Frame Replacement - What additional cost to expect from the Dealer?

Hope it goes better for you then it has for me!! It does suck. I've been a loyal Toyota owner, like many of you, for many years.. this truck is my 4th. Guess I'm salty with Toyota in general now. I do agree with you about the dealership, I picked the wrong one. I called Toyota customer service while I was still sitting at the dealership, they were rude and no help. Today my brake pads and calibers got replaced. The lug nuts were loose on both front tires, that is scary! Talk about not safe to drive. I still have a spongy brake even after bleeding them, not sure if it was like that or something is still wrong. I'm tired and I'm also selling this truck if I keep having issues.

 

A local body shop I trust made the repair. They took out the windshield, medium blasted, epoxy sealed and repainted, reinstalled a new windshield. (Billed separately to my car ins - i.e. Free) I also had them paint (properly) my hood (which in my current avatar you can see is quite oxidized and looks like shit) all for about $800.

After much thought and research made possible here on TW, I am going to keep my 2nd gen and turn at least 300k miles, maybe 400k....

 

How much of a lift did you go for and what did you spend on it through Headstrong? I am considering the same, and have been in discussion with Marie, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to get the blessings from my wife to spend extra cash on the truck.
I am reasonably confident my UCAs and coil springs are fine, but I can see the bottom of the Struts (front shocks) look Rusty... same with my Rear shocks, rusty bottoms.

So I'm planning to at least spend on new front struts and rear shocks, but the difference in that cost and the addl for "Lift components" may prove a tough sell....

 

I just read this whole thread - now you guys are scarin' me! My truck is in the shop waiting for a new frame (week 6 now). I do not have a lot of $$$, and can't afford a lot of extra fiddling and diddling. They did tell me at check-in that my right front shock was broken - fair enough. Now I will be imagining all sorts of crazy added expenses, and them holding my truck ransom. I don't think so, though. All my dealings with this outfit have been very pleasant, and they seem to be pretty straightforward.

But if they want to hold my truck ransom, OK - I'll hold their truck ransom! Brand new Tacoma Double Cab V6 with all the trimmings! Though to tell the truth, I prefer my old 2007 4 cyl single cab manual transmission, and so does my dog. :-/

 

You're singing my song, friend. You'll be fine. So glad I kept my truck. 4cyl + MT is a gem. Remember that communication is your friend - check in to see what progress they're making on getting parts in. They'll start disassembly as soon as they get them, so feel free to make some time to drop by and take a look at your truck while it's apart. I took over 80 pictures of mine in that state, and I'm glad I did.

Keep an eye open for parts here on the forum. Thinks like oem shocks and coilers come available all the time at really reasonable prices. Ask the dealership to put them on instead of your original parts.

Just had a local mechanic check it out - he said that even with all the rust, mine is perfectly safe. Actually told me someone had asked him to be on the look out for a 2007, and ended up getting a truck with 200k more miles than mine!

 

I paid 0 dollars

 

Waiting to take my truck in.
Ordered frame 3 weeks ago.
I already have started getting parts in I'm having them install.
Mines a 1st gen...04 DCSB
I'm waiting to see The whole kit before I order anything suspension parts.
Does the kit come with body bushings?mine are split and will order a master kit if needed.at 223,000 they all need to be replaced....
I'm hoping to get new lca and ball joints,along with new leafs....but I will not know what is in the kit till it arrives....

 

That sucks

 

And this week, 7 of my told would be a 4-6. Week wait, my local St. Augustine FL dealer, Beaver Toyota called to say my New frame has arrived.... bring her on in.....


Oho shit, it's about to get real now. Which requires me to make some decision... and so>>

I can not do a Lift at this time.

Other Life priorities and cash flow dictate Only replacing my needed suspension components consisting of Front Strut/coils and Rear shocks.

And I figure I'll pay for new UCA Bushings and Swaybar Bushings.... -and new Motor and a Transmission mounts. I think that will be it- I hope!


after a trip to my local (trusted) shop this week for a current inspection of my truck, all other Suspension components appear to be in good working order. Including the Rack and Pinion unit......

Over the past few weeks as the new frame was in production the dealer quoted me new stock ( '06 TRD off-road sport 4x DCSB 6MT) $875 Front Strut/coil assembly's and $175 Rear shocks. $1,050 (just email quote before anything started) no Labor cost.

My local auto shop recommends (or would easily supply as Good enough) the Monroe FRT STRUT 17137 L/R $298 and REAR SHOCK 37280 $130
WITH Labor, etc $807.31......

Any opinions???
Thanks!!

 

Is there a full parts listing of what is replaced with the frame? Brake lines? Fluids? Lower control arms? Bushings? My truck in shop now.

 

Call the parts manager at the dealership,he will now what came in the kit.....

 

I did ask for and got an email pdf of an entire list of parts for all models all together, which was not useful at all. My dealer is telling me (obviously) Frame, LCAs which include the lower ball joints, Break lines and in my case I had a recall on the rear Leaf packs too.

I'm choosing to replace at my costs: strut/coil and rear shocks (from Marie @HeadStrong Off-Road )
Sway-bar linkages that are a bit torn up now (still weighing OEM $$$ parts vs aftermarket MOOG $ brand)

Considering Engine and Transmission Mounts and Brackets (and still weighing OEM parts vs my parts warehouse aftermarket not sure which brand)

My steering rack and tie rod ends all appear good, so i'm likely going to keep on with what i have because $ is an issue.

 

Who would replace their Motor Mounts & Brackets AND Transmission Mount & Bracket
And IF you did: would you spend a $100 more for Toyota OEM parts
OR go with aftermarket from reputable supply warehouse?
Probably $400+ range vs $300 range in parts cost

 

Well here's the question......do you want to chance the fact of aftermarket may fail quicker,and have to go in there again in a couple years?or replace with oem parts that are known to go hundreds of thousands of miles?
Buy once,cry once,

 

I'm planning on a bill of around 1200.00 from the dealer when mine is done.
It's not that I can't do the work,(10 years master tech)but when they have it apart lets do what has to be done.I work on cars all day 6 days a week......I like driving my truck,not working on it.....but do when needed.

 

Great point supporting OEM. Thank you.
Any idea who (or how to determine who is) the OEM supplier is for this (or any) part? I'd hate to spend the extra $100 on OEM if it is in fact the same part but just a different label slapped on it. Sort of like KYB shocks are the stock base shock on a Toyota, but it's OEM if bought through the dealer and its branded KYB if you go to the parts supply house.... kind of frustrating!

 

If you do go with Energy Bushings

 

Good evening TW!

I am the extremely happy new owner of my now "2006-2018" Tacoma, fresh with a brand new Frame and Factory Rear Leafs, having picked it up this afternoon from my local dealer, Beaver Toyota, St. Augustine, Florida.

Where after driving around for almost a week in their loaner (a like new 2017 Highlander), thanks to my service advisor, ASM Thomas Fallon, whom gave me the best service I could have ever asked for, and thus far near as I can tell(!) the 2 excellent mechanics in back, and the dealerships philosophy - at least with me! - PAID $0.00 for anything they did during the Frame swap recall job.
I signed a work order that goes to Mother Toyota for just under $12k.
To say I am stoked, would be a huge understatement.....

With my drive train/ transmission on the floor, the mechanic was able to look down the top of the shifter hole and see a broken $15 plastic part, that helps keep the shifter where it's supposed to be when in neutral, and somewhere in the last few years, I must have missed when it broke.... And now my transmission feels much better to the touch, shifts much better toward 3rd gear, and may not have the synchromesh gear issue as I was presuming.... And they warranty'd the $15 part!

I provided and Beaver Toyota installed the following:
From @HeadStrong Off-Road;
Bilstein 5100/OME 883 up front, with SPC UCAs w/it's balljoint (again no labor from Beaver Toyota for this install extra)
Bilstein 5100 in back. (Thanks Marie - also The Best Customer Service ever)
From my local The Parts House warehouse;
Outer Tie-rod ends
Swaybar Linkages

So I effectively lifted the front of my truck an inch, And can go higher when ready/IF with different coils and adjustment to the Strut setting.

In hindsight I wish I would have gone for the single AAL, because my stock nose down stance is gone.... but I wanted to see what the fresh new (4) leaf pack would look like compared to my original (3 leaf) not much measurable difference, perhaps a half inch. So I do want to go up in the rear at least an inch.

Next summer should see the end of my current tires tread life (love Michelin tires) and I'll likely go with something in the 275 or 285 75/70 on 17s with something a bit more aggressive, and then I'll do the rear end lift, adjust the front up a tad more too....

I'll post some pictures soon.

 

Glad you had a good experience! Mine went in today for the frame swap . Praying they do a good job . They tell me they have done over 1500 frames ,so

 

My dealer apparently has too. They had two guys on it, and IF I would have had all my parts to them at one time, it would have been completed in one day.
My dealer told me it's a 40 hour job.... but they started the actual tear down Wednesday morning, and had the Entire thing reassembled less the bed, at 4:30pm that afternoon - when I showed back up with the shocks and coil overs for them to put on.

Crazy!