Got rear ended...

Nope, i'd be livid if an insurance company or salvage yard tried to tell me i couldn't take my aftermarket things off of MY wrecked truck

 

You tell the appraiser what you're taking off so he doesn't include it in the appraisal. I've got 80% of my aftermarket stuff off the truck. My grillcraft/bhlm/urd tcai, bedrug and husky liners are staying because I don't have anything to replace them with and/or it increased my value and is worth leaving.

 

Glad you're ok from the accident,
the frame on my 2000 looked worse than that when I totalled it out
I'm installing a body armor rear bumper on my 2015, but I'm thinking maybe I should get the rear section of the frame boxed to strengthen it.
I don't think a plate bumper will stop the frame from bending in a accident,
maybe boxing the rear section might keep that kind of damage from happening...

I bought my old truck back, swapped the good stuff onto my replacement '98 Tacoma

 

Congrats on the insurance company doing the right thing, good to hear.

 

I don't think boxing the rear section would have helped...the drop hitch became a lever arm that transmitted a BENDING moment to the frame. If the frame was strong enough it would have lifted the front wheels off the ground, but then it wouldn't absorb crash forces, and prevent major injury. We want the trucks to be expendable, not the occupants.

 

Toyota doesn't allow heat to be applied to the frame. Just like with welded on sliders, if you welded to the frame and there was a serious accident and the frame failed, they would do everything they could to not accept blame for the failure.

Thanks, it's bittersweet. I'm going to miss my truck

x2

 

Oh.....thats pretty alright then.


I'd have to pull about a truck load of shit off of mine lol

 

yeah same here. Just got sliders off (for sale). All that's left now are the wet okole seat covers (also for sale)

 

No, as others mentioned that will only ensure that when it bends or rusts that you will be the one blamed because of the modification.

Probably slightly increases the chance of bending because it is a stiffer bumper. Though one wrinkle to that - some plate bumpers (high clearance ones especially) require you to remove your receiver hitch. That will reduce the chance of frame damage.

If your frame bends in an accident be glad it did the bending instead of part of you or your passengers. Rear ends are also great for life long soft tissue damage. Trying to protect your truck (which is insured and replaceable) by stiffening so that you transfer more energy to the occupants (who are not replaceable and their quality of life diminished by disability or chronic pain) is fool's economy.

Sometimes buying back the totaled hulk is a really good deal. Always worth considering.

 

They said it would cost me $12k to buy it back

 

I don't have enough experience with Tacomas to know if that is worth doing or not. My initial thought is "no" because of the obviously badly bent frame. Hopefully someone with a lot more knowledge than me can give some better advice!

In my (limited) experience the best buy backs are relatively old vehicles which are easily totaled because of a lot relatively easy to self repair body damage or minor engine damage (like fan or radiator). You can fix a lot of that yourself sometimes using parts from junk yards at very low cost and with your payout for the total end up "making money" from the accident (assuming you value your time and labor at zero dollars of course )

Once the frame or lots of the drive train is involved then I think it is down to parting it out which is best left to junkyards. Unless you think you can out margin a guy who works in a shed made of bent body panels on a muddy lot in the worst part of town

 

yeah it's not worth it IMO

 

Just dropped her off to be towed away. It's a sad day...

 

Bummer

 

I get it, boxing the frame=bad
I did get my 2000 back from the insurance for about $1500, which was worth it for the parts I got from it

 

Some Parts for sale

 

Sorry to hear, and glad to hear all at the same time. As bad as the loss is, I'm sure it's less trouble than dealing with the repairs and any ongoing issues.

 

Thanks man, and yeah I agree with you. Someone at that salvage yard is gonna buy her and have one hell of a well kept truck, just cant tow with it!

 

Why what a bummer. Yes you will have a nice down payment on a 16 if you get one

 

Thanks, yeah that's the only good thing that came out of this!