Fix or Sell? Frame rust but good truck.

I think I'm in over my head. 2003 with 189,650 with all service at dealer and we're the second owner. I knew it was rusty and we planned on refinishing the frame thinking there were no major issues. Found a hole inside the frame next to the gas tank. Do I continue or sell it for someone else to tackle? I have a new muffler and gas skid plate along with two cases of POR15 ready for what we "planned" on doing this week but that stupid hole just pumped the brakes on it! Thoughts? Just did $2,500 in timing belt, 4WD service, rear bearing, ebrake, water pump... thinking we'd go the long haul. Should I sell or try and fix? Oh, and we can't get the bed bolts out SMH.

 

Fix it

https://www.autorust.com/

 

show us some pictures!

Where does the truck live? Can you do the repair yourself ?

 

Keep it, you put all that money in already

 

No one can make an honest determination without at least seeing pics of the frame/hole.

It could be a pile of scrap metal and you'd still have dudes on here saying keep it.

 

I'll get pics loaded but it is between the gas tank and frame, so tight fit. Still trying to get bed bolts out to get a better view. Impact wrench, air and cordless, soaked with WD40, heat, cold, I've never had a bolt not come loose after the things we put them through. They aren't reversed threaded are they? LOL.

 

Driver's side rear shackle

Pass side rear shackle

Driver's wheel arch - seems thin

Driver's side outside frame looking forward

Outside of where the hole is (on the inside between the gas tank). Yes, I have a gas tank skid plate replacement.

Best I could get of the hole. That is where my fingers pushed through.

 

Get after that now!! From the pictures you should be able to save things.

Go do the hammer test of the whole frame see what your really dealing with.

It comes down to you or a friend being able to do the work or spending a possible $3000.00 or more depending just how bad things are to have it done.

Sell it as is with new tires I paid $400.00 for one I drove home.

Good luck!

Burn the bolts off and be done!

 

Sell

 

Aren't the frames a warranty thing?

 

If it was me I'd pull the box off,sand blast what can be done . Then get the frame pieces (safety cap I believe) and start welding. Truck will be down for a while but you should end up with a solid truck. Good luck

 

Not anymore. Way past the time frame Toyota was replacing or buying back trucks with rusted out frames. Safety Caps and a good welder will fix it right up. After it's repaired, Paint the frame and spray some Eastwood Internal Frame coating inside the boxed portions.

 

Ironically, I bought Eastwood Internal Frame coating along with the POR15 to do just that. Truck is currently at a body shop to get the bed bolts out. My 650 ft-lbs didn't budge them so they are going to hit it with a 1200. I work for an auto group and we have body shops that can at least point me in the right direction on the frame. None of them actively patch frames but know of local people that do. I have a welder but it's a crappy little flux core mig and would like a professional to do this one.

 

If you chose to sell please do so with full disclosure on the frame condition.

So yea, you'd be selling it as a parts truck to someone who either wants to put in a good frame or disassemble it for parts.

 

Absolutely, I would hate it if someone did that to me.

 

Pulled the bed, cut out old muffler (3.4 sounds pretty dang good straight-piped lol but we are replacing), and the gas tank skip plate literally fell off after removing front two bolts. We'll drop the tank this weekend, cleaned up most of the frame and found no other holes, just delaminations. Ordered all three rear sections, for both sides, sets of Safe T Caps that'll be here tomorrow. Right now delaminations in four spots, which all four areas will get a cap. Was going to replace rear springs for the sake of "new" but they're stupid expensive now so we'll clean them up like everything else. POR 15 clean, prep, and paint by next week, hopefully. There is a lot of welding to do first... I'll post pics.

 

Yeah boiiiii! Are you getting new rear crossmembers? I had to find mine on ebay. ATF will cut through those rusty bolts if you let it soak in a while. Ask me how I know. Ease it first with a long breaker bar, then work it off with the impact. Use 6 point socket only.

 

Tack welded fist Safe-T-Cap in place today. Ordering new springs and Bilsteins. Frames are clean and all coated in POR-15 then ground down to bare metal where welding. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

PTSD triggered