Broken LCA mount fix

Hi,
I'm new here. I have a 2009 Tacoma TRD that I bought about 10 years ago. Little over 100,000 miles on it. Always been undercoated with Krown.

Yesterday my son was driving it and called me and told me last night that something felt strange in the front suspension all of the sudden and the steering felt weird. I'm getting the truck towed home today but I snapped some pictures and the right side front lower control arm mount is torn off the frame. I don't know how this happened but I suspect rust from many Canadian winters.

I'm planning to fix it and I was hoping you guys would have some suggestions for the best way to fix it.

 

I'm sure it could be fixed, but I'd question the rest of the suspension pick up points and the frame itself at this point.

Any decent welder could tack that back on, and build a few plates to gusset it, but you'll have to do the same thing for both front and rear points on both sides, and address any other issues.

Marlin Crawler makes a kit that does exactly this, basically a lower control arm mount gusset kit.

https://www.marlincrawler.com/armor/axles/hd-lca-frame-brace-2005-2015-tacoma

 

JD Fab's lower pivot kit would be a more stable/robust mounting option - but if the frame is rusted to the point it is falling apart while driving, I wouldn't continue to put my family in harm's way.

Time to scrap the truck.

 

The rest of the frame is mint and covered in undercoating. It's mainly the front cross member that looks a bit suspect. My son primarily drives this truck and I'm pretty certain he's been taking it on some significant trails. I'm sure that didn't help with the current issue. I'm going to buy that kit you mentioned and get a buddy of mine whos a certified to welder to fix it for me.

 

Around here this truck is worth $18,000. I'm going to do what it takes to fix the damage. What's this lower pivot kit you're talking about?

 

The JD Fab kit might be a better option but it's also $1200 plus install.

You basically cut all the factory LCA mounting points off the frame, bolt up the JD fab kit, and weld it in place. Super solid as well.

https://jdfabrication.com/collections/gen-3-tacoma-16-6-lug/products/tacoma-05-18-lower-arm-pivots

 

Yikes! What if that happened on a sharp turn at speed? What if you were on the inside lane and it caused an understeer condition causing a head on collision? Was the Krown coating applied inside the frame?

 

You can see where the new break is and where the rust has removed the rest of the material. There was not much left, so it’s very likely that the rest of the frame has some issues.

The correct fix may be a new frame, so look it over very well before you waste money on the current frame
Undercoating is famous for hiding and promoting rust

 

It's certainly a bit concerning. As far as the undercoating hiding rust, it's not that kind of undercoating. It's basically an oil spray that gets applied inside and around the frame and every body panel in the fall. I didn't get coated this past fall because I have been too busy. This truck in mint compared to the vast majority of 2g tacomas around here. I know these trucks have frame issues so I've put significant effort into protecting it. I think salt spray and water washes the oil off the front of the frame. Everything else is mint. It's getting pulled in the garage and will get a good once over before I go investing any more money.

If everything else checks out I think I'll try try the martin Crawler kit.

 

That is a very odd failure. JD fab is probably the only choice here.


otherwise I’d replace the frame before patching that up. I would take a hammer to the trucks frame everywhere before proceeding to make a decisoon

 

Probably isn’t a bad idea to get some new lower arms and new front shocks at the same time if you proceed. You can find 3rd gen take offs pretty easy for shocks.

 

It's hard to say without seeing it in person, however, if this were my truck I would pull everything off in the front down to the LCAs, weld in a temporary jig to properly locate the LCA mounts, then grind back the attachment surfaces, fab new tabs and gussets out of .120 or .187 for both positions on both sides, and weld together a stronger structure than Toyota built the truck with in the first place. I would also go over the LCAs and UCAs, and replace them if they looked less than 100%. Prime, paint, and have the truck realigned. If you have any cracks on the frame side. They need to be terminated with a hole, V ground, and welded closed.

It's a little work-intensive, but better tabs with the alignment cam plates could be made and fitted and you would end up with a stronger overall structure. The question might be how solid is the frame you would be welding to. Any way you cut it this will be a good deal of disassembly and welding.

The JD kit is really intended for caster correction with a suspension lift. You could do that and go all in on suspension, or keep it as a stocker, with a stronger set of mounts. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for this one

 

Rusted through the welds.

 

How come the whole bottom of the truck front and back was not coated

 

If you do the JD kit you are getting a number of things that are good
-stronger parts
-a higher skid plate
-bigger bolts
Etc

hopefully whatever else is undercoated is not hiding rust and water inside.
Don’t know if it’s time for a new frame or potentially custom welding work to basically put a new crossmember attached to the main frame body.

I don’t know how a rusted frame that fell apart while driving is worth $18k.

the JD kit goes on by cutting and grinding off the mounts on an otherwise surface, to replace them with better. But in your case I see that’s not exactly a good surface to attach to: it’s rusted and torn apart
Has to be good to begin with to install straight on



idk if Toyota sells the crossmembers separately



Another option could be SAS swap.



I’d be hesitant to put money into a truck that’s otherwise compromised.
Not sure the legality or price of selling it as is, or having a fabricator do what they can and possibly selling it.

So does this “krown undercoating” not provide a warranty or any kind
Because the truck appears to have no evidence of undercoating

finding a used frame may be possible. Not gonna be fun swapping rusted components.
Could be rust elsewhere.
Or a rear ended truck with not rusted frame. To swap that and fix the bent frame at the same time whether pulling straight or cutting off to replace with something like link kit.
But those are performance mods than don’t really match the original shocks and sway bar visible on the truck.

it might be done for. If it’s “fixable” and “worth $18k” then it could be possible to sell for cheap as is and move on.

 

It's clear that many of you have never worked on a truck from the north east...

Without constant undercoating this truck would have been parted out long ago.

No real warranty from Krown. This truck is in good shape compared to others on the road. These trucks are valuable around here because they turn to swiss cheese so easily so they're hard to find over 10 years old.

Pictures look worse than they are. Lots of surface rust on the front frame and it's heavily covered in dirt, silt and sand. It won't be getting sold.

I'll update this thread as I make progress with the repair.

 

...i'm a half hour out of buffalo, and with my 09' , purchased new, and with a bit over 190,000 miles, and that looks hammered when compared to mine. ....i have taken care of mine, and corroseal rusted spots, and follow with krown respray every fall, but that is nasty, and i find it hard to believe that the rest looks 'mint', based on those pics. ....not being an ass, just a reality check from someone with a like aged truck in salt central.....

 

Please do keep us updated. If I had an otherwise great Taco, in need of a frame, I'm not sure I wouldn't buy an entire new frame. I'm not suggesting that, I think the repair can be done well with the kit.
Please document and post pictures as you can. I'm interested in seeing it and I'm sure others here are as well.

 

Good shape. The damn lca ripped off the frame. On a serious note anything is fixable with time and money. Whatever you do repair wise just make sure you get down to clean virgin unrusted steal or it will haunt you.Definitely keep posted. I’d like to see how the repair goes, lots of pics. Good luck.