1st Gen issues to look for

I am looking into picking up a 1st Gen quad cab v6. Anything on this generation I should really be looking for or ask for service records on? Any help is appreciated!!

 

Check the frame for rust. Then check the frame again for rust. Then check the frame really well. I’d bring a hammer to hit it and check for perforations

 

where is the best places/areas to check frame?

some might find it odd or object in taking a hammer to their property
there are possibly more subtle ways to check the condition before a hammer might be necessary?

there may be little rusty crusty here and there but maybe minor that a good cleaning and preventative maintenance can be applied

 

Yeah the hammer could go either way. If I had nothing to hide I’d let you whack my frame with a small hammer no issues. A small flathead will work too. Just make sure you poke real well. Around the rear spring perches is a big problem spot as well as above the rear wheel wells. Mine was about to break in half above the left wheel when I got it.

 

I've always brought a brass hammer to check frame rails, tacoma or otherwise. If they object and don't understand how brass works explain it nicely.. if they continue to object, walk away cause they're probably trying to hide something.

Everything else on this truck is manageable... if that frame's rusty... whhhooooo buddy

 

I saw a guy asking three grand for 97 the other day that had just “passed inspection” and I could see about a 3 inch wide rust bubble through the frame right above the wheel. I was tempted to go look at it just to poke the rust out so every future buyer would see the gigantic hole.

 

some people might not know there is crap going on inside of there though so they might be ignorant to the frame situation and really balk at you hitting their property, unless its a used car lot then F*ck them pound away!

first i would check those drain holes (they certainly cannot object to that?)
to make sure they are not blocked with the defective peeling paint inside first thing first then move on from there
i am nearly certain with a high degree of confidence that this is how this situation all starts from my local inspections at salvage yards recently and compare to mine

stick a finger in whatever hole fits and feel around the bottom, see whats in there, sand, dirt, rusty specks, or the large bad paint peeling and chipping off from who knows where!

 

if it was used car lot dealer i would 'possibly' do that too lol

wonder what the last buyer of this multiple owner '97 saw before they bought it
i hammered a couple of those holes myself just to see what was behind all that

 

Yeah I don’t care I’ll do it in a heartbeat. Especially if it’s blatantly obvious and that person is attempting to Hide it in anyway

 

Here are a few frame images from November 2018 that failed inspection at the dealer in my southeastern Ohio hometown (rust belt central). The young kid who bought the red truck was one of the last Gen1 trucks likely accepted for the enhanced warranty frame program. It looked pretty good but for the frame. The dealer took him off the road immediately on seeing the condition of his Tacoma and put him in a 2018 loaner Tacoma for *months* while a Gen1 frame was ordered. (Most of the frames are Gen 2 these days.)

The biggest area of concern, in my limited experience, is the area around the rear axle. Look especially for cracks, as shown in detail in one of the images. (Note: These images are full-size, so if you want a LOT of detail, click on each to expand them.)

 

Yep right there at the shock mount is where mine went. Only on one side though. Luckily my cousin parked on an unlevel surface the same way for years and my damage was pretty isolated to one spot above the wheel. I safe t capped it and I am happy with the restoration for now.

 

Bad areas I have seen are the welds where the rear leaf springs connect to the frame. Also the inside areas of the the entire frame. I brought a extendable magnet when I got my next Taco, i used it to find weak areas and you can also tap the frame with it as an additional check. The guy asked what I was doing but did not object.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-tacoma-buyers-guide.156943/

 

Working links on that thread are a Wikipedia page for Toyota Tacoma’s. And a link to Tacoma world. Not much of a buyers guide.

 

I have rust problems by the spring perch’s, right by the gas tank support thing on the frame on both sides, and right about the even with my feet at the front.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-tacoma-buyers-guide.156943/

 

When I saw the rusties on my first Tacoma I bought a welder and read/watched a bunch of 101 welding tips. You can fix alot of whats wrong without a full frame replacement. There will be alot of 'Hold my beer' moments

 

I suggest reading more than just the first post in that thread...

 

Issues to look for in 1st gens:

FRAME RUST
It's the first thing you ever want to look for on these trucks, before anything else, really. Especially if the truck is from or has spent some of its life in a cold climate area where winter salt and chemicals are used. But even if the truck isn't/hasn't, it's never a bad idea to look at the frame anyway...

The problem with these frames is that they tend to rust and rot from the inside out... so the best way to know if the frame is still good is to bang it with a hammer. The worst areas for rust are where the leaf springs attach to the frame, right behind the cab, and the inner frame rails by the gas tank and the catalytic converter. If you cannot use a hammer, the other thing you can do is poke a finger or something into the square holes along the frame rails and see if it's full of rust chunks and flakes. If yes, that's not good and you will definitely need the hammer to really make sure the frame is good

In case the frame is rusty but still good, you will need to remove the loose rust with a wire brush, treat with a rust converter, repaint and rustproof it afterwards to keep rust from coming back

Lower ball joints
One of the only design flaws of 1st gens is lower ball joints. You have to check for play in the front wheels, but you can't really check that if the truck is on the ground, but you can still check if the ball joint boots are torn/leaking grease. If yes, that is a sure sign they will need to be replaced. They can fail even if the boot is intact but the only way to know in this case is to lift the truck and check for play

Timing belt - if it's a V6 engine
This engine uses a timing belt and it must be replaced at around 90k miles intervals. So checking if the timing belt is worn out is not a bad idea. By the way, the 4 cylinder engines use a timing chain, which you do not have to replace unless there is something wrong with it, like hearing it slap and rattle against the engine

@GQ7227 section on frame rust should answer your question about another way to check the frame for rust and rot without using a hammer

 

where is the section you are directing me to, i have not come across that (as far as i recall)!