03 Tundra. Rusty frame

appreciate the input. Just curious. Where did you get the frame from?

 

Dan the man with the plan

 

Frames for sale:

https://automotix.net/usedautoparts/2003-toyota-tundra-frame-inventory.html

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=00+01+02+03+04+TOYOTA+TUNDRA+frame&_sacat=0

https://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi

 

It’s 21 years old FFS. Toyota has done its due diligence with the first gen. The frame is junk. Caveat Emptor and all that. I feel some guilt for being blunt but why does everyone always do their research AFTER the sale!

 

I eventually found one in good condition on FB marketplace, not too far away. Before that I was looking at car-part and LKQ nationally. Saw promising options there, but hard to tell condition as clearly on those.

BTW, saw the other day that Upullandsave in Pontiac just got a 2002 Tundra in the yard. Haven't been to check it out yet but might be worth looking.

 

Thanks I was checking that out. I'll probably go there this week and see how it looks.

Quick update:
I spoke to a couple collision shops and a trailer/frame shop. No luck there.

I called one welder who has good reviews near by. Sent him some pictures of the frame damage. He said he has dealt with similar looking frames before and said he would be willing to work on it.

I spoke to another welder and he said he knew of some places that would swap out the frame if I ended up getting a new one.

So sounds like I might have a few options just gotta call and figure out what they want to charge for something like that.

One question though looking online at these frames, I put in the year, make, model, engine size and 4 wheel drive and it gives me some matches. The only thing off is they says "SR5" and mine is not a SR5 it's a "limited". Should that make a difference?
Thanks again

 

Limited or SR5 won't matter for the frame. As long as engine, trans, cab and drive type match, you're golden.

 

Found on Facebook

 

Yeah, like KNABORES said, just make sure that you get the same engine/trans/drive combo as your truck. The base frames are the same, but the motor mounts are different for the V6 and V8, and 2wd has the trans crossmember in a different place vs the 4wd.

 

Welcome, from a fellow MI resident!
Mine got the "treatment", and your right, their hands are washed from that point on.
Good luck with your pursuit

 

Be safe man. Like @w666 said, an accident could be ugly.

 

It’s posted for $250, but you could probably get it for $200. It also comes with suspension.

 

Ohhh, in Washington

 

Found a local guy who is going to try to tackle it. He's been welding for 30 years and says he has "worked on and seen worse"...


So that's promising, I guess. I'll update with images and info as I get it. thanks

 

Here's the before and after. I'm quite pleased with it. Ended up welding a C frame over the top of the existing damage as well a safe-t-cap behind it.

 

That’s great news Mack. Congrats!!! Now get some Fluid Film on her or some other such undercoating and reaply every year. Miserable frigging job but soooo necessary for our old trucks if you live in the rust belt.

 

Take a good look at your front rails (boxed in area all the way forward) too.
My frame isn't nearly that bad in the rear, and my front rails were Full of rust, Inside.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...-gen-tundra-today.2558/page-2142#post-3703111

 

That turned out good. That was probably a better bet than having to strip everything off and reattach to a new frame, could really open a can of worms with that with the unexpected stuff. But if Toyota offered to do it, hell yeah, I'd throw them the keys and say 'have at it', doesn't sound like that was an option in this case.

 

Work looks stout, wish Toyota built it like that from the factory. It looks like you may be missing the plastic round spacers at the end of each leaf spring. That's what the hole is for in the end of each individual leaf - to hold a little plastic disk with a center post (center post goes in the hole). If you find you're squeaking like a MFer out back, or clunking over bumps out back, that is most likely your issue.