Broken frame

Don’t even think about it.

 

but i mean.. i have a green 2001 extended cab frame

 

I doubt there's much left to weld to.

 

Only option left is see what the wizards at Auto Rust Technicians in RI have to say. If it can be fixed short of a frame swap, they will know. When my frame split (in slightly less dramatic fashion) they took care of it for less money than a new truck. They manufacture the Safe-T Caps, but at their shop they will take jobs that require custom fabrications.

Also the tech I had - Mike I think - had a 1st gen so we bonded over our rusty woes.

 

I had a 2006 Escape. I bought it new. I had work done to it last summer (2021). It needed a tone ring replaced. My mechanic found some other things that needed attention, but before he gave me the keys and sent me on my way, he told me that my cross-member was rusting out, and was nearing the end of its life. He told me it was okay for now, but he didn't know how long now was. I told him that I had a good run with it, and got my money's worth out of it. I knew before he told me the news, that the day of reckoning was coming. I figured I'd get through one more winter, then go shopping in the spring.

There were other forces at play. In the end of September, I was driving down a winding road, got to the bottom, and entered a traffic circle. When I came out of it, my wheel had to be 45 degrees to the left to go straight. So I knew what happened right there and then. I had to go shopping earlier than anticipated.

To that end, my mechanic warned me. So I agree with the quoted poster... whoever did the work didn't tip you off as I think they should have.

 

Man, rough crowd in here. Telling the OP what he should have done isn't too helpful without a time machine. Not everyone is great at evaluating a vehicle's condition, and likely everything OP sees looks similar to his truck as far as rust.

Anyway, OP, you need a new frame. I'd check the rocker panels and bottom of the doors and make sure they aren't about to go as well before putting any money into it. If body panels are fine, you'd likely need to look far and wide for a donor frame in good condition. Think desert south and west. Or, sell it to Dan.

 

I think that one is done for, unfortunately. With enough $, anything is fixable, though.

 

With 1st gen prices these days, that's not saying much, lol.

But with the OP's pics, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire frame looks like this:

 

It looks horrible for sure. I was just under my 2000 that has lived it's entire life in Oregon and it looks factory new compared to everything under that truck. Salt done got it good.

 

I don't know that that is but I want to eat it.

 

I was thinking the same thing. There has to be metal to weld SafeTCaps to. This one looks too far gone.

 

The only way to really know is be up close and in person.

 

Any capability to re-fabricate a frame from heavier gauge metal? Or is there no good metal at all to sister repairs to. Would love to see a frame dissection- also the location of the crack makes me think the shock bottomed out and punched through the frame, maybe on a big pot hole or off road. I'm starting a rust repair on my own right now, but I don't have the same amount of rust above the wheel (still some small holes) but my shock mount completely punched through the frame as well.

 

Delicious

 

This looks like a Taco CSI crime scene photo. The way Hollywood likes spinoffs, I suspect we'll see this sooner rather than later.

 

Dont low ball me I know what I got

 

What ever you weld to is equally as bad it just hasn't broken off yet.

 

Another one bit the dust

 

That sucks! I feel for ya man. I have been researching and pondering whether to Fluid Film the underside and frame in and out on my 2000, knowing the issues they can have. This sold me. Mine is a solid, rust-free Florida native that is now living in western NC. Although I won't/don't drive much on our mountain roads if snow flies, it is sometimes unavoidable, and road salt is used on the main roads and highways here.
1st gen Tacomas are still a dime a dozen here, as well as a lot of older 22RE's, but they can and do rust. $100 seems like a worthwhile investment to avoid this.