Budget Crusty Toyota Rehab/Restore thread

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I tried to find the tool I needed, I ordered 3 different types online and went to a bunch of auto parts stores in my area and couldn’t find the right tool for my pulley… so I had to figure out a solution because it had been a week the truck was just parked… the right tool was going to take 2-3 weeks to arrive and I didn’t want to wait. Worked great and I also found another way to do it. 2x4 wood with a 2” hole in the center and 2 3/8” holes lines up with the pulley holes and 3/8 bolts threw those holes to hold it in place. The 2x4 needs to be just long enough to sit on the frame so it doesn’t allow the pulley to move.

 

Redneck inginuity...Awesome!
Had a shop teacher that said, everyday before work time.
"If it works, use it. Just don't cut your finger off"

 

Got some rust stripping pads for my angle grinder, this probably works the best of anything I've tried so far. Only downside is you can't get into the real tight spaces

CH]

Diff cover is starting to look like a diff cover again

 

Using the chopsticks method to remove more mouse nests and rust chunks from hard to reach areas. I also duct taped a section of garden hose to a shop vac and jammed it into the frame, that was really effective

 

they make a tool for that

 

A not insiginificant amt of rust...



Cant get the last 2 bolts off the hitch to remove itm which is pretty annoying. Think I might need a torch to remove it. Got most of the rest of the frame cleaned up and a coat of paint, Im gonna hit it again on the udnerside and give evrything else another coat. This is the stuff I used, maybe not the best but its what was available in town



SOme progress being made



Debating what to do with the leaf springs, clean them up and paint them, or just leave em be and budget for new ones down the road, theyre pretty crusty and new ones arent too expensive

 

when it's pulled apart the way it is, changing the leaf springs and shocks would be a breeze!

i'd vote to replace them instead of trying to restore them. shocks as well--they won't be very far behind, even the cheapest budget shocks will be better than a failed shock on leaf springs.

 

Well said. Time is money.

 

As you go forwards, please keep in mind that you could very easily spend $5,000 and a few hundred hours of labor. When you are done you will likely have a truck worth about $2,000. With something that has advanced rust you are only able to fix the tip of the iceberg. When you remove the tip you will see the rest start to show on the surface of the ocean. The parts that you feel are structurally sound will float to the surface. It will be someplace between possible and likely that once finished you may load it up someday and the frame will collapse from the rust that has yet to become visible. The inside of the frame is likely in worse condition that the places you are seeing.

 

Youre exactly right, that is the tightrope I am attempting to walk right now. I'd like this truck to continue to last for a while, and I think I can get it to that point. The structural rust issues that I've found seem to be limited to the rear, and I have a guy that is going to help me fix those (he's actually a welding instructor at Haun Welding in SYracuse, so if anybody has any issues with HIS welds, then idk what to tell you ) . I think I'm going to forgoe any upgrade to leaf springs and shock now, they seem to work. ANyways, If i Need the bed back off for replacing those, It should be easy this time around.

 

These are the remaining weak spots on the frame, both back near where the hitch mounts up. I think I'd like to get a plate weled on that entire section to bolster it (a spot where a hitch mounts seems like it outta be pretty strong) and maybe even box it in just towards the back. Thoughts?

 

replacement is fine, i would vote against boxing in the frame at this point, given the stock nature of the truck.

boxing any part of a frame will make that section stiffer. initially this sounds good, but any open c-channel frame is designed with a certain amount of flexibility to it. by boxing in such a frame, you're removing the flexibility of that section, and forcing a different section to flex twice as much, which can rapidly accelerate metal fatigue.

 

Getting my frame welded up tonight so had to get the hitch off to address the weak spots at the rear of the frame. After some more cursing at those last two bolts, I grabbed the grinder and.... it magically fell off! BOlts are cheap right?

 

following for sure! Here in Arkansas you could probably still sell that thing for $5,000 or $10,000 the way some people around here will pay for toyotas

 

If thats the case then I'll be headed to Arkansas ASAP

 

Got my buddy to assist with some welds. Time to fix up this frame!

WOrking on the rear where the hitch mounts:



Welded some steel in to reinforce the lower part of the C channel. I'll get a metal bit shortly and punch a hole through this so it can accept a bolt



Other side




Filled in the hole to the smaller plate on the inside and ground it down



And painted

 

The before:



Cleaning up and welding a patch on the outside. We couldnt get to this from the inside bc there was a brace blocking access to it so this was the best we could do without dumping a ton of time and energy into it.



Patched. He left big beads so it could be smoothed down and blended into the rest of the frame



SMoothed





The smaller hole



Painted

 

Just an FYI. Amazon sells inexpensive borescopes that hook up to a cell phone and are lighted so you could peer into the inside of that frame to see if there were any potential weak spots that might either require attention or allow you to avoid a bad failure of the frame.

 

Back from the dead. QUick update, got the filler neck bolts replaced, cleaned up the hitched and painted it and got the bed and hitch back on, everything was looking good! Then I believe my starter crapped out Went out to start her up one day and just nothing. Even got a new battery and threw it in there and still dead. New starter motor is next on the to do list. COuple random pics

 

Related, anybody have any luck with these eBay cheap starter motors? Name brand is $150+, they sell these no name ones for around $60-70