Give it to me straight....how bars my rust?

Well I only have a few months left on my frames extended warrenty. Last frame inspection passed Toyota’s frame test. I don’t want to grind and wire whee as I have one last frame inspection in 4 months. How bad is it? Took pics of the worst spots.

 

These spots look questionable. The spot in the bottom looks like a hole is forming.
There is a PDF you can download where Toyota states the size/area in which the hole would be for them to replace the frame.

 

I’ll be honest, the pictures do make the spots look worse than they really are. The one circled on the underside of the frame is some flakey paint and the other one on the left is a shadow. It’s a lot of flakiness.

 

It doesn’t look bad enough to fail inspection by those pictures.
Take a close look at the frame around and above the cats. The driver’s side is usually the worst.

I’d keep it sprayed with a protective fluid like fluidfilm or similar.

 

Doesn’t look too bad. I would just start doing some maintenance on it and cleaning up the bad areas and recoating them. Then probably fluid film the entire thing to increase the longevity of the frame if you plan on keeping it for several more years or longer

 

Planning on angle grinding all of the bad spots and rustoleuming and painting everything after my final inspection if they don’t give me a new frame. Will add fluid film to it too and probably that Eastwood internal frame stuff on it too. I plan on keeping this truck for a long time.

 

I got to be honest...when I looked at the pics I was thinking start hitting it with a hammer to help get a hole started
A new frame would be great and if you took care of it from day one you would have the vehicle for a long time.

 

After grinding down you will see black spots .That the rust scales .Try knocking it off with pin point (welding hammer ) or something . Needle gun is best but expensive . You will be surprised how pitted it can get .
Would be best to knock off as much rust scales as you can . Even painted over rust it will keep rusting .( worked on ground support equipment by the ocean)
But then again doing what you planning on doing is a lot better than not doing anything at all .

 

curious , How does the frame look in the area under the rocker panels where there are inner support plates are partially welded together, bottom inner portion of the inside of the C section? Thanks.

 

FWIW, I would not use an angle grinder with a grinding wheel.
Wire wheel.
Prime with a rust convertor type primer, then paint with a frame paint, final with a film (if you want).

Consider removing all debris from the frame, like mud, caked dust, rocks, leaves, dirt, sticks, corn stalks, bean stems........

Don't be surprised if the Frame replacement is denied. Your pictures don't look bad, but those areas need attention.

 

You should of been doing Fluid Film or such from day 1 that you owned the truck.

 

I’ve owned the truck for 15 days

 

Some of you guys saying it isn't that bad, are forgetting that these frames rot from within.

If it's that bad on the outside, the actual damage is even worse inside.

 

Wire wheel or a less aggressive flap disc, yup.

It would be worth while taking a look at the inside of the boxed section of the frame. But I agree with the majority of comments that it doesn't seem too bad in its current state.

 

Holes have to be 10mm or forget a frame. The layered rust on the side C channels are not considered again unless a 10mm hole.
Had them look at my 09 that expires in 2 months and did not qualify as no 10mm holes but lots of layered rust in those bottom C channel rails.
I've been wire brushing and Rustoleum painting it so not bad looking now but its still in there.

 

How come there is no oil undercoat on the underside of this truck? I expect any truck will have a rusty frame without oil on it.

 

I was going to say its just heavy surface rust until I saw the third picture. Its worse than that I am afraid. Frames can be repaired and I think yours can be as well but it wont be long before its not worth fixing. I live in Ohio and see this stuff a lot on Tacoma's.

 

Wire wheel it, Rustoleum or some type of rust converter, let it cure for a week then spray the crap out of it with Fluid Film or something like that. Lately, I've been using the Dollar General brand of penetrating oil. One can will wick into the sandwiched areas really nice and once the carrier solvents evaporate, it leaves a nice film. Honestly, I think it wicks in better than Fluid Film and have pretty much switched to it for my go-to rust preventative.
I also spray up into the weep holes in the rockers, cab corners and doors. I put that shit on everything.