1Gen frame rust

I have a 97 Tacoma with nasty frame rust on the passenger side(typical spot). Looking for answer on a good fix, I have access to a welder and some skills, just looking for the best path to take to prevent further issues. I’ve heard about a after market plate that is made to weld in place - which I’m interested in. Overall just looking for the best way to tackle this thing.
Weld a plate in? —if so any recommendations of brands?

 

https://www.autorust.com/ are the ones i've heard of the most, they have a whole line depending on whats rotted.

i'd advise you to get under there with a hammer and pound on it everywhere you can reach. They rust from the inside so there's probably more that you can't see. At that point you'll have a better idea of what you're up against - it might be easier to find a new frame.

 

Thanks for the response!
I’ll look into auto rust.com

I dunno about a frame tho. The recalls have be over for years and I can’t imagine it being easy to get your hands on a 97 Tacoma frame elsewhere nowadays?

 

They pop up on occasion, there was a new one a few months ago in WA state - but it was crazy expensive. Used ones from southern states might be an option too.

 

Eh thanks man.

will most likely look to get a weld in plate from autorust.com and will definitely post back some results. Thanks again for the response

 

We used the SafeTCap on our 2001 by one of their recommended vendors. They support the frame and cut away the rusty parts. fit the new section in place, weld it, and then coat the entire frame with POR-15.

 

Show us some pictures please .

It is also nice to know where you are .

 

I used the safety cap system on both of my first gens.......a 1996 and my 2003. Its a lot of work if ya do it right. They say ya don't have to take the bed off but i just don't see how ya cant. Ive taken off the bed both times. Expect alot of broken bolt when taking stuff apart. You'll be replacing alot of stuff or rebuilding stuff........if ya do it right. I had to replace 1 crossmember for the gas tank on my 96 and rebuild the one on my 2003. Buying anew crossmember from toyota will set you back several hundred. I got mine for 50 bucks from a donor truck at junkyard, luckily the bed was already off. Gas tank straps will usually need replaced also.
My 96 was down for about 3 weeks , I took 1 week of vacation and the rest of the time i worked on it after work and weekends. But i also chipped big rust flakes off the entire frame then flap wheeled it to get it clean then used frame chassis saver which is just like the POR 15 that was mentioned above. I would guess close to 80 hrs on just cleaning up the frame rearend and complete suspension. Its a tremendous amount of work and dirt and rust in your eyes and lungs.

Don't let me scare you off its very gratifying when your all done its just a lot of dirty labor. If these trucks weren't worth it i would have never done it twice.

 

Yeah, I agree. For me it wasn’t even an option to try it myself with an arc welder. I looked at the cost like having a car payment; the truck was paid off and if I did nothing it would break and be totaled. So for the equivalent cost of a few months of payments it could be like new again. This before picture is from 2013 - 5 years before we had it fixed.


The truck spent most of its life in central NYS before moving to Charlotte NC In 2004. We received the undercoating letter from the dealer a few months after moving but it was already registered in NC and when we called Toyota said they would not honor it because the vehicle was not registered in an area (NY) where the notification applied. The rust slowed but in 2018 we finally had it fixed by Off Road Innovations in Winchester VA. There was another Auto Rust / SafeTCap dealer in Georgia which was closer to me but they told me it was probably too far gone to be fixed based on photos I sent them. I shared the photos with AutoRust and they said it looked fixable and recommended the place in Winchester VA.

Long story short, I highly recommend the SafeTCap system and if you are on the east coast I highly recommend Off Road Innovations in Winchester. It might not look like it from the 2013 picture, but by 2018 we were a load of stone away from a broken frame.

 

It’s nasty ...

 

You do indeed have your work cut out .

You might have togo beyond what the safety caps cover.

Good Luck

 

Mine was similar and I ended up making replacement sections. I had a partial sheet of 6mm thick plate and some scrap. Not pretty, but hey, it's hidden under the bed so who cares.

These pics are a ways from final condition, but you get the idea.

 

great job !