Frame Inspection - Does This Need Replaced? Looking At Buying or Not

Glad you had it checked, its 100% not repairable. Walk away.

I can't stand people posting this AFTER the buy the damned thing.

It's not critical at that point, but indicative of the rest of the frame.

 

More photos - struggling to upload haha

 

Rust Inspection Guide

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10141615-9999.pdf

 

Appreciate you guys - life savers. It's a 4x4 4 Door, super rare around where I am located (Canada) with only about 150k miles. Is there a price for y'all where you think this could be worth it or is this a value my life and move on type of thing haha. You guys are the best - happy the internet exists.

 

Bookmarking this!

 

I can't see a situation where that is worth anything at all. I wouldn't touch it

 

If its east of manitoba, fortget it, all the 1st gens in that area are worthless now.

BC is ideal, but in Alberta where we are we're seeing rust like this and its hard to spend over 5000$ on something that could turn into scrap metal one day.

I would wager the truck you are looking at is $12000-14000 CDN

 

BC at least, Canadian truck too truck is in KMs. They had it posted for 12 but I assume the frame has been pointed out to them and have dropped it to six. Hurts my soul to see a 4 Door 4x4 with that frame.

 

It's by far not the worst posted here... but it's toast. To the right person, that truck might be worth something, but they'd be buying it knowing they were going to have to rebuild the entire rear frame, or maybe buying it for a (relatively) low milage engine.

 

Ty all - going to pass on it. The hunt continues!

 

Tell them to part it out. It’s not even worth a frame replacement. IMHO

 

Welp, I'm going again against the grain of conventional thought. My comments for your reading and infotainment pleasure.

1) This specific spot below is definitely bad and in need of square tubing (plate) welding repair. That specific spot has corroded out because there was no "weep hole" for moisture to drip out from inside, it is close to the hot exhaust pipe, and gets spray from the rear tire. That's an easy $500 repair around where I live. Easy repair. And, no, a frame repair such as this does not need anything like to be stress tested or anything like that. Or recertified by anyone. Just stop. A quality welding repair with flat plate is all that is needed. This is plain carbon steel. MIG or TIG or stick weld.



2) This particular spot on top of the rear leaf spring, between the u-bolts, is called surface delamination. It is flaking. Because water (moisture) gets trapped there and causes what you see. However, one can easily also see the leaf springs all still have solid integrity. Ditto the u-bolts. The overall layer of rust is - at this point - considered to mild advancing surface corrosion. Those u-bolts can be easily removed and that area touched up. Those are $10 ubolts. The leaf springs can be pressure washed and treated with Fluid Film, WoolWax, or Cosmoline to mitigate (stop) ongoing corrosion.



3) There is absolutely nothing wrong with this structural member. All four of those nuts are easily removable by anyone with grey matter between their earholes. Look at those bushings (arrows). Nothing wrong there. Surface corrosion. Yeah, you bet. Is that rotted? No way in hell. That can also easily be removed and cleaned off with an ordinary pressure washer and treated. Just stop with the "fracture or tensile strength will be reduced nonsense". OK, fine, It might be reduced from something like 10 tons (20,000 lbs) before it folds to 9.5 tons (19,000 lbs). For those of you cackling about such a reduction, I say this -->

If that structural member fails, after being grit blasted with baking soda or pressure washed and then treated with a rust inhibitor, one has WAY more serious issues to contend with. Like your truck was PANCAKED between two fully loaded semis. And the rescue crews are using vacuums to suck the remnants of your body out of the cab.


4) Other comments -
OK the spare tire is missing. But that bracket is still treatable. Or replacable for $300 or so. Is anyone even looking at the floor pan and exhaust? They are fine.

5) The power steering rack is leaking slightly.

6) The U-joints need to be replaced.

7) The pics that show the floor pan all look A-OK.



YES. This truck needs TLC. Is the frame "toast"? Not in my opinion. If the price was reduced from $14k to $6k, it may still be worth consideration.

That being said, I would want to see the engine and interior and still have it inspected at a shop.

SOMEBODY is going to buy that truck. And I think they might get one heckuva deal.

My thoughts for your consideration

 

I was leaning towards this train of thought, but my issue is, this is what we can see. The other critical spots are not shown and its likely been passed on by other potential buyers for its price to be reduced so much.

Like you spotted, once I see the metal splintering/spreading, its a big concern, and its what we saw kill most of the 2nd gen frames.

An inspection would be a good idea, but I feel like its hiding much more.

 

All the mental gymnastics and it's wrong. There used to be a bumpstop there. The bumpstop backing plate broke off due to rust.

Also the bed has large rust holes on both sides, basically scrap.

 

If the drive train was in Good Shape all new Tires .
A new Timing belt. I would offer $1000.00
No where even close to what they are asking!!

 

I've repaired lots rust over the last three decades -- frames, body panels, floors, etc. These rust threads are interesting.

 

Happy to have kicked off this debate haha. Learned a lot from all of your comments above. If anyone wants an update the truck was swooped up at full price ($6000 CAD) by someone fairly quickly after the price drop. Someones taking a chance on it, can't deny I considered it.

 

Appreciate those who highlighted more pictures. I did not notice those spots.

I think this was a win-win for the OP. GREAT JOB sharing the original pics. There is so much help here on this forum it is amazing. I'm not always perfect, but this was a good outcome. This one got away, but there are many more fish in the ocean.

Inspect 'em and test drive 'em like you stole it before you buy a used one. Cheers!