recent metro Boston positive frame experience?

So I'll be taking my 09 in sometime soon to have the frame checked. I'm nearly positive that it will fail. It's in great shape with +/- 80,000 miles. Also well maintained.
Has anyone had a good/great frame replacement experience recently or not recently in metro Boston? Which dealership? Who did you deal with? Did you choose to have any other work done? Do you have any other suggestions?

I'm mostly searching for a good dealer/service dept. I've purchased through Boch Toyota in Norwood and Boch Toyota South Attleboro. I feel they were"ok", not great and not terrible.
I guess I'm just looking for a reasonable shop that does a good job.

I replaced my suspension 1 1/2 years ago with Eibach springs and an add-a-leaf along with Bilstein shocks all around and lower control arms.

I've read damn near every frame thread and I'm sorta well informed regarding the frame situation, but thought I'd through this out there for some fresh perspective.

Thanks

 

I'm not sure if you're still looking for input, but I dropped the '11 DCLB Sport I bought in VT last week (it's very much a VT car) at Toyota of Watertown last night. I called up and talked with their service manager, Chuck, beforehand. They seem to be the most highly reviewed dealership/certified shop in the area and I've thus far been happy with my interactions, though that only means they're good phone talkers.

Now if they'll just tell me there's a new frame on there, and they replaced my brake lines and rebuilt my suspension for me as a freebie...

I'll update if my experience with them is exceptional in any way.

 

Thats frames and easy fail! Get it soon times almost up!

 

Update on the Watertown dealership -- they've been perfectly pleasant, but it did take two days for them to get the car up on a lift to look at the frame. It's just getting the CRC, but I had them quote the other work I know the new truck needs as well (new suspension, and brake lines). They managed to total that up to ~8k, with a new alternator and heatshields thrown in. Well more than double the estimate I got from a VT shop I trust, on what the truck wants put into it to be solid.

Anybody have a Boston area shop they like, other than dealerships for frame replacement? Esp a shop that would bolt on parts I supply (thinking 3rd gen suspension from someone who's modded their newer truck), as I don't have a place or tools to work on it here.

Thanks in advance for any leads

 

I've been dealing with Copeland Toyota in Brockton for 20 years. Never had a problem.

They did the buy back on my son's first Tacoma and were meticulous in counting all of his upgrades and modifications. He bought his 05 from them. He had that in NJ for two years and moved to AL. Where they discovered his frame had rotted, but had no idea how to deal with it because it wasn't a southeast US problem. He had a dealer down there to the frame replacement and in the end said that he should have driven back to MA and had Copeland do it.

They did a bunch of frame replacements in the second recall. They also inspected my Tundra frame and did the undercoating.

 

Tell them EMPHATICALLY that you would like the various rusted and rotted clips, bolts, hangers, brackets, straps, nuts, pins, bushings, guards, screws, etc. - beyond what is called for in the service- replaced with new while they are at it.

Get under there, look around, take pictures, make a list, print it out and give it to them.

Money and time are no object.

There are a bunch of ridiculous little doohickeys that if they pass the ‘not completely crumbled moon dust’, will be left right where they are and re-used at re-assembly.

There will never be a better chance or real possibility to get to some of these bits.

Take the time and drop the dime. You’ll be glad you did.

 

It's going to be hard to find here (maybe), but there was a long thread on frame replacement that was very helpful to my son when he 2005 Tacoma needed to have the frame replaced. As I recall, they are supposed to replace all of the things you mentioned when they do the work. That was one of the issues he had with the Alabama dealer that did the work. I think it's supposed to include new leaf springs if they are broken since they have to strip everything off the frame.

Here is the thread I mentioned, https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/frame-rust-recall.263311/

 

I’m talking about all the things they don’t replace that are so easy to get too while it’s sliced in half... there’s all sorts of gizmos on the body, drivetrain and bottom of the motor that don’t count In the frame replacement bits, but are ‘unreachable’ otherwise.

for example:

this hunk of recycled Asian patio furniture is part of the ‘bed/bumper’, not the frame, but have fun getting it out...

 

I thought that the thread I linked to had a diagram of exactly what Toyota would replace, but I didn't see it. As I recall, it was a lot of small parts that they would need to remove during the frame swap. It's a good idea to be sure before they start work what is covered and what isn't.

 

That’s half my point. The other half is figure out what else you want replaced, that isn’t included, beforehand, and get it done.

 

@cwmo89 foreign auto center between union sq and inman sq is my and a few friends' favorite shop. you'll like them

 

I'd be very surprised if Toyota would authorize a non dealer to do the frame replacement. Since it's 40 hours of labor (according to the book), and the cost of parts, it's very expensive. I was told by a service writer that Toyota allocates $15K for the job.

 

@HisDad you're spot on, it's a major investment for them. I had the dealership do the CRC treatment as the frame wasn't quite there (damn). I'm hoping to find a place to do a suspension swap for me and a brakeline change & bleed (don't have the time, space or tools down here). @seanile, thanks for the lead! I'll give the FAC a call and see if they'll work on an OME suspension kit if I bring it along to them. If you're looking for more good shops, a friend turned me on to Parker's Auto Service in Dorchester this past week; while their labor's $60/h, they're great, honest, fast and don't seem to push work that isn't needed.

Cheers!

 

thanks for the recommendation. FAC has turned down doing something for me because it wasn't necessary; as soon as a place does that for me I'm hooked haha. Nick's Foreign Car Center is the same way for my '92 240 (he used to work at FAC).