Rusted Crossmember Replacement

Well my rear gas tank strap fell off yesterday and after taking a closer look I noticed the rear cross-member by the fuel tank was completely rusted through and the mount on the frame broke off so both sides failed at the same time. I think I'm going to have to weld a new mount on the frame and I will definitely have to replace the cross member in order to repair this mess. yay. I am going to try and document my process here for advice and in case anyone else has this issue down the road.

I've got a 2006 DCLB 4x4


Here's a picture from the passenger side rear wheel when I noticed it wasn't quite right

Here's a closer look at the broken frame mount


Here's a picture from the rear of the truck, the rusty crossmember front and center


Looking up at where the fuel tank strap fell away from the crossmember


Looking back at the other side of the crossmember,


And finally the broken fuel tank strap with its chunk of the crossmember still attached




I'll be posting more updates as I go. Depending on the price and availability, I might just take it to a shop because I get the sense that this is going to be a project... At least its starting to warm up outside.

 

If one crossmember is that bad, I would strongly recommend you get the whole frame checked by a good fabricator to ensure that there are no hidden issues!

 

Before expending any $ or effort, best to make sure the frame is even worthy of use.

 

Dang that looks horrible. I think your frame is a tad beyond welding patch fixes. Good luck with your project OP.

 

Damn

Enuf said except good luck guy: I have an acquaintance that has a 2005 that had the frame replaced by Toyota, but there is some cross-member piece in the back under the bed that apparently isn't part of the frame: it looked like "KleenEx". He asked me to look at it for an opinion and he could tell by the look on my face when I rolled out from under on the mechanic's creeper that it wasn't good without me even saying anything...

 

Wow, this truck was not eligible for a new frame back when it wad offered? That amount of rust and perforation did not just happen overnight?

 

Nightmare fuel to the max!

 

I'm trying to get in contact with the local Toyota dealership to see if the previous owner had gotten the frame replaced. I just purchased the truck a few months ago and didn't think to crawl underneath the vehicle before purchasing it since salt isn't really used as much on the roads here in Alaska. Last time I'm making that mistake...

I'm going to just call a body and frame shop tomorrow to see if I can get an appointment for someone to check it out and let someone more knowledgeable than myself tell me how much this is going to hurt my wallet.

 

Also in case anyone is interested, here is my short term fix for keeping the fuel tank secured so that the strap clears the drive shaft and the muffler. I rolled up the excess straps and will probably just put a few zip ties on to secure them from getting caught up in any moving parts.

 

Yep. Well, frame rust is a known (serious) issue with Tacomas (along with head gaskets on 05 and some 06), especially the earlier second generation and first generations. Never purchase a vehicle without doing a frame inspection or body inspection if a unibody.

That frame has not been replaced for whatever reason. It would have been eligible I am fairly certain. Mine was not eligible due to little or no rust at the time and I have fought to keep it that way. It does not take salt though salt is an accelerant, like pouring gasoline on a fire but the fire is still there. That amount of rust is going to be a trick to repair to a safe condition. I wish you luck with it.

 

I'm not trying to rain on your parade here, but regardless if the the frame was replaced or not, and it being an 06, I don't see how that's going to help your current situation at this point. Also, w/o seeing more pics of the rest of your frame I'll reserve final judgment, but my guess is the shop is going to tell you the frame is smoked and requires complete replacement ($$$$). There might be a very slight chance the frame can be salvaged/restored, but unless you're able to do that work yourself, paying someone else to you're looking at $$$$. For your sake I hope I'm wrong. Either way keep us posted with any updates.

 

I was able to get the truck the hundred some miles to a shop without the fuel tank falling out so that was a small victory. The shop was able to take a look at the frame and is going to repair some spots and replace three of the crossmembers. The cost is definitely running up, but at least I won't be having to replace the whole frame... I'll post more updates as they come, but hopefully there won't be any surprises.

 

Any updates on this repair? I've got the exact same truck and same rusty crossmember. Hasn't failed yet, but its days are numbered.

 

Unfortunately I am currently waiting for a shop to replace the back half of the frame... The rust damage was pretty extensive on the frame and there wasn't enough good metal to save.

 

What a shame. Sorry you’re going through this mess…

 

Ouch. I'm hoping mine doesn't end up looking quite so bad. It looks like that crossmember is available separate from the frame. This is a source in Canada: https://www.toyotapartsdirect.ca/p/...AME--No6-CROSSMEMBER/47775547/5120604010.html

 

So, I thought about getting a new crossmember and lifting the bed off, but the frame rails were also looking rough in spots and the front cab mounts, too. Things had deteriorated quite significantly since I was under it a year ago. So, I traded up to a 2023 instead. No rust. Someone else can tackle the frame on my old truck and end up with a nice ride. In half a century, this is the first new vehicle I've ever owned. I'll be spraying the frame on this one with lanolin annually.