Homemade replacement frame?

I have a 2001 extended cab that had a bad frame. I know I can purchase the SafeTCaps, but I also kicked around building a new frame from scratch.

I’m a good welder and fabricator, so I’m not worried on frame/weld integrity, I’m just wondering about the dimensional side of things and how difficult is it to have the DOT sign off on it (or just swap the vin tag over).

Has anybody done this? I’m planning on lifting and running 33”, maybe even 35”.

 

Is it really cost effective at that point? It’s probably easier to just find a used frame out West and ship or transport it to you.

 

From a price standpoint, I can build a frame for less than 1/4 the price of a used frame.

I’m the type of guy who loves the challenge and struggles of DIY. It’s not usually about the $$$, but more about the hobby and pride.

 

Funny How the VIN is on the Cab.

Install your Cab on your new Frame your Good to go

If you look around sometimes some of the Shock Mounts and Cab Mounts time consuming parts to make can be bought new from Toyota.

Look around the frame dimensions can be found . Like any other job keeping things square and level is part of the job .

Having one good Helper is almost a must quite a lot of work can be done alone but sometimes a helper makes some things so much easier.

I think it is easier to build new then patch then each job is some what different .It is really just like any other work you have done .

New Steel your not going to go back and fix again like a used frame.

 

I can appreciate that. If you have the time and money, hell go for it. I don’t know if the Toyota body FSM has frame measurements, but it has super detailed measurements for body alignment. Maybe start there.

 

Pull the old frame off and measure/base the new frame off it seems like it'd be the best way no? assuming it's not so far gone that it can't be. Have to pull the body off anyway to do the swap

 

One needs to be careful things do tend to move over time.

No idea just how hard the truck was used It would be a shame if the spring Hangers got measured and installed an inch or so off.

 

It was used as a Sawyer truck from the day it left the dealer: it had a diesel fuel cell in its box and was used for logging its entire life in west centra Wisconsin. It’s been used between the salt and logging.

It has 250k+ miles and doesn’t leak a drop anywhere! My wife’s family pretty much gave it to me for literally a couple of bucks. I’m pretty handy and like this stuff, so it was right up my alley.

It split when put on a hoist a few years back, but they spliced it and ran it for another 75k. I’m just trying to get it back to its glory days and use it as my hunting/fishing/off-road toy.

 

That’ll probably be the route I end up having to go. Once things warm up and I get a different project finished up, I’ll probably start tearing into this and see how bad it really is. Either way, the body and drivetrain are solid.

 

You would be better off purchasing a used frame from the west or southwest U.S. and have it shipped or transported to your state. That's a lot of work to refurbish a heavily rusted frame that's been exposed to salt over its lifetime with the possibility that it will still rust from the inside out. I wish you the best of luck, if you decide to move forward with the frame refurbishment.

 

I mean anything is possible. We build backhalf's and full frames when installing air ride. Honestly back halfing a 4x4 tacoma frame with 2x3 or 2x4 would be pretty simple to do.

 

All that time and effort to build a stock frame?? Might as well go all out and build a linked solid axle frame.

 

100% this.

I know OP likes the challenge and all that, but all that time and effort just resulting in a stock frame? Seems like a waste.

That’s like building a custom front bumper that looks exactly like a stock one with no winch or recovery points.

If you’re going to build a frame from scratch, look into custom suspension and all that. Could probably make an entirely new tube chassis easier than simply trying to recreate a stock frame.

 

The thing to remember just because some of us might use the term building a new stock frame when it is all said and done the only thing stock will be the critical dimensions .

The ones I have done being in use now 20 years or so are holding up just fine with regular paint no sheep fat is being used .

To me building a New Frame is much easier then doing a frame swap having the years of experience and tools and shop.

I could understand if that type of work is new to you and it is your first major project .

 

Sounds like an interesting project. Would your frame be mostly straight lines and fewer curves?

 

Do you have the correct materials?
Heat treatment for a large piece?
Do you know the required strength?
Do you know the Crush characteristics?
Are you an Engineer?
Can you define the loads from the roads? Impacts with potholes at highway speeds?
Can you define the fatigue loading of the frame?
Can you design to avoid vibration harmonics?

There are multitudes of design considerations that go into making a frame. Then you have the production end with materials, welding, heat treatment, machining.........

FWIW, I'm sure you can bodge together a frame. Not sure if it will be sufficient strength for the application. Shoot, I could build a frame from wood and build the truck on that.

Sorry, I'm not in a position to speak for DOT.
Although, you may want to visit with an insurance agent on the matter. They may not cover a home-brew frame.

Good Luck, Happy Welding.

 

These are interesting and valid questions, I think there are some counterpoints worth mentioning.

1. OP said it would be a hunting/fishing/off road toy. It may nonetheless need to be registered and pass safety inspection, certainly if it is to be driven on public roads.
   
2. How many OEM frames are driven daily on public roads that no longer meet the original design specifications? People drive vehicles in all states of disrepair, many with valid, non-expired safety inspection certificates (the inspections can't detect all existing or imminent safety issues problems).
   
3. People drive vehicles with heavy off road armor, as well as modified suspension, engines and brakes all the time. While these modifications are intended to enhance performance, they may also cause the vehicle to deviate from specified safety parameters.
4. People, including professional mechanics, make repairs to vehicles all the time using questionable practices, like reusing single-use bolts, over or under-torquing fasteners, etc.

Given the intended use, if the OP's skills live up to his ambition, then I would suggest that he can probably build a frame that is safer than many existing 1st gen tacoma frames, let alone other vehicles on the road. Not saying it's a good idea, but I also think it's worthwhile considering the so-called comparison group.

 

Somebody better tell every fabricated frame race car ever that they’re doing it wrong

 

If OP's truck will be driven on public roads, then you're comparing apples to oranges. Race cars don't need to be designed to survive commuting and grocery hauling on shitty roads in shitty weather for 10 - 20 years while keeping your family and other road users safe. Most car owners seek to pay the bare minimum maintenance costs that are needed to keep them from getting stranded somewhere far from home...nothing more. Unlike race cars, passenger cars need to be designed to account for this, to the extent possible.

 

I feel like the person scratch-building his own frame will probably put forth more than the bare minimum of maintenance to keep it up