Boxing/Plating your Frame w/ Lots of Pics (2nd Gens)

I know this topic has been discussed and questions asked, so figured we should have a dedicated thread for it. Hopefully this can serve as a guide/FAQ for people looking to box their frame.
-- For anyone who has already done this, feel free to post photos and share some info/tips on how you did it. There are many different methods/designs for reinforcing the frame.
-- For anyone planning/thinking about doing this, feel free to ask questions.

Here's how I recently did mine: (I took a few ideas from others I've seen on TW).

(First off, I wouldn't exactly say this is a simple project you could knock out by yourself over the weekend. Though with the right skills, tools, and help from your buddies, I am sure many TW members are capable.
I believe there are a few vendors/members that offer pre-cut frame plates, which could surely save you time and effort. @jeffz0rz and @DTFtacoma are at least two.

You'll have to remove: bumper, complete bed, wiring attached to bottom of bed, and the rear crossmember (the X one that holds the spare tire). Depending how far back you want to plate, you may also have to remove gas tank, exhaust, and the crossmember that holds hardware for the gas tank.




I have a fab shop, so cut my own plates. Painted the backsides before welding them in.



If you have anything bolted through your frame, you should weld a nut on the backside since you will no longer have access once the plates are welded in. I also put gussets where my spring hangers and my bump stops are located.






I wanted to plate back to the crossmember under the cab, so made 2 piece plates for each frame rail.




Trimmed this crossmember down to size and welded it back in same position.



I also wanted to reinforce the area around and just in front of the crossmember under rear of cab. Seemed like a PITA to try and box the frame on the inside, so I made plates to weld on the outside.



Used 1/8"x1-3/4" round tubing for rear crossmembers




Here's how some other members have done theirs:

DTFtacoma
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1892/img0523kz.jpg
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/241/img0529u.jpg
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/6579/img0533hdd.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1516/img0531tp.jpg

sytfu510



jeffz0rz


UPDATE:
Being that front and rear of frame are now boxed, I also wanted to strengthen the center section. I was going to just plate the outside, but @RelentlessFab suggested we weld on a pair of modified bolt-on sliders. He added some extra cutouts for welding then welded them up solid:

 

How did you mark and cut your plates and what metal did you use?

Engage has a box kit, pretty sure it just goes around the cross members though.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/en...age-pictures-please-bedcage-boxing-kit-2.html

 

I'm going to be doing a bunch of work on the rear of my Taco here soon and am looking at taking the bed off, I have searched high and low here on TW but come up empty. So I must ask, what all do you have to do to take off the bed?

6 bolts located in the bed.
Wiring connected to bed.

Anything other than that? Like the filler neck, how does that come out?

 

I used 1/8" steel plate. (the frame is 1/8"). It should be 6"+ wide to allow for the upward curve in frame. I clamped the steel plate, 1/8x8x60, to the inside of the frame, then traced out the shape on the outside of frame. Used a plasma to do the cutting. Cut it just a little inside of the traced line so the plate will fit inside the frame.

Yes, the wiring and those 6 bolts. You'll need to take out taillights so you can disconnect wiring and detach it from the bed. Taking off the bumper and hitch makes little easier too. The filler neck will basically just pull out of the plastic ring on the bedside. If you look in your gas filler door, that square plastic piece slips over the filler tube. That's it, pretty simple. And it's really light, so if you don't have a forklift, 2 people could easily take it off.

 

what year did that change there frames? cause my 2012 is fully boxed from the factory

 

Pics please hippi.

 

I see most guys tie the rear section of the frame together before removing the factory X-member....you had no concerns with the frame rails shifting out of spec/becoming distorted after welding in plates?

 

my bad i lied lol.. in my defense it was dark and i just so happened to grab the parts of the frame that are boxed

 

If you remove your stock rear crossmember your rear frame ends can be moved by hand. It's that flimsy. Either gusset them and leave them in or build your own crossmembers and then ditch the factory crossmember afterwards.

 

Awesome, thanks for the help!

 

Thats what I was getting at...was the same when I was building bagged S10's....

 

Here is mine, I don't have the stock frame anymore after the bumpstops.

 

I actually bolted the bumper back on before welding anything (not shown in pics) to hold it in place. Also measured before and after to be sure.

Nice. looks good

 

Looks great OP!! I need to box my frame as well

I'm pretty sure all 2nd gens are not boxed 05-15s

 

For the dcsb I did, I tacked A temporary cross member across the rear while I cut out the stock one. Then used 2×3× 1/8 for the new crossmember. Beefy for sure. I make the rear frame plates. Cnc cut, 120$ shipped. 05+ access cab/dcsb.

 

Would using galvanneal steel be effective?

 

No. if you're worried about inside rust, I suppose you could just blast the hell out of it with a penetrating primer.

 

Ya, i would recommend spraying primer/paint/bedliner on inside of plates before welding them in. I sprayed the inside of my plates, welded them in, then painted the outside.

 

id go weld-primer before bedliner. when welding, the bed liner is going to melt/cook inside there. Smokey and messy. could catch fire as well if you used enough of it.