Getting a new frame!!!

So I got the best news ever today. My local Toyota dealer called me today and said Toyota USA agreed that my frame needs to be replaced and it covered under warranty!!!!

Let me back up a bit. I've had my 2009 DCLB for two years. When I bought the truck I had the frame check and was told it passed the test. A year later had it checked again and it passed again. Last weekend I took my truck in when I bought some TRD SEMA wheels and had them installed. While they had the truck on the lift they asked if they could check the frame. Shop manager came back and told me it had failed....which I believed it would and was hopping it would. He told me it would be a week or so before he heard back from Toyota USA on if they would cover it. Well they called today and approved!

The dealer said frame is components are ordered and should be ready to start in 2 to 3 weeks!

Any words of advice or items to ask for/look out for when they start the replacement??

Thanks
Bv

 

Good for you sir

 

Good news! My frame check is due no later than 12/31/2021 on my 2012 Tacoma.

 

Check all bolts, torque values, connections, mounting points, everything.

 

Isn't that just for the CRC, and then you get up to 12 years bringing you to 2024?

 

Great news, if you have parts you need to replace nows the time if I has to come apart anyway. The kit includes bolts, brake lines, frame, LCAs. I added UCAs, rear bumper, steering knuckles, intermediate steering shaft, all hoses. I wish I had replaced the steering rack while it was in as it failed recently.

 

Really, they give you a new rear bumper? I’m waiting for my frame to arrive to the dealer right now too. I have sitting in my living room a new steering rack with new tie rod ends, SPC upper control arms, a diff drop kit for my funky cv angles. Anything else I should have them do while they’re in there?

 

I wish, no they didn't give it to me. They installed the bumper I provided and the installed the other items (again that I provided) noted in 'I added...."

The reason I went with an aftermarket bumper is the factory hitch is made from the same corrosion prone metal as the frame. Mine was trashed and no, they don't cover the hitch.

 

Another question while they are swapping the frame out would it be a good time to have a U bolt flip kit installed? Or should I just do that once I get the truck back??

 

Do it yourself after the frame swap. They will charge you to do it IF they even agreed to do it.

 

my dealer had me remove everything aftermarket and go back to stock.. that meant front/rear bumpers, bed rack, freshly welded on sliders, skids, 3" lift, RTT, diff breather, CB radio wire, etc..

When I got it back, they forgot several brackets (but I had pictures of everything), and 3/4 driveshaft bolts were missing. And they didnt include the frame plug kit. Other than that, it was fairly painless. And the fact that it took me a month to remove and store all of my accessories/find other stock parts to put on.

 

Concur with do it yourself, be sure to check your torque a couple weeks later and then again. My U-bolts needed to be re-snugged a few times and then have held fast since.

 

Frame swap started today!

 

Nice. Too bad they don’t give you the option to take the frame and get it galvanized prior to installation. There is a company here that hot dips truck frames for $600. A cheap price for a frame that will be rust resistant for decades.

 

Make sure they install those power steering rack bolts from the bottom...it'll save you a lot of aggravation when/if you need to replace it in the future.

I've had my new frame for about 4 years now, and mine seems to be holding up substantially better than the first one did. Time will tell, but I got almost 10 years out of the first, so if I can get another 10 years out of this one, I'll call it good.

 

How'd they authorize this on a Taco old as 2009 model year?

Audi has been doing hot tank galvanizing for years and rating their chassis as 12 year rust warranty. Many older than that still drive. They outlast Subaru because of this. I guess being headed by Germans in Europe, they're aware of snow.
Pathetic that Toyota wouldn't do it on a popular expensive off roading workhorse meant to see all seasons. You'd think with every other part reliable and the taco wearing a Toyota badge, they'd want it on the road for years to display and spread their reputation of reliability. I guess not.

What do you mean "give you the option"?
At the dealership, you are the boss. It's your money. The technician wants quick easy work for $20 an hour, and everybody else wants to make money off his back for doing nothing such as the service advisor at a desk.
Why would you not do what you want? It's your truck.

I'd probably get the part, hot dip it, then bring it.
I'm just not sure about how it would get painted black after galvanization.

Do it right or don't do it at all.
Do it right or do it twice.

 

We think we are the boss but they could say if you take possession of the frame at any point their job is complete, leaving you with the entire truck reassembly.

I wish I had the equipment and mechanical prowess to disassemble my truck and put it back together because I would do the hot tank in a minute.

I think toyota doesnt do it because if the Tacoma never rusted away they would go 30 years without needing replacement causing toyota to lose repeat business.

 

true
meanwhile every new model they design their trucks to be more like passenger cars and potentially lose reliability
went from older taco's needing simple clutch replacements, to the infamous 2nd gen TOB squeak and trans quill wear issue adding cost

German automakers do the same thing but in a different way. Make a turbo engine with expensive parts and labor that's hard to work on, and make the whole rats next of plastic supporting parts (wiring, etc.) disintegrate at the 100k/10yr mark.

Honestly assembly and tools might be even easy. Because for that there's always manuals laying out steps to follow, YouTube, forums, inspecting the part visually to see how to remove it safely, etc.
Tricky part is probably the paint, and determining potential side effects of galvanizing.
For one, Toyota claims rust only becomes a problem in snow states with salt on the road (PNW uses sand, I hear CO does too. Not sure)
IDK if that's the truth or them just trying to cover their ass and deny fault.
They used to replace 4runner dashboards for free despite many years past and miles I think, but they eventually ended that. Due to sun cracking down the middle.
Audi stopped making parts for their oldest cars but Mercedes has a policy of never stopping, and recently lengthened their warranty on W211-chassis E class braking systems (SBC, Sensotronic Brake Control)

Supposedly it becomes much harder to paint a galvanized surface,
and can interfere with proper spacing where gaps are needed. Including threaded holes machined into where screws need to go.
I'm not sure if companies galvanize a part first and then machine thread holes into it,
or if it's machined first, and then dipped. Because that might add a thick layer of zinc that shrinks the hole and makes it harder for screws to fit.

I heard there's even more than that. Like different welding characteristics, easier to chip, and who knows what else.
IDK if there's a good reason Toyota chose to not galvanize,
or if it was simple cost cutting to reduce dealership price and make planned obsolescence like you said
I hear carmakers hire engineers whose specific job is to understand and design part lifetimes, to sell more parts and new cars.
I've only ever seen such a thing in person for testing furniture durability
Was told by a Ford Bronco owner that Bronco's were from a time when American cars were built to last forever, including the truck; that for this reason it came with steel cylinder heads that I've never seen on other cars (usually aluminum); not sure if that's the true explanation. Many older cars including diesel probably used iron heads anyway; steel is just iron with carbon added I think



Ever heard of Munro?
They take apart cars to compare and sell parts costs to competitors

https://jalopnik.com/the-fascinating-company-that-tears-cars-apart-to-find-o-1787205420

'A Faster Horse' (Ford Mustang documentary) mentions them struggling to make dealer cost over the price of a couple screws on the car

 

I would not paint a galvanized frame, I would undercoat it. That should stick well.

 

Salt still corrodes Galvanized metal but way better than what Toyota had to offer , I had a 2017 Tacoma was rusting even with me cleaning the chassis and body after snow / salt events .

That 3 gen was starting to rust but it got totaled before I had a chance to coat the frame and body .

I live in the greater northeast travel between PA/ NJ/ NY and they love to apply road salt .

I have a new 200 series Land Cruiser and will not drive it in the winter salt events , truck cost too much money to have it destroyed by salt .

I have just picked up a 2015 with low miles 16k , not sure if the 2015’s were part of the frame recall years , my local dealer said I should bring it in for a inspection .

I would not have bought the truck if I did not inspect the frame and body , I don’t buy rust buckets .

I just gave my truck a full chassis and underside of the body a full coat of Por-15 . I have done a lot of trucks , its a lot of prep , you just can’t apply Por-15 over surfaces with out prep and adhesion promoters for the existing paint .

I inspected a few trucks with replaced frames , most had a nice frame with mismatch of rusty misc parts .

One guy had to pay out the butt for all the rusted parts dealer really put the bite on him and he was asking 23k for a 2008 with 108k trying to tell me how great his new frame and parts are all new .

If I was spending that kind of dough just add a little more and buy a new truck .

I don’t think it add’s that much value to the truck , you can always find clean trucks out west or down south .

If your keeping the truck that’s awesome... Hope you get a good Tech that does the swap and I would paint or coat the frame after you run the truck for a few months look for bugs and squeaks then coat the crap out of it .

Most important look out for the extras the dealers put the bite on you for .