Did not expect to find this

I agree!!!!
I have a nephew that is a metal fabricator and he is going to fix it for me!
Lucky lucky lucky

 

Yup, my 10 was done with that black stuff.

They didn't take it? Why?

 

To tell the truth I don't trust them to do any work on my truck. Once I found out my nephew would do it for me I didn't care any more!!!!

 

A new frame that is almost free is absolutely 100% worth it over patching an old one.

 

I'm fortunate to have a good dealership nearby, though I try to do my own stuff when possible. That said, passing on a brand new frame that's no cost to you is totally your choice.

 

I’m sorry to hear about your troubles and I hope this gets resolved.

Toyota really screwed us in North America with these junk Taco frames made of scrap steel.

Sure they replaced some under warranty but now every other thread on here is about frame rot, and most owners I’ve seen with these issues have been given the run around by the dealer.

It’s honestly mind-boggling they didn’t solve this issue after the first gen debacle.

 

Fixing an issue you created for someone implies that you are admitting fault for the issue in the first place. I'm guessing the settlement terms for Toyota and the class action that sued them have something to do with it.

I don't understand why they don't galvanize or provide some other protective coating for the frames either.

 

I think the main reason they did the frame replacement program was they figured the cost of replacing them would be cheaper than all the possible lawsuits resulting from failed frames causing accidents etc. A lot of them literally starting rotting from day one in the salt belt.

Dana took part of the blame for it, I'm not sure about the actual supplier of the steel though, whether that was Dana, Toyota, or some other third party.

Toyota and Dana both would've saved money by doing it tight the first time, so I'm really astounded as to why it's been an issue for so long.

 

Remember too that by the time this started coming up with the 1st gens in 2008 you already had a ton of 2G's out there..April 2008 was when my wife's 96 was taken

 

That was a dead end street!!!!

 

That was a dead end street. They were not going to replace my frame no matter what!!!!

 

gotcha.

 

I didn't catch why the dealership said no to a new frame? Were you past the timeframe?

 

You apparently don't understand how steel is made, used and recycled. Most of the steel used in automotive production (and everything else) is recycled. So why doesn't everything rust like Tacoma frames? The finishing process - as I've said many, many times. Recycled steel is no more (or less) prone to corrosion than virgin steel. It's how you protect the steel that makes all the difference. The finishing / painting process used on Tacoma frames just wasn't as good as it should have been.

 

Dear Toyota, galvanize, galvanize, galvanize.

Is that so darn hard to do?

You could even advertise your frames are the longest lasting in the automotive industry.

 

Well I'm not a metallurgist but the best explanation for the way these frames rot from the inside I've seen was from @Fifthwind who cited impurities in the material as well as some shoddy manufacturing processes. Rust proofing or the lack thereof is also an important factor though, but it'd unclear how much of the frame rot stems from poor rustproofing or impurities in the material itself.

My 97 LC doesn't seem to have the same issue with delamination of the steel. Same with a lot of old truck frames: they might have surface rust all over, but they don't tend to peel off and cause structural issues like in the 1G Tacoma.

Even apart from the rust issues, Toyota made the frames really thin and weak compared to the Hilux frames overseas.

 

I hope I didn't come off as dumping on you because I didn't mean to. I just get tired of all of the internet experts who claim to know the root cause of a problem they know next to nothing about. I'm not a Metallurgist either, but a retired Mechanical Engineer with many years in the metals finishing business.

"Impurities" are not the cause of the corrosion because every single batch of steel - virgin or recycled - has them to some degree. "Chinese steel" is not the cause because a disturbing percentage of the finished steel in the world comes from there. "Recycled scrap steel with rust in it" isn't the cause because the temperatures and pressures involved in the process take care of it. "Lack of rust proofing" is not the cause because a good metal finishing process (generally) doesn't need additional rust proofing. Besides, if any of the above were really the root causes, wouldn't other products made from the same steel be corroding too?

The problem comes down to a poorly specified, applied and controlled finishing process. A few dollars (or pennies) saved in manufacturing once again costs a company many times that savings down the road. After 36 years in manufacturing, I've seen it many, many times.

 

You may not wish to believe there are impurities, but my observations have been far different when it comes to Chinese steel. For a time I was an R&D engineer in the heat treating industry where I created annealing and hardening processes for a variety of metals from around the world. Single crystal process for titanium air foils, field processes for inconel annealing, tool steel hardening exotics like Rene95. For the Chinese market, the processes looked quite Frankenstein in order to prevent warping and even rupturing during the hardening cycles. What I observed was material that was far from homogeneous, and under the microscope, revealed a wide range of impurities from silica to lead in what should been 99% steel. You can tell yourself whatever you like but the metal is lower quality. Quality steels do not delaminate when they oxidize.
As for the second gens, after being up close to many more frames, and even taking a look at a pile of swapped out frame at my local dealer, they were further compromised by poor weld quality.

 

Finally, somebody with some actual experience and credentials. I have no doubts that Chinese steel has more impurities in it. (I've been to China on numerous occasions on business.) That said, I truly doubt the impurities cause the corrosion seen on Tacoma frames. As I stated before, a non-robust finishing process is what's leading to the majority of the problems. I will agree that the frame design does exacerbate corrosion issues. For instance, there are several areas where two steel parts are sandwiched together. Very few metal finishing processes will get into the area between those parts to prevent corrosion. On the other hand, water with road de-icing chemicals will leach in there just fine and cause corrosion from the inside out. (This BTW is why you see what looks like delamination even though it is just corrosion creeping from the inside out.) Other issues include where the A/C condenser drain empties and box sections that trap and hold moisture.

Please don't get me wrong, the Tacoma frame corrosion issue is 100% Toyota's fault and was also very preventable. As I've stated before, somebody saved some money in the short term and it's costing way more in the long term - but only on trucks used where road de-icing chemicals are used.

 

yep - seems like mostly an issue in the north east and Great Lakes regions. Unfortunately plenty of us need trucks in these areas and Toyota totally shit the bed here…..they seem to be chronic bed shitters at that. Makes no sense.