Driver side inner fender cracked

I got my truck back from the winch being installed and as soon as I start driving I hear a clicking/crunching noise. I used a mallet to hear where the buzz/click/crunch was coming from and it sounded like it was under my battery but located it to a bracket in the inner fender on the drivers side. It sounds terrible over every little bump. Did the extra weight of the winch crack this? Should I take the winch out. It sounds like absolute shit. I already upgraded the springs on my coilovers to 700lb springs for the added weight. Do I have to cut out the inner fender or can I have my body shop JB weld or reinforce it. I didn’t even drive the truck home it sounded so bad.


should I have them weld it or JB Weld and then make a c channel wrap around it and bond that shit in? It seems super flimsy.

 

cheap quick and dirty = weld
maybe a plate

better and nicer = JDfab inner fenders

 

Might be super unpopular but, you can do a “stop drill” at the very tip of the crack.
You can then fill the crack with whatever you want. Weld, or plate with bolts on either side.

I lack the wisdom to understand fully, I don’t think the winch bumper would be the root cause.

 

You can weld it, but that whole area is pretty thin.
This is also a pretty common issue with Tacomas that see any dirt, have bigger/heavier or even stock sized batteries.
Google “tacomaworld core support cracking” and you’ll find many threads of truck much worse. There’s probably more cracks in places on your truck.
If yours is limited to that crack, I’d drill a hole and drive it. Maybe rivet some plate metal as a patch if you can’t weld.
If your core support is pretty much falling apart, as in none of the body panels line up well, I’d go with JD Fabs kit.

 

And I doubt this had anything to do with the winch you just had installed.

 

I’ve heard the area is notoriously weak and tends to crack more from the following:

1. added weight of a second battery in that area
2. Loose battery, if it is loose, bouncing around
3. Wheeling on big tires, where it can impact

 

I had it welded at my local body shop the next week. Didn’t even drive it home that night since the noise was so bad. My tech and I were at work super late to pinpoint the noise and found it. Welded it and coated it with underbody coating and she’s good as new. I have a Costco Interstate battery for pretty much the last 9 years as they are best bag for the buck in the factory group size. Seems to have done the trick