assume I owe you a beer! PM me to collect, I owe the community on this forum a lot already, and I'm brand new.

 

Do more rsearch on the window seal/possible leak, the culprit can vary at times.

On the mouse intrusion first drop your blower fan under the pass side, open the airbox behind the glove box as well and check that if you havent already. Lastly, you can check the intake for the cabin air filter as its under the cowl on the passenger side. I tacked mesh to mine to prevent mice stinking it up. Im no master technician but i think it would be safe to assume that some dash work is needed to access the vents fully, though the probability of them getting into the vents seems low to me. Usually they nest up in the airbox and die in the blower fan.

But yes the Danvers Ira is a very big dealership and the system is set up pretty damn good. Pretty sure your trucks all done too its sitting in our pickup spots. Has a little pink magnet thingy on the tailgate right?

P.S Thanks for the beer offer, but a young, underage lad like me would TOTALLY never accept a beer.

 

Yep, that's the only "mod" - a sticker for the Pipe & Drum corps to which I belong, Creagan More. I bought the truck off our Pipe Major.

Thanks for the tip-off about the truck being done! Sounds like my advisor will be giving me a call on Monday.

So the saga with the mice is pretty gross. There were three dead ones, and a couple of inches of indescribable filth above the cabin air filter. I dropped the blower fan, which was full of droppings. Bathed the air inlet and fan blades in Nature's Miracle after spending a couple hours with the shop vac- I'm still wondering if I will need to get a new blower unit, as the smell hadn't disappeared. It would be great if the little beasts hadn't ventured further. Saw a thread on here about screening that intake - I tried to figure it out in January, but only had a couple hours with the truck before I took it in for the frame.

Will be looking into the passenger side leak. That's going to get annoying real fast with spring rain in New England.

Sorry that beer isn't an option yet (publicly) - maybe a coffee? At any rate, thanks again.

 

New frame cost me 0 dollars, I opted to replace rear shocks, 120 dollars, and a trans service, forgot how much. You shouldn't pay anything for the frame, May want to do the shocks at least.

 

Thanks for the suggestion - they are really crusty, no doubt. Will be looking around at replacement options. I have no intention of off-roading, as fun as that looks. This is a daily driver / log and lumber - hauler. Probably see what RockAuto has to offer, and put that on the list for late summer.

 

CVT TRANNY?? please explain.