Frame Rust

Yea a lot of manufacturers started cheaping out on their frames in the 90s and 2000s. I'm not sure what exactly changed, but older frames would just rust on the surface but remain solid, where the newer stuff just tended to rot right through.

Anyway, anything will rot like that given the right conditions. But the 1G Taco gained notoriety for doing it faster than the industry standard. Some of them up north were already rotting within 5 years of purchase.

And besides, we expect better from Toyota. It's not an excuse to say Jeep frames do it too, or that the manufacturing was contracted to Dana. The bottom line is this is not "Toyota quality."

I personally learned the hard way. Mine was a Maryland/Virginia truck which was virtually rust free, including the outside of the frame. However, I discovered later it was almost rotted through in some spots. I'd never imagined such a thing could happen at the time.

The older Pickups and Land Cruisers didn't have this issue, so there's no reason Toyota couldn't have gotten it right the first tie and saved everyone a lot of trouble.

 

I've never worked on a land cruiser so I can't speak for them but I can assure toyota pick ups from before the tacoma were way worse for rust, more so the body panels, but their frames were just as prone to Swiss cheese. Hell any Japanese truck from 35 years ago would Swiss cheese just looking at em funny because Japan didn't coat their steel at all (besides paint)

I believe 1st gens only have the notoriety because they're the only ones that readily admitted fault and tried to get ahead of it by giving a 15year long recall period.

5 yrs is nothing at all in the rest belt. These pictures are from 2018, it's a model year 2018 GMC Sierra with 200miles on it





You don't hear about the big 3 getting sued over their frames falling apart because they're too bust getting sued over their engines and transmissions blowing up or other parts failing first.

 

If the made in Japan Pick Ups and other vehicles were exposed to liquid brine the same failures would have happened.

Dana manufactured the frames I never heard who produced the steel.

How would you fix the problem??

The problem started with the EPA mandated fuel mileage as a weight saving measure all the manufactures went to a completely enclosed frame allowing hundreds of pounds of weight saving per vehicle. Also lots of plastic use started .

What sucks at least here in Pa because of the boxed frame style the powers that be said a new frame must be the same style. I wanted to make a open style frame nope not legal

The open rail frames lasted forever nothing to keep the dirt inside. The hot setup in the sixties and seventies on race trucks was to box the frame for added strength

Then 100,000 miles on a vehicle you were doing good.

Then the start of using liquid brine just made problems worse vehicles are bad enough but the fact it eats the rebar out of concrete might be worse.

 

At least the earlier Pickups had thicker steel so they held up a bit better and didn't rot through so fast. And yes ironically the sheet metal for the body was much more rust-proof in the Tacomas vs. the Pickups. Which makes the frame fiasco more puzzling.

I often wonder what the cost of galvanizing them would've been versus all the lawsuits Toyota and Dana have dealt with. As I understand it, the finishing process is far more important than whoever supplies the steel, and this is the part of the manufacturing process that seems to have suffered. I'm not sure Dana can be blamed either, since the 3G 4runner frames were almost as bad being made in Japan.

Any steel will rot out eventually, and many manufacturers had similar issues. But again the 1G Tacoma had the worst and fastest rot I've ever seen; AFAIK not even Jeeps of the same year range were that bad. The pics posted above by @Abeyancer of the Sierra show surface rust, but it's not close to being compromised structurally like a 1G Taco might've been in the same situation. We've all the seen the videos of the bed and cab caving in, often without the driver even being aware of an issue.

We can talk about Dana and the EPA til the cows come home, but truck frames should not behave like the OP's pics. It doesn't matter how reliable the powertrain is; if you don't have a solid frame you don't have a truck.

My 98 Taco was the best little 4WD I've ever driven other than the frame. Unfortunately, I ended up getting burnt because of my lack of knowledge of how they rot at the time. Looks like the OP is committed to attempting a repair, which is commendable, but I just try to make other aware of how the issue manifests itself so they can avoid ending up in the same boat. The rapair/replacement process is very expensive and/or time-consuming, and not everyone can take it on.

If I look for another first gen I'm making sure the inside of the frame rails are smooth and firm to the touch. As soon as you feel the slightest crunch or flaking, it's on its way out.

 

Enough said Sorry Op for getting side tracked!

The make up of the steel is far more important then any spray on coating that the manufacture of the frame would apply.

Then the Fix would have been just finding the proper blend of spray on the coating problem solved !!

Have you ever seen a frame being built from the raw coil to the finish?

The thing with Galvanizing the parts would need to be coated before welding to attain the best surface prep for the molten zinc to adhere .

Welding would then expose every inner and out side of all the weld joints to the weather. As the zinc coating burned off in the heat effect zone.. Making the process useless for the most.

This process was looked and found not practical as a fix.

 

@Bivouac honestly, I don’t have the knowledge or expertise to say what exactly went wrong, or how exactly it could’ve been solved.

It might sound like I’m down on Toyota trucks but honestly the first gen Taco is one of my favorite vehicles ever. It’s just disheartening to see so many of them continuing to succumb to frame rot.

Anyway good on you @D_free for trying to save this one, and I wish you luck with it. Sorry for jacking your thread with this discussion.

 

I just keep thinking about all the guys who pay $40000 for a truck that will look like this in 10 years. You want Toyota to fix the frame issue then you need to stop buying Tacomas. Why fix it if we are stupid enough to keep buying them. When I bought my 2017 I was under the impression the frame problem was corrected with the 2016 newly designed models. I was looking at the Frontier and Ridgeline as well but fell for the hype. I took my truck in for the recall when they did the rust prevention treatment. That was a joke. Someone sprayed 1 line down the middle of the frame as they walked around. They never touched the rest of it.
Over the weekend we put my truck up on a lift to fix a heat shield rattling and I was shocked at how much rust was starting on the floorboards. This truck was only driven 2 winters and pressure washed underneath after each snow. I just rolled 30000 miles. My wife's 13 Sienna with 70000 miles is still rust free underneath after 9 Ohio winters. My Tacoma is rusting even as it sits in the garage.
Not sure if it is my forever car anymore. I am also watching the clear coat on the roof starting to haze.
We skipped buying another Toyota a couple months ago and went with a Mazda CX5 instead. Ive bought nothing but Toyotas since 1989.

 

Hi All. Just bought a 97 that had the recall work done, but now has localized rot in the replaced frame near the spring hangers. I do not know how to weld, but have buddies that do. Any general tips/thoughts on how to approach the fix? Also is there any kind of bolt in alternative to welded kits?

 

SafeTCap sells that section to weld in place of the rotted one

 

Yeah, I researched it before buying the truck. I guess I need to hit up the welding buddies. Other opinions: the truck is in nice shape overall, 172K miles, paid 2500 - with understanding that I will need to fix the frame. Opinions on the deal? I thought I did pretty well, in today's climate.
Edited: I added a link to the FB marketplace ad (now statused 'sold') with the pics that are available. I'll be picking it up soon from the seller. Any other opinions on the deal welcomed.

 

I don't live where rust is an issue but I imagine that's a decent deal in an area where you have to contend with rusty vehicles. See a lot of crazy asking prices for trucks with bad rust.

I wouldn't trust any kind of "bolt on" frame repair, definitely get it welded

 

Thanks, I figured bolting anything would weaken the frame. Also thanks for your thoughts on the deal, I have had to recalibrate what I think is fair given the crazy market.

 

Post pictures that can give us an idea .

Then the state you live in plays in as well . Some States have their own DOT welding Code that they will not Grand father you need to pay to test to do any weld on a vehicle.

States change all the time so you need to be current on your location.

 

The solid rust-free frame on my second-owner ‘99 has a sticker on the frame too, but the owners’ site only shows records back to 2010, even after clicking “all history.” How to get history previous to that?

 

Why should any owner be required or even expected to maintain an original frame, never mind a replacement frame?? Why should anyone have to worry about that or even think about it? Truck frames didn't have these off-the-rails problems in the 70's, 80's, or 90's with back-breaking frame-rot before Toyota came along unless it was twenty years old and terminal. I owned Ford and Chevy trucks and drove massive fifteen-passenger extended vans of the big three, including Dodge in those decades and it wasn't an issue anyone even worried about or looked for in the brutal salt rust zone I drove in.

I do maintain my original (2014) inspected and CRC'd frame, but frankly, I feel I shouldn't have to worry about it. This is not an owner-caused issue or screw up. If the frame is replaced under the campaign, the standard expectation should be that it would at minimum last for darn near the rest of the expected life of the truck: a TOYOTA truck... Ipso-facto: Just short of "forever" (or 350,000 miles: whichever comes first)

 

My owner's manual says nothing relating to: "Apply Fluid-Film, Wool Wax, Rust-O-Leum primer and flat black or 20W-50 used motor oil" annually to prevent frame failure porousity. Sorry... And frankly, it would be darn-near emabarassing if it did.

 

Your Truck your Choice

 

If you think tacomas are bad check out the 80-90s Suzuki samurai’s! I owned one as my first car and repaired the body twice before I sold it in 5 years. It was insane how quickly it could rust!!!

fast forward to my 1st gen Tacoma and I’ve already sanded down (surface rust) on a replacement frame that’s was installed in late 2017. I undercoat and spot paint the truck every spring and summer… I was really hoping the new frame wouldn’t have the same issues so I just have to be aware and continue to clean, paint and coat it almost twice a year now.

Gotta love the crust-belt!!!!

 

Hey, The spare tire is still is still under it. Here in Ohio that was a tell tale sign for rust underneath. I learned quick if the spare was just tossed in the bed start looking for rust. After awhile I just walked away. Always the same story.