Prev: fuel leak through VTV
Next: a/c compressor out
From: S.Lewis on 11 Aug 2007 20:35

"tmiller159" <tmiller159(a)ispmonsters.com> wrote in message
news:1186845365.699388.312410(a)b79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> There seems to be a common problem with Toyota trucks. FRAME RUST! I
> own a 99 SR5 4x4 with Extracab that has 130,000+ miles on it. The
> body is great. The truck runs great. It still has the original
> exhaust system. The frame is rotting away like you wouldn't believe.
> There is absolutely no reason the non-stainless steel exhaust system
> and body should outlive the truck's frame. The frame is 4-5 times
> thicker than the exhaust and is not subjected to rapid corrosion from
> the heat like the exhaust. If the body and exhaust can be made to
> last 10 years, so can the frame.
>

<snip>


Got a 2000 in the warm SE U.S. and I know not of what you speak, sir.
Seriously.


From: Bruce L. Bergman on 11 Aug 2007 23:15
On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:16:05 -0700, tmiller159
<tmiller159(a)ispmonsters.com> wrote:

>My Tacoma frame is starting to look like swiss cheese. I jacked it up
>to replace the rear shocks and buckled the frame ahead of the RR
>spring mount. That prompted me to look closer. There are numerous
>plates welded on here and there by the previous owner. Rust proofing
>hid it all.

There's the real problem - someone tried to repair the frame before,
and hid what they did under some undercoating. They don't come from
the factory with either fishplates or undercoating on the chassis -
they are made and then painted.

Bet you the truck was in a severe collision, and they had to heat
and tweak the frame back into shape, reinforce where it bent, and then
put on goop to hide the damage and the repairs. But when rustproofing
is done improperly, the water and salt gets underneath and the rust is
even more vicious.

And you probably didn't have the truck inspected by an independent
mechanic before you bought it.

> I have been searching for a replacement frame with the
>idea of swapping it but this is major work. $6000 worth if you have
>the dealer do it for you!! I have $6500 in payments to go so I can't
>just throw it away, and I won't dump it on someone else, so I have to
>deal with it. It will be the last time I own a Toyota truck.

If it turns out that this frame was modified or repaired before you
bought the truck, you really can't blame that on Toyota.

And this isn't something that you want to pay full-pop dealer rates
for - You can DIY this, there are two hard parts. One is locating a
replacement frame.

The other is documenting and registering the change of chassis VIN
with the state DMV - If you don't do it the right way and they ever
have a reason to look at the Chassis VIN, you could end up in jail on
a stolen truck beef till it gets cleared up.

The rest is all wrench-work to move all the good parts over to the
new chassis, and a lot of time to do it right. And if the truck was
indeed in a wreck as I suspect, you may find a few other "surprises"
hidden under a layer of Bondo that need to be dealt with.

Even if you have to buy a gantry crane (Harbor Freight 41188 $578 on
sale) and a couple of chain-fall hoists ($50 each) to pick up the cab
while you slide the old chassis out from under it and the new chassis
in, you're still ahead.

>I wonder if they are getting their frame steel from China? I think so
>as it is rusting from the inside-out. A sign of contaminated steel.
>Remember how bad the Japanese steel was 35 years ago? 1970's Honda
>Civic fenders rotted out in 2 years and Honda was forced to replace
>them under warranty.

No, the steel was fine - they needed to learn the finer parts about
undercoating and painting the internal parts of the car, and sealing
those internal cavities from the outside so water and salt couldn't
get in to the pinch welds and cavities and merrily rust from the
inside out.

Now that the unit-bodies get fully welded and then dip-tank primed
and painted before final assembly, and the chassis gets powder-coated,
that doesn't happen nearly as fast.

Older American cars rusted out the same way in the same conditions -
only difference being they used thicker steel so it took longer.

> The Chinese are just now learning how to make steel.

The Chinese are still learning how to make a whole lot of things as
cheap as possible and not get caught at it, including tires - we've
had several big recalls where they left out critical layers of gum
rubber at the steel belt edges, and the tires are shredding themselves
from the inside out before they blow out.

Then there's the toothpaste with poisonous Ethylene Glycol as a
thickening agent ("Ethylene, Propylene, what's the difference?"), the
wheat gluten with Melamine in it, and the new one with all the Fisher
Price kiddie toys deliberately painted with lead-based paints...

And yet they keep their Most Favored Nation trading status. What's
up with that?

--<< Bruce >>--

From: DruG on 12 Aug 2007 03:30
If you want some pics of a frame swap check out DeepCove4x4.com in his my
build section. Personally I think it's pretty sweet.

-Andrew


"Bruce L. Bergman" <blnospambergman(a)earthlink.invalid> wrote in message
news:bpesb3lq69s9v9em1s94dcig1ds86vslac(a)4ax.com...
> On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:16:05 -0700, tmiller159
> <tmiller159(a)ispmonsters.com> wrote:
>
>>My Tacoma frame is starting to look like swiss cheese. I jacked it up
>>to replace the rear shocks and buckled the frame ahead of the RR
>>spring mount. That prompted me to look closer. There are numerous
>>plates welded on here and there by the previous owner. Rust proofing
>>hid it all.
>
> There's the real problem - someone tried to repair the frame before,
> and hid what they did under some undercoating. They don't come from
> the factory with either fishplates or undercoating on the chassis -
> they are made and then painted.
>
> Bet you the truck was in a severe collision, and they had to heat
> and tweak the frame back into shape, reinforce where it bent, and then
> put on goop to hide the damage and the repairs. But when rustproofing
> is done improperly, the water and salt gets underneath and the rust is
> even more vicious.
>
> And you probably didn't have the truck inspected by an independent
> mechanic before you bought it.
>
>> I have been searching for a replacement frame with the
>>idea of swapping it but this is major work. $6000 worth if you have
>>the dealer do it for you!! I have $6500 in payments to go so I can't
>>just throw it away, and I won't dump it on someone else, so I have to
>>deal with it. It will be the last time I own a Toyota truck.
>
> If it turns out that this frame was modified or repaired before you
> bought the truck, you really can't blame that on Toyota.
>
> And this isn't something that you want to pay full-pop dealer rates
> for - You can DIY this, there are two hard parts. One is locating a
> replacement frame.
>
> The other is documenting and registering the change of chassis VIN
> with the state DMV - If you don't do it the right way and they ever
> have a reason to look at the Chassis VIN, you could end up in jail on
> a stolen truck beef till it gets cleared up.
>
> The rest is all wrench-work to move all the good parts over to the
> new chassis, and a lot of time to do it right. And if the truck was
> indeed in a wreck as I suspect, you may find a few other "surprises"
> hidden under a layer of Bondo that need to be dealt with.
>
> Even if you have to buy a gantry crane (Harbor Freight 41188 $578 on
> sale) and a couple of chain-fall hoists ($50 each) to pick up the cab
> while you slide the old chassis out from under it and the new chassis
> in, you're still ahead.
>
>>I wonder if they are getting their frame steel from China? I think so
>>as it is rusting from the inside-out. A sign of contaminated steel.
>>Remember how bad the Japanese steel was 35 years ago? 1970's Honda
>>Civic fenders rotted out in 2 years and Honda was forced to replace
>>them under warranty.
>
> No, the steel was fine - they needed to learn the finer parts about
> undercoating and painting the internal parts of the car, and sealing
> those internal cavities from the outside so water and salt couldn't
> get in to the pinch welds and cavities and merrily rust from the
> inside out.
>
> Now that the unit-bodies get fully welded and then dip-tank primed
> and painted before final assembly, and the chassis gets powder-coated,
> that doesn't happen nearly as fast.
>
> Older American cars rusted out the same way in the same conditions -
> only difference being they used thicker steel so it took longer.
>
>> The Chinese are just now learning how to make steel.
>
> The Chinese are still learning how to make a whole lot of things as
> cheap as possible and not get caught at it, including tires - we've
> had several big recalls where they left out critical layers of gum
> rubber at the steel belt edges, and the tires are shredding themselves
> from the inside out before they blow out.
>
> Then there's the toothpaste with poisonous Ethylene Glycol as a
> thickening agent ("Ethylene, Propylene, what's the difference?"), the
> wheat gluten with Melamine in it, and the new one with all the Fisher
> Price kiddie toys deliberately painted with lead-based paints...
>
> And yet they keep their Most Favored Nation trading status. What's
> up with that?
>
> --<< Bruce >>--
>


From: LarryD on 13 Aug 2007 09:31

I have to agree with you. I live in upstate NY where they use LOTS of
salt, but the frame on my 1989 Toyota 4wd PU was the first thing to
rust through on my truck (even before the body). I have had it
professionally welded twice now. The welder says he does at least 20
Japanese trucks per year. He even made a template for the most
problematic area. He said he uses this template for all Japanese
trucks because they are all sourced from the same place. I don't know
if this is true, but that's what he said. I love everything else
about my truck except that the frame went first. I would think the
body would be pretty shot long before the frame went.
LarryD

First  |  Prev  | 
Pages: 1 2
Prev: fuel leak through VTV
Next: a/c compressor out