Frame question aka what can I do?

So my 98 2.7L Tacoma went up on a lift today and that happened. Is there anything I can even do to keep this on the road or is it time to part of out?

Thank you for any advice!

 

Short of doing a frame swap or having a very competent welder repair the frame (unlikely I imagine given that it's completely snapped, I'd bet most shops will not want to take on that liability) I'd say it's time for a part out.

Sorry to see that happen although it's not uncommon with these trucks and rust, unfortunately

 

The frame was actually repaired over the bumpstops...the rest of the frame seemed ok. The guy who fixed it builds race cars and roll cages, not sure if this would be up his alley though.

Out of curiosity, how much does a frame swap normally cost?

 

A Toyota frame swap done by a dealer I believe invoices around $15k? It's all in the labor.

Sorry man, that truck is done.

 

Had mine done under the recall but the bill they showed me of what it would cost was some where around 10k + or -

 

Haha ya not about to drop that amount into this truck. Fuck my life!

 

It all depends on where you find a frame. I’ve heard new ones are hard to get, but you may have better luck finding one from a wrecking yard, preferably from a rust free state like AZ or CA.

Most of the cost will be getting the frame to you. From there, the swap isn’t *that* hard, as long as you got the right frame, lol.

To pay a shop to do it, however would be prohibitively expensive, so only way to safe it is to DIY.

In other words, this is now a project truck. Or get rid of it and sell it for parts.

 

Good luck I hope I can get a hold of a frame. I had a 98 and had the repair done at the bump stops also maybe have the guy that fixed that take a look at it

 

Im going to disagree with other members on this one. A frame swap is a nightmare to attempt if you dont have access to a really nice lifts, engine hoists, know what you are doing, or have a weeks' time to dedicate to it, and an extra set of hands. Sure the total number of bolts is small, but... you have to pick up your entire truck without a frame, including the engine, and transfer it to a new frame. Ill put it this way, you are about 50k away from a fully functional shop in which something like this wouldn't be "too bad". So get rid of those silly ideas. Part the truck out, and get ready to drop some cash on a new rig.

Edit: And, your life is worth more than saving the cash and trying to repair the frame. A truck that has two frame failures is just that much closer to the next one. Maybe the next small whoop going over an overpass on the highway is all it will take for the third one. Either pay for a full frame replacement, or get a new truck.

 

i have heard that competent Toyota mechanics can swap it in about 2 or 3 days with maybe one other mechanic pitching in from time to time
labor should seriously be 'minimal'
so i have NO idea where that quote even ya know

 

you had a '98 done under the warranty?

 

OP where do you live??

Paying to have that fixed would be expensive .

If you have friends that can weld and fabricate it is not all that hard

Then I have been doing that work for some time.

 

I'll quote ya, five days of labor (three days for mechanic 1 and two days the mechanic 2 helping out), at 12 hours a day is 60 hours of labor. Yota dealers charge $120 an hour. 60*120 = $7200 for labor. Add in 3k for a frame, and another 3k for all the other stuff they find or break on an old truck, and you get the 10-13k price tag.

 

Are you seriously telling me the labor on swapping an entire truck frame is minimal? There is an insane amount of work that goes into this. The average shop rate is $80-100 per hour. Dealer rates may be upwards of $150 per hour. It adds up, and it adds up quickly.

Contrary to popular belief, dealer mechanics are just normal mechanics.

 

factor in the rental vehicle as well

 

labor hours i meant, i think i heard 2-3 days in the lunchtable once and it just stuck with me
but i have no clue really whatsoever

i saw a pic where the engine and transmission does not even need to be disconnected from the cab!
that should make it very quick and easy

dealer mechanics 'should be' certified Toyota experts and can tear down the whole engine and reassemble it
or not, these days who really knows what they know!

 

i was basing an 8 hour day, who the hell works 12 hours!?!?
i would NOT want anybody working that many hours on an involving frame swap
but you're right, forget i said anything

 

The engine and transmission are mounted to the frame. The Tacoma isn’t unibody.

 

No sorry it was my 09, just had down a few months back....sorry should of clarified that sorry

 

People who want to retire. My previous truck was a chevy. I got hit by a drunk driver. Insurance paid for all the work, but I had to go back to the mechanic several times. I would drop off my rig at 6am before work, right when they opened the garage doors and started the coffee machine. And I'd come back around 7:30 pm when they were just starting to pack up. So, certified chevy mechanics work their asses off. The truck did shit the bed, but not because of their work. The timing in the engine was all fucked after getting hit, and needed a new engine or a complete rebuild. I bought a taco, and turned the chev in to my project... my wife finally convinced me to donate it.