Frame Replace Options

Hi all. Looking to get some good advice from someone here. Live in Massachusetts, and have a 2004 Tacoma. I received the rust inspection notifications a few years ago, but stupidly ignored them since I was super busy at the time. Up until very recently the frame was looking solid, but this winter things took a dramatic turn for the worse. Things are now so bad a finger can poke through the frame in spots.

I know I'm SOL as far as getting the free frame replacement. From what I've read Toyota is completely inflexible if you didn't get the inspection. Other than this recent problem with the frame, this truck is the best auto I've ever owned, so I would like to get it repaired. I've heard that if I brought it to the dealership I'd be looking at something like 12K, and that wouldn't include the other parts that would probably need to get replaced at the same time.

Any advice, ideas, or leads on how I could get this done cheaper? If I could find a way to get it done for up to say 7K I would do it in a heartbeat. I do some things DIY but this job would be way out of my depth, so I would need to get it done by a pro.

Thanks

 

I wish I had more positive news for you... but I dont... I recently purchased a 2004 extended cab to replace my 2014 and I found a hole on the passenger side in the middle of the frame. It never fell under the recall. Our options seem to be limited A)Buy a rust free Tacoma and swap it over B)Buy a new frame. I've seen them for about $3,000 C) Get a new truck period. or D) do what Im doing and get some 3/16" steel and cut/weld the shit out of it. then POR-15/rust arrest everything else. I dont know how well thats gonna hold up but Im going to the Moab in September with it... Ill let you know if I die or not.

Edit: I am not recommending welding the frame. However, I have really good health/life insurance and where I come from 'hold my beer' is just another phrase

 

I'd like to know whether you die or not also.

 

'AWWWW people care!!!!

 

Thanks for the thoughts. Hope I don't find out from you that you died...

 

You'd need one of those ouija board thing for that shit

 

Ill haunt the shit out of the forums... dont you worry

 

Might be a good opportunity to SAS it. If you look at the history of trucks, frames are really pretty basic ladder style so building a frame is a possibility. I've been looking at this for when my 98 goes from being a daily driver to perhaps a project vehicle.

 

1- Greatest response ever to frame rust issue thread
2- Just did the same 2014 to 200X swap myself. Looked for months specifically for something with a new frame because after driving from Mass to NYC to Maine to look at probably 12 Tacos in the North East I got tired of someone else mysteriously shitting my pants at the prospect of the truck I'm about to buy splitting in half on the highway.

3- I would go beefier than 3/16" plate. If you're doing reinforcement strips I would go 5/16th or even 3/4." Good part about the strips is you can clean out the rot to clean metal and then frame it with strips or heavy angle. Just remember the weld through because I'm welding up rockers on an old VW right now and welding structural I'm going overboard with the gauge.

 

Dude this response is great. Fwiw if you dont already know, if you sandwich the the frame with plate, i.e. Put two plates on the same spot inside/outside, stagger them. Its common practice in the structural iron world, so i would assume it would ring true on our frames. Seeing as how they are our "structure". Good luck in moab, and please don't die.

Op, id entertain the idea of looking out west for a frame. Say southwest at best. Remember no rust in desert country.... Just a thought. Good luck.

 

I've never seen frame rust worse than what was on my 1999 sr5... Well at least on one being driven on the road. I will post pics of the holes and the front leaf spring mount literally being pulled off the frame.. enough I could stick my whole hand inside it pretty much. Needless to say I pulled it into the shop really quick and got it on jack stands. I was in WAYY over my head as this is really the first time I have ever worked on a vehicle and had minimum skills in the shop. I cut all the rust out though with a plasma cutter and then created a stair case style cute on both sides of the frame leaving the very top strip. I then got a sheet of either 3/8" or 3/16".. (I really cant remember but it was quite a bit thicker than the frame) and matched the stair case pattern so that it really just fit like a puzzel piece and welded it back in. So far it has held up extremely well as I did this during the end of August. I'm getting ready to pull it back in the shop though because of my lack of skill I had in shop class, I welded the front leaf spring mount about a half in or more to far back so my axle is crooked a little and now that I have my summer income again I'm buying a new OEM mount. When I get on my laptop at my house I will post pictures and a link of a replacement patch that would be a lot safer and easier that I wish I would have found before I made my own.

Frame patch link: https://www.autorust.com/product/rear-forward-spring-area-toyota-tacoma-art-083-r/

 

Not sure what state you live it, but if it is registered in a cold weather state where corrosive crap is used on the roads in winter, AND it had the frame coating done, you should be able to get a new one. Toyota likes to be difficult both ways, the thing is, you have to be a pesky little asshole to get it done. By doing that, I don't mean calling up and harassing the dealer, get in contact with the corporate guys that run the show. If your frame has been coated, it will have a rubbery black coating of gunk on it. Mine does, and it is already peeling off so the shit isn't very good in the first place.

 

I really dont know how my 96 has such a clean place in one of the worst places as far as rusting vehicles go. If and when it do rust il be using 2 lengths of c channel on top and bottom of frame to completely box it in and get creative where it starts to curve up.

 

Thanks for all of the responses.

This may be a dumb question, but I'm assuming that if I shop around for a bargain frame that taking it to the Toyota dealer to have them put it in is not a possibility? I assume that they don't play along with "creative" repair ideas like that? And anyway, even with a bargain frame, doing it at the dealer would still take the price over my target, I'm thinking.

Does anybody know of a Massachusetts (or nearby, RI, CT, NH, etc) shop that would be a good place to try? Or any tips for finding a good shop for this kind of work?

Thanks

 

OP - I just swapped my own frame. I lucked into this otherwise awesome truck for next to nothing and then located someone parting out a similar truck with a new frame.picked up the frame for 1k. Had it sandblasted in and out and then painted it with automotive refinishing products rather than the bs black they coat them with and followed with rustproofing wax inside the tubes.

The job is straight forward but your lower control arms and leaf springs will not come out without a torch or sawzall. The dealer replaces these not to be bothered. All your rubber parts will be shot. Plan on body mounts, suspension bushing and alignment adjusters. All these are basically toast.

My situation allows me time and space to do this myself. I would be patient and search for a good used frame and have it shipped in if needed. At the same time locate a shop that will do the job. Its not an end of the world job to do. It really wasnt bad. Car-part, craigslist, search everywhere it will pop up.

I would advise not to patch. My frame was perforated everywhere and spreading like wild fire.

 

Money talks man, sure they'd do it if you have the cash.

 

Iirc the time to do a frame swap on a first gen is around 70 hours... X that by $90 an hour at a dealership you would be looking at $6k in labor alone.

 

Is this truck your daily driver? If not I have an idea! you may not have the skills now.. but a Haynes manual a little youtube here and there maybe some TW help... find yourself another Tacoma. spend a few weekends bustin knuckles and you will know your truck intimately! I would do the same if it wasnt my DD.

 

Thanks all for the input.

bighouse01, thanks for the detailed info. I would be looking to replace as much as possible down there anyway. Leaf springs etc look pretty beat up at this point. Which probably makes my 7K ceiling a pipe dream.

knuckleduster, yeah, that's what I was thinking. Though I hear they can do the job for just a fraction of those hours in reality.

Tonka, yeah it is my daily driver. And my time is still overbooked right now, anyway (not as busy as 2011 when I blew off the frame inspection, but fairly close). No place to do the job, either, so that's not an option right now. I'd still be waaaay in over my head, too.

 

Sorry to hear it man... Best of luck