What would you do? Cracked frame

Hey tacomaworld,

I discovered that I have two cracks in the frame. I have an 03 with 186,000 miles on it. I bought the vehicle a couple years ago and noticed some rust but didn’t realize just how bad. I’m not sure what options I have so I’d like to ask what you all think. Thanks

 

How does the frame look at the front mount of the leaf springs at the bottom side? That looks pretty bad so far

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Hammer test the frame ALL OVER
to find all the bad sections.
Some people replace the whole frame.
Some weld on these caps.


Some part out what's salvageable.
Some get crushed.

Read up here
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rust-prevention-treatment-consolidation-thread.355928/

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1995-rebuild.404579/#post-11304137

 

Can you weld ?? A friend that thinks they can??

If you pay the going rate might be $2000.00 to start plus assorted other broken rusted parts.

 

thats an stop driving it immediately and have it plated at the least.

 

Thank you all for your responses and advice! The threads have helped a lot. I do have a stick welder and I’m not sure if it’ll be able to penetrate if I plated it. Im also new at welding. I managed to do some exhaust repair and cat repair that passed inspection..but anyway thank you

 

As said, stop driving it. Now.

Don't risk injury to yourself or others from an on road failure.

 

Comes down to if you have the skills or have access through friends!!

Then we all have or own mindsets some draw the line at X Dollars Others no limit to the amount they spend.

Case in point is it worth spending $8000.00 on a $400.00 Vehicle only the owner can decide .

 

find someone you know that can weld a plate over the crack...

the truck isn't worth the $$ to have a real shop pull everything off the frame and actually weld the crack properly.

Clean it up and
slap a plate on it and call it a day.

just make sure you remove brake/fuel lines, tank, etc... there will be something on the body that does get some heat damage, but some steel plate is just a few dollars.
also, use a jack and stands to hold the crack closed.

 

Step 1 is to go over it with a hammer and find what is left to weld to. There is going to be a lot more damage than is visible, but it might still be salvageable.

 

Thank you guys!!! I’m not sure that I’ll take it on myself. I’d like to I’m just not sure that I have the experience. I feel comfortable using the stick welder I have on small projects but In this case, I certainly want to get some professional advice or coaching. I don’t really have the funds although I’d like to consider getting a used frame and hope for the best. But for now it’s definitely staying parked. Thanks again

 

replace the frame, that frame looks brittle i am sure the rust is everywhere

 

Uh oh, these cracks means that the specter of frame rust has reared it's ugly head

Before trying to repair these, inspect the frame thoroughly by hitting it with a hammer to see what is good and what is rotten through. Only then you will be able to tell if it is worth trying to attempt a fix or not

First areas to check are where the leaf springs attach to the frame, right behind the cab, inner frame rails by the gas tank and catalytic converter, frame section under the bed around the shock mounts (what you sent pictures of) because these are the worst areas for frame rust/rot

 

My 99 had a crack like that. We had a plate welded over it and it was good for about a year till it cracked just passed the plate.

 

Huh, you and me both in that same spot.

I ended up getting it plated myself back in February, we'll see how long it lasts.

 

Yeah still thinking about what to do. What thickness do you recommend for plating ? Thanks

 

You frame didn't simply crack. It fell apart because it's badly rusted.

Frame plates are just a bandaid fix. They don't actually address the root cause. You need to first remove ALL the rust form the inside and out (good luck with that), then if you have enough good material to weld to, do the plates, then worry about rust prevention.

Or just slap some plates on and wait for it to rust out again.

 

Thanks!

 

Frame swaps are not out of the question. Plenty of people have done them.

Ideally, you'd want to find a frame from a rust free state like AZ, or (non-coastal) lowland CA.

The reason rust is called frame cancer is because if you don't remove ALL of it, it will just grow back. Once you get ALL the rust off, prevention is key. POR-15 is a popular treatment but has been around a while so I'm sure there are others too. The main thing is you want the ones that stay "wet". Anything that dries (paint) will flake and expose metal.

Good luck!