frame repair( rebuild)

Houston, tx

 

is your truck from the north? its not expected to be too bad in TX?

 

In its lifetime, its been registered in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and The Yukon (Canada). Texas is just the latest stop. Fortunately, the majority of it was in the Yukon where they don't salt the roads (its too cold there for salt to be useful).

I think my plan going forward is to clean it up good to get a good idea what I'm dealing with, borescope it to see where all those flakes might be coming from, and then if it seems salvagable, reinforce it and paint it. If its too far gone then I'll have to figure something else out.

 

CS_AR - I opted to go with stock HD springs and shackles from SDSpring out of Kansas City.

 

I finished the frame repair with AutoRust parts, installing new leafs, shackles, OEM u-bolts, Bilstein 5100's all around and Matsuba u-joints in the process. Then added an aftermarket Westin grille guard that I picked up for $50 locally and spent last weekend putting the finishing touches on a Herculiner spray-in bedliner. After that I hit the mountains.

 

I was hesitant going into my frame project, but based off a strong recommendation from a good friend who restores classic cars I used KBS on the entire frame of my 2001 double cab and it not only turned out excellent, but it's also tough as nails.

 

did you use any naval jelly to prep and get a clean surface to apply the KBS?

 

How much did it run you? I am getting a quote next week and would like a number to base it off of

 

https://youtu.be/XB6mzShuts8

 

It was $1700.They quoted me 10 to 12 hours per side @ $70. Per hr. I supplied the parts from autorust. Mine was only the second vehicle frame they'd done. The other was a Jeep.

 

GQ - I had the frame sandblasted and then the inside and out was prepped with Eastwood's Fast Etch, before applying the three step K-B-S coating system.

 

you lucky you have lift on your premises!
i would suppose that the fuel tank must be removed to do the sandblasting?

 

Yep, fuel tank was removed for sandblasting.

 

I have a 2002 tacoma that's got some pretty bad rust through out its frame. I just got the truck end of Nov. 2023, so I haven't even had it for 6 months and paid over $10,000 including registering it and all that jazz. I was told by my mechanic what I unfortunately discovered about a week after buying it and that is that it's got the dreaded dry rotting from rust that unfortunately takes otherwise beautiful trucks to an early graveyard. However, I'm still hopeful...but far from being mechanical inclined. Anyway, just looking for some others options and suggestions. Here's some pics of the truck and its specs, what KBB offered me without knowledge of its newly discovered pre existing rust issue, and a few pics of the rust and my mechanics advice after checking it out this week
Watcha all think? Sell it or trade it in and run while I can or is it something I can have fixed for relatively cheap compared to its value or longevity. The yellow area in the one pic with the frame diaphragm is the area my mechanic says needs repairs the most. Edited to add: The exhaust broke off right before the flange and 2nd cat. I live in PA so emissions aren't read so I just kept the 2nd cat off and rigged it back together with a exhaust repair pipe and a gauge flange from the exhaust repair section of auto zone. Soo...is it worth what it'll cost to fix and if so what products do yall recommend?