Oh brother, just noticed this frame crack

A little over 3 years and yes within the past year I noticed some rust perforation where that weld you see is, and it did cross my mind that it may be related to that, not that the welder’s work was bad or at fault. I definitely would undercoat it then after the new weld. Is it best to take a wire brush and get all the surface rust and gunk off where possible, clean it off and let it dry then coat it? I’m thinking summer is best to do that because it’s very dry, yes? Of course I’m wary about then trapping in moisture then eventually making it worse though. I’m clearly not too knowledgeable in this realm so I appreciate any ideas and help you all are giving me!

 

Make sure whomever repairs that crack uses a nice large fish plate so it doesn't crack again, like what appeared to have happened with this one.

 

My 2K was waaay worse and I had a shop cut it out and plate both sides then paint the whole frame, and when they did they put the truck in a frame jig they had built for this model of truck from previous frame jobs and turned out great. The crazy thing about the rust was truck had ZERO anywhere else on the truck.

 

Not specifically calling the previous welders work shoddy but beads like that after welding should always be ground out and re-welded from my background. Weld craters like those are some of the causes of future crack propagation when the weld seam is exposed to stresses.

I wouldn't necessarily say that performing the undercoating application in dry weather is always correct. There are a few undercoatings/frame coatings that actually cure better with the humidity in the air. I all depends on the coating that you pick and what the manufacture recommends. This is also the case with how much prep/rust clean-up you need to perform prior to application. I am planning on using KBS Rust Seal when I do some work to my frame for the coating and finishing it off with a top coat of paint since it will fade in the sunlight. However, the fading doesn't affect the performance of the product and the typical Toyota frame coatings even fade over time. Not pushing a product as everyone has their preferred undercoating, just what I have decided to use on my rig after the research and reviews that I have read.

 

The crack from the outside, drivers side:


Inside:


Cut the cancer out, lapped with flatbar:


Outside plated:


Inside: (we removed the charcoal canister and LSPV, replaced with proportioning valve)

 

Plated vs unplated:


Spare crossmember:


Weld closeup, no skimping on strength here:


All done and painted:



If I ever bought a daily first gen I'd do this again in a heartbeat. Truck feels like it's on rails. His daily is now stronger in the back end than my wheeling rig! Time to do mine I suppose.

 

Really? This is good to know. I've had a couple old school guys tell me not to waste my time with 120V welder but I see from the newer and younger welding crowd that it's more about using that 120V welder correctly. I was hoping a 120V would be good enough for me. Like a little Hobart Handler or that little Millermatic one in 120V also.
I'm stoked! Ive heard a few sides to the story but hearing an old school welding pro like you say it convinces me I'll be okay with a 120V Hobart, Miller, etc

 

Hell yeah, if you're gonna do it, make sure you won't ever have to do it again huh? Nice job man

 

I think it was back around 1989 I worked all over the Southeast USA doing Warranty Repair for Mack Trucks The Cabs of the MR`s and The DM`s were breaking .

I used the then new Lincoln SP125 120VAC welder nothing but .023 wire and straight CO2 if I Could get it if not 75/25 sometimes even a Tri mix blend.

Because lots of fitting was involved I never had a Duty cycle shut down .

As long as you work within the capacity of the machine.

I would not have a problem doing anything on a Tacoma or 4Runner.

Now it might be a problem depending on how your Electric grid is if the incoming voltage drops it will give you fits in times of High Electrical demand

If your using an Extension Cord go large .

 

You can order the correct parts for your truck from;
www.autorust.com