2002 Tacoma Frame Rust

Howdy y'all. Automotive noob here. Should I pass on this $4000 Tacoma due to its frame rust?

 

Hard to tell from the pictures but looks to only be surface rust. I'd still do a hammer test in the rust prone areas.

 

Welcome!

What part of the country is the truck from? If they use salt on the roads, it could make or break the condition of the frame. With what appears to be plenty of surface rust on the outside of the frame, I would make my best effort to assess the inside of the frame.
From what I've read, they rot from the inside out and a visual inspection of the outside frame may not be a good indication of its structural integrity.

 

Thanks. The car is being sold in Northern New Jersey. I'm in the process of getting the carfax report to see where its from.

 

Looks pretty solid. Buy a quart of Eastwood rust encapsulator and brush it on with a paint brush- should take care of that surface rust

 

These frames tend to rot from the inside out, if it looks bad on the outside then it could be a lot worse where you can't see. That's why the hammer test is so important, but I don't know if a seller will be cool with you doing that. Maybe ask them to while you're there watching.

 

looks really odd that the frame rails are this rusty but the crossmembers, the floor and the rest are pretty clean looking

Hard to tell with these two pictures only but these frame rust and rot from the inside out, so what you cannot see can be worse that what you can see. You need to bang that frame thoroughly with a hammer. Where the leaf springs attach to the frame right behind the cab is worst area for rust issues. Then the inner frame rails by the gas tank and the catalytic converters are usually bad areas as well

Try to poke a finger in the square holes on the frame rails to see if they are full of rust flakes and chunks. If yes, no good, but hammer is what is going to give you the definitive answer about the solidity of that frame. Especially if it's from a place where winter salt and chemicals are used...

 

Depends on the rest of the truck

The Thing about Carfax it is only the shops that use it I don`t know of any that I know of

 

You aren't beating the tar out it it, just tapping on the frame. Just bring a small/medium sized ball-peen hammer with you.


If the seller doesn't want you checking the frame: RUN. There are others.

 

before using that product should the frame be 100% clean, down to naked steel if need be?

 

it is odd!
I am looking at the lower fuel shield, that part I had to get cleaned and powdercoated from decades of weathering. the frame on this truck certainly does not match the shield!
very strange, maybe just dirt on frame is all?

 

no, this is rust. You can see flaking rust towards the top of the frame rail in the second pic, on the right

 

the exhaust pieces are not weathered either as I would expect proportional to frame
maybe it had been replaced already?
anyway, this picture is quite strange, not the first, and I still do not have genuine proper answers, just putting 2 and 2 together is all

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the carfax shows it is from somewhere "warmer". Not near enough visible damage for a rust belt 2002, although you never said how many miles are on the odometer. Maybe they only drove it in non-salt months.

 

would heavy gravel roads make it look like that?

i mean there is NOT a trace of frame paint left i can see

 

My opinion, no. Heavy gravel will cause it to rust through is areas specific to where the tires throw the rocks. The paint and ED (primer) coating get chipped away and you get localized rust, especially for example near where the sway bar bolts to the frame. When the front wheels are turned, they throw gravel right at that spot.

 

Nope! Very minimal prep, that's why I buy a quart and brush it on every summer. Worth the 30 bucks. Stops rust from spreading and protects the frame with minimal prep work. You can read up on it on the Eastwood website they have really great products for restoration and preventative care.