The rusted frame dilemma....to repair or not repair, that is the question

I am at 309K today....I had $1,600 in Saf T Cap work last year. I've been poking around under there this morning, knocking off flakes with a ball peen hammer.....and flakes turn into holes then holes get bigger and then I start digging in the holes and find even more delaminating steel.....

Anyone out there with profound and thoughtful insight ?
Am I destined to chase the rust until I say ahhhh, time to buy a new Taco?

This is my daily driver, of course I have no engine or trans issue at all.

 

Sounds like its time to let it go.

 

I feel your pain, just packed up the welder and gear for the winter. I think the Corroseal coat, paint and Fluid Film should repel tin worms a good while. After I burned off my extremely rusted rear bumper and hitch I coated them with Corroseal and sprayed half with FF leaving the other half exposed to the salt air here on the East coast. No change after close to 6 mo.

 

That's the problem with safeTcaps, all they really do is cover up the problem, and limp you along a while longer. They don't actually "fix" anything. And the problem comes from the INSIDE of the frame, not the outside where the safeTcaps go. Once you see rust poking through the outside, the inside is WAY worse.

If this is your daily driver, it's time to let her go. Buy a cheap Civic daily driver while you look for a frame to swap. Find a clapped out taco with a good frame from a rust free state (CA, AZ, etc).

Once you get a new (to you) frame, then coat the shit out of that thing, inside and out (while you have a stand alone frame). Then get anal about seasonal rust prevention maintenance with fluid film, etc... And washing it (the frame - again, inside and out) weekly/monthly to keep the road salts from sticking.

 

I drive through salt water flooding often. This is high tide today to get home and the roads get brine/salt in winter if it MIGHT SNOW.

 

Corroseal left to the elements and Salt water high tides

 

Clarification: I don't have rusting Saf T Caps, I have new areas on that are suffering the dreaded internal rusting

 

That's what I mean about safety caps not actually "fixing" the problem.

Only way to fix the problem is to remove ALL the frame cancer (inside and out), then prevent it from coming back. Those safety caps will eventually rust out, too, because the rust is eating at them from the inside. It's just that the rest of the frame will rot away first.


I've seen some people cut open the boxed sections and grind down the rust, then re-weld the box together.

 

Have you had any actual hands on experience installing safe t caps or coating inside of box frames after the cut out and weld procedure as per safe t cap? vendor

 

It comes down to if your doing the repair yourself or paying someone.

Only you know maybe you are allowed a $5000.00 a month truck maintenance budget ?

Any of these frames can be saved or rebuilt everyone of them! Broke in half it can be fixed better then new

The question is it when is it no longer cost effective to the end user that only the owner can decide

OP good to know just where you live??

 

No, I live in California. No need to...

 

Not any frame can be “feasibly” repaired.... yes you can slap a weld on anything and claim it’s fixed but at what price, safety, and longevity? And no frame repair is going to be better than it’s original state unless you add sheets along the rails and weld very well. Even then, you have increased strength, but limited flex and impact dispersement, which will often lead to the exact spot or some weak point near it to break next.

 

So you live in the land of Fruits and Nuts and no rust. What makes you an expert on frame rust? Does it even rain in California?

 

a new Taco is gonna cost $40k to $50k otd is all i can say

 

i get two foot snow blizzards some winters! and it lasts and lingers for months on end if global warming is not present!

 

I feel your frustrations.
Its going to be your call.

The safe-t-caps are much thicker, much higher quality metal than the original Toyota frame. They don't just cap it, they encompass and rebuilt and strengthen that whole section. the problem is what you have, the next section that was not done.

I have done mine from the front bumper to the back bumper. I used sate-t-caps from the sway bar mounts to the front leaf. I made the rest myself. ( excluding the engine cross member but the sides and behind the coil spring mounts.

I then coated it form the inside out. Willwood internal frame rust coat and magnet paint. I did not expect it to eliminate the problem but It will buy me many years of use.
It did add a lot of weight to my truck. The cost was still much cheaper than a new truck, and even a new frame.

I plan on using fluid film before any trips up north.

Good luck to you

 

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered a quart of Corroseal rust converter to give it a try. I always have a use for something like for for car or yard. I see a lot of good reviews for it.

$30 Corroseal-82320 Water-Based Rust Converter Metal Primer, Rust Converter - 1 Qt

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CRFYG0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

i would think it would solve the problem if completely sealed off from oxygen and/or water thats what it takes to oxidize as far as i know

 

did i buy the wrong product (again)?
spent almost $100 on it
the Eastwood internal frame coating