the Coil bucket swap continues

I need to swap the LF coil spring bucket on my 04 base model (5 lug). I bought a donor truck so i would have the needed parts. These are welded on at the factory. To my horror, it seems that the welder I had talked to about welding it for me, and had agreed to do it, has bailed. He doesn't answer my call, or respond to my tx. Not even a face book message. So I decided I will try to find someone else. I have spent countless hours searching the internet and calling welding shops, body shops, even tech schools who teach this. I enjoy my country life, but times like this, it would be easier solved in an urban environment.
So one guy is telling me the only way to fix it right is to put my cab and bed on another chassis. I'm thinking, dude, I'll just buy another truck and drive it if I am going to do that. Besides, if its high mileage, everything would need to be changed. But he couldn't find one. I knew he wouldn't.
A mobile welder told me that the cut and weld back would points have to be done on the old weld. I liked that idea at first. Everything should line up. But after a closer look, the piece that the upper control arm bolts too, is welded from inside the engine compartment. I would suppose the only way to get to that would be to pull the engine. Not just the one, but the donor truck too. Yikes! I can do it. But I would want to be sure this welder would commit. It would likely take me months.
Any suggestions on how to find a mobile welder who has some knowledge about this? Any thoughts on the integrity vs practicality of none factory welds vs welds on the factory weld. I would think some sleaveing on the outside of the bucket could increase its structural strength.
My finger is pointed at the inside weld. Its hard to see.

 

Let everyone know what part of the country are you inn.....so maybe can help

Is any way to fab an inter plate to weld into inside of bucket...and reverse the bolts out to the to upper arm......use long bolts and nuts towards engine....
it would look like something off Green Acres......but.....

Someone needs to come up with suitable less than pretty way to fix these...
there are far too many of these....that junk these.....
And now you've revealed you need a world class welder to do this rehat......

Professionals at an institution ...that is work for that company....will not risk the liability of the institution to do that major of a mod to a truck operating on american highways full of hungry lawyers....

My boss calls it the "No Good Deed Rule".....you know the rest....

 

What are you trying to fix by replacing your coil buckets?

I’d probably try patching it, plating it, and Gussetting it before full replacement. Seems like you’re making a lot of extra work for yourself/whoever you hire to do the work for you by cutting them off a donor truck.

 

To be honest, when I read your previous thread, I thought this was pretty ambitious. Not impossible, but ambitious.

My suggestion would be to learn from the "off side" (which ever side you don't need) from the donor truck. Better to make mistakes and learn how not to do it first. If you can't easily get an angle grinder to the inside weld, you might have to remove the fender or more to get a good clean shot at it.

I'd go in at an angle in the middle of the weld towards the intersection of the bucket and frame- and just work slowly until you can free it. It might require some encouragement (hammering) to come off all the way.

Also.. take some damn measurements... Locating that thing on your frame is going to be pretty critical.

 

I thought the same thing at one point. That point was when I tried to bolt up the new upper control arm, to see how it would fit. The picture doesn't show it, but that piece of steel buckled before it broke. It is now S shaped. No longer flat. That is the main problem. Another possible solution is to cut out just that piece, and try to affix it to the one I want to fix. I would add plates over the outside for additional strength,

 

What’s wrong with it can’t tell from those pics

 

That description is pretty tough to understand without a picture.

I know you said you're 5 lug but I wonder if you could modify a coil bucket gusset kit to fit your truck? I'm unsure how different 5 and 6 lugs are in the buckets. It still seems like alot less work as you'd keep the original mounts for locating/alignment.

https://www.chaosfab.com/accessories/1996-2004-Tacoma-Weld-on-Coil-Bucket-Tower-Gussets-59650

Honestly this job seems pretty sketch and the difficulty with getting everything straight, aligned, and located properly is probably why welder's aren't getting back to you. Seems like a job that would be very difficult to get right and ultimately not worth their time without charging alot more than you'd want to spend on on a 17 year old truck.

 

you need to repost that pic of the tear.....

 

Sorry I left that out
follow the earlier post here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/got-my-parts-donor-truck-today.737202/page-2#post-26316265
Here ya go

 

I thought about a porta band saw, but realize when I get down to the frame an angle grinder, or something else would be needed.

 

soooo... you're thinking to cut the whole frame section out, not just the coil tower?

 

Are you thinking of cutting the top off and then cutting the top of the donor and welding it back on the top and having a weld around the middle? If so that’s a horrible idea.

 

Cut the junk frame with a Sawzall. Just cut a giant chunk out, then you can meticulously grind the welds out without having to work upside down or in the engine bay.

After you figure out where all the hidden welds are, then cut the bucket off the other truck.


Don't fully grind ALL the old welds away from the driving truck, leave a few spots and use them as alignment marks to line up the new bucket.

 

I've replaced lots of frame stuff, even backhalfed Silverados back when that was Chevrolet's procedure.

Don't weld it yourself if you aren't experienced and unless you have a 3d measuring system (bodyshop) you can only get it so close with a tape measure.

 

The 5 lug and prerunner / 4x4 suspension are totally different

I have not seen a 5 lug suspension in like 25 years or I would have a Better Idea how to approach this repair.

As far as I know OP has no idea if the Frame has bent from the impact.

Fixing just one side even if it is perfect will still make a front end alignment difficult

If I really wanted to save this 5Lug 2wd Truck I think the easy way would be a Complete front frame splice with all the steering and Suspension parts .

Where do you draw the line and say This is as much as I can afford??

In any case I think the Engine is going to need to Come out .

I feel for You OP

At that point the cost is so expensive at least to me the money would be better spent up grading to a decent truck now that you have two parts vehicles

 

that’s fair. I know they’re substantially different but was thinking even if it had to be heavily modified the gusset kit would probably be 100x easier than grafting on the rusty mess of a donor that the OP has pics of in his other thread. Looks like he got it from the bottom of a lake.

 

I am posting an opinion and please take it in as such.
This is one welding project that most welders wouldn't touch let alone someone who is just learning how to weld. I think that the majority of your work in this case would be the prep work involved during fitment. You can get your depth of the weld by beveling your work where you can on the parts meeting up to the frame. Some classify a hobby welder as not welding on a daily basis as a professional welder would. I would not be intimidated to do the work, however that being said you really need someone who welds for a living and does it on a daily basis. You are re-grafting into the frame steering and suspension components that cannot fail under steering and torquing stress. Should you fail to get your penetration or if you leave a bubble within the weld you are inviting cracks and stress cracks to form later on down the road and this ultimately would lead to disaster.

 

You really don`t want a welder by today`s definition you need a skilled fabricator !!

I know and work with very many welders who would be clueless when it comes to welding on a 15 plus year old vehicle . Not that with a week of practice they could come up to speed.

 

I agree with you guys on that. I know my limitations. I would be the last choice to weld. I haven't welded for decades. Before this came up, I was looking at the wire feed welders. They look easy to use. I am concerned about penetration. This has to be done right. That's why I want to farm it out. I am negotiating with another mobile welder. I hope to talk more with him Monday. The placement of the cut is critical. I don't know how to tell if I am cutting on the seam, or just above/below it. Maybe I can practice on the right side of the donor. Maybe get the welder to do that part. I like the idea of cutting the bucket from the donor in a chunk, likely at the frame, but then the issue of the cross member come back into play. Another idea I had is to cut the top dome off of the truck I intend to fix, below the weld points. I won't need that bucket anyway. This will improve accessibility to the back weld behind the bucket.
None of the body shops will touch it. Its all or none. Since I've done a lot of work already, they start talking about liability. Most folks are mistrustful. No labor of love. Labor for profit. I can and should keep looking. Cost is a concern. What's thrown a wild card into the deck is that used truck prices have gone through the roof. Even a high mileage toca is way expensive. I bought the donor truck because welder one told me he could fix it right, if he had another truck. Now he won't return my calls. Perhaps that will change. I wish people wouldn't do that. The danger with putting things on a back burner, at least for me, is it becomes the forgotten project and just sits there. Forever!

Of all the forums i participate in, I like this one the best. You guys really get me thinking! Its all positive, intelligent, and problem solving.
Pic shows donor truck bucket after I cleaned it with a wire brush, naval jelly, and fresh paint.

 

I would cut the entire bucket right out of the frame and I would not cut it across where you scribed a red line. You need the strength of that steel in the bucket and if you cut and weld yo just might change that. One of the reasons why welders will not go into a job like this is the liability.
I know one thing that if you apply too much heat the steel can crystallize. The properties of that steel will change with too much heat.

Option #2 is you can cut out the entire donor bucket and have gussets welded on the sides. Then drill the frame and install with a good set of hefty bolts. That frame is likely harder than average mild steel so can use a drill bit like cobalt.