Rusty cracked frame on 2006 Tundra — opinions?

Hey all,

I posted this on the FB FGT group but wanted to know your guy's opinions.

I have a 2006 DC 4x4 with 110k miles (now 135k) that I bought for a significant amount of money barely a year ago. There was a bit of "surface" rust on the frame, being from the northeast I though it actually looked really clean. Multiple mechanics said it was fine. Last week on a road trip in the middle of the Utah desert I discovered the frame had a crack in it. Took it to a couple of welding/fab shops in the Moab area and it turns out the rust is even worse than it looks. There's very little to weld to in the affected area, and I haven't been able to find anyone willing to really take on a project like that (cutting out rusty frame, putting in custom piece?) due to liability reasons. One guy suggested Safe T Caps because that's what he does to fix rusted out jeep frames but I haven't found any for that part of the Tundra frame (because it's not boxed?).

Some people have reached out with connections at Toyota to see if there's any way I could get a frame swap from them. I know the recall/safety campaign is over and 05 and 06 models were hard to get included in the first place, so I'm not overly optimistic, but I am thankful for any help in that avenue. You never know I guess.

My main option is to acquire a new frame which seems to run anywhere from $1-3k used as opposed to a factory frame which according to source would be $5.7k. Installing it and dealing with all the inevitably rusted out components that'll have to be replaced seems like the real nightmare to me I'm not very mechanically inclined and it'll cost a fortune to have a shop do it, even an independent one. I've heard out-of-pocket costs at a dealership for frame and labor can be $15-22k, which is more than I bought the truck for...

I'm devastated as this is my first truck and my first Toyota and in the short time I've had her I've already put thousands of miles on adventuring all over the US and Canada, making memories with my girlfriend and my dog. I was hoping to have this truck for the rest of my life and eventually put a flatbed and a FWC on it. Now I don't know what to do.

I found a welder who was able to put a plate on it, but he couldn't do much more due to the rust and others confirmed that. So short term I'm ok. Long term... any advice and/or opinions are more than welcome.

Thanks.

 

Really gotta go over these frames w/a fine tooth comb, and know some folks had theirs coated, and rust comes from underneath. Seems like a lot of the cracking/heavy rusting through happens around where the front hanger mounts are for the leafs.

First, check this thread. It'll show the journey of swapping should you choose that avenue - $1-3k is a small investment really when you consider the longevity of everything else on these trucks.

Next, check this sticky. It'll give you 4+ pages of history on frame swaps, what to expect, etc. The fact your frame cracked is an NHTSA complaint needs to be filed. Seems like premature failure if you ask me, and I'd reach out to Toyota of America about it, frankly, if a dealership won't act.

Beyond that, you may want to go to Toyota's site, here, plug in your VIN, setup an account using the link at the bottom of the results, and download/review service records to see if the previous owner ever brought it in for inspection. If they brought in for frame inspection or coating, and the seller didn't disclose, you may have a civil case on your hands to recoup some $$. May be worth 1hr of time w/a lawyer to go over it.

Last, good luck. Sorry to hear it happened. Not sure where you are, rust belt or otherwise, but it sucks all the same.

 

I'm from New Hampshire but bought this truck in Utah as-is from a used car dealership, it was formerly a New York truck. I'm used to rusty vehicles which is why it seemed clean at the time, but it was coming from underneath it seems and overlooked by me and good mechanics.

If I had a shop space and a mechanical buddy I would get a used frame in a heartbeat and get busy. That's still looking like my best option unless I find an independent welder who's willing to do it as a side job.

I will read that whole thread and contact NHTSA and Toyota — for the latter do i just start from the 800 number listed on the USA corp website or pick a dealer and escalate from there? Send them an email with photos? If anyone has done something similar I'd love to hear it, I'm not very good at poking big companies in the chest but ready and willing to start.

I did check the owners page and it was brought it for an airbag recall campaign in 2017 but no records of any frame inspection or coating.

Thank you. Could be worse, could be better. But lucky overall. Appreciate you

 

Is that were the frame overlaps in the back? I'm guessing why that was never caught.

 

Correct. The overlapping is just layers of rust now.

 

Yeah, mine is just starting to route through at that point. I might have another year or two unless I get it repaired.

 

The other side on mine looks nasty as well if I look from the inside. But at least it hasn't freaking CRACKED on me (yet).

 

There was a member on here who pulled off his bed and did his own welding to fix that overlap area along with other areas of interest.

I WAS going to take an autobody welding class at Nashua Tech with a buddy of mine from work, but he bailed at the last minute.

I'm hoping to pick up some welding skills myself to take care of the issue.

 

You from NH too? The good thing is that state allows frame repairs it just has to be solid. correct me if i’m wrong

 

I'm in MA about 20 minutes out from Nashua. I'm not sure about the requirement. A place near me called "Martel Welding" which does frame work/welding for heavy duty vehicles MIGHT be able to give you a quote, I'm just not sure about the liability thing though considering where the crack is located.

 

And how much metal needs to come out, I see rivets there, so that tells me a crossmember is likely on the other side, or other thing, which means scabbing is probably not an option.

Oh @ OP this is the thread JM was referencing earlier, he can correct me if I'm wrong on this : https://www.tundras.com/threads/my-2001-trd-access-cab-repair-modify-thread.71679/

 

Yep, master welder @N84434 could probably provide some valuable suggestions on how to approach the problem. That overlap in the rear frame is problematic since water, dirt and salt grime accumulate in that small area and cause major issues.

 

Step 1: Delete this post.

Step 2: Call your insurance company and add comprehensive and/or collision coverage.

Step 3: A few months from now, call the insurance and tell them while driving you bumped into a curb/guardrail/wall you heard a pop and the shop said your frame was cracked. Insurance might pay you off wholesale so at least you can recover some of your money and go buy another truck.

Unless you are super DIY guy with a garage, lift, and a sheett ton of free time, a frame swap is not something the average weekend mechanic should consider. I think the guy on the one thread that has the facility and equipment still took 6-8 months to do his swap.

 

That is the advice you may need, I think ^^

You should have a 'thread tools' link at the upper-right of the post should you want to follow thru on this one. I suspect insurance may total it out, but they may pay for it also.

 

Its an easy weld....depending on how much good metal you have on either side. It depends on if its 'just' a crack, or its a crack in the middle of two feet of metal that is rusted to oblivion.

I have no idea what level your DYI is at....but if it was my truck, I wouldn't hesitate to go at it with an angle grinder and welder. It's not a complicated fabricating job even if you have to replace a section of metal. The word 'Frame' scares people because it sounds like a complicated, fundamental thing, which structurally it is, but in terms of complexity, it's just a chunk of dumb steel, no moving parts, no precise tolerances.

But again, this is completely dependent on what the rest of the frame looks like. You can fix isolated breakage easily, if its a systemic problem and this is just the worst spot, thats an entirely different story

 

Easy way to get yourself in a pile of deep shit

 

I know this was partially in jest. I couldn't begin to advise or endorse committing insurance fraud. Frame swap is the best answer for the result it would bring. Frame repair is the best answer for the cost and time involved, but may not solve the problem as completely. Time to evaluate what this truck really is and what you want it to be. Is it the forever truck and the rest of it is in that shape? some of these bring tens of thousand of dollars still. Can't just easily find a cheap clean one, replacing the frame may be worth it. Just use the truck for it's utility and don't care how perfect or clean it is? Maybe the frame repair is good enough. Best of luck with this!

 

For all we know, OP actually has comp coverage that will take care of this. In which case ... not fraud.

 

We're not talking about an international drug ring here. If insurance suspects the damage was due to wear and tear they will just deny the claim. No harm, no foul other than the few months cost for the additional coverage. I've know people that placed claims with insurance when their brakes wore out, or when they off-roaded and got a dent in the fender, and so on and so on. Insurance agent asks what happened, plugs the story into his/her computer, and poof...they accept the claim or they say "you're not covered for that but have a nice day." Does insurance respond when someone steals your cat converter? Do they search your garage and hook you up to a lie detector first?

 

It's just a "little" fraud then. Like being a little pregnant. Feels dirty to me.

 

Recall still going for 00-03. Haven't ever really determined why they won't do it on 04-06 even though they have just about the same issues.

Take a good look through the sticky thread for frame recall info. In one of the last pages there is a link to frame repair parts if you decide to go that route. Best of luck on whatever you decide to do.

 

Wow - lots of NH people here.

You could check CL - I reached out to guy who has an entire DC for sale as parts. I was looking for a bed, but it won't fit my AC.

Instead of swapping frames, you might be able to repair the other one with your parts. I think it was an accident, but maybe the frame was rusty too.

The rust is real - my frame has been swapped and I replaced the rear axle.

Rockers are getting a little rusty, but the bed wheel wells will probably have holes soon.

 

I wouldn't say I'm a master welder. Not really a master at anything I do in life.... Anyway, my frame had no cracks in it, so I fabricated the new frame stiffeners and drilled out the old, rusted ones.
18 months later, and it's still a dream to drive.

On a side note, I'm not sure where the misconception of "Frame Overlap" came from, but there ain't no such thing. The frame is just a simple stamped steel "C" channel, and where the frame transitions from the cab to the bed, Toyota installed a 20 inch long 3/8" steel doubler inside the frame to keep it from collapsing.

I removed all the rusted factree stuff and built my own out of 1/4 inch steel. Also made 'em longer to be stronger.

There are lots of pictures in my rebuild thread..

@thereandbackagain You are correct... The welded patch you had tacked on is only a temp repair. It's worth looking into pulling the bed, dropping the tank and drilling out the old factory stiffeners and having some one fabricate new ones. The truck is worth the repair.

 

I'll have to take another look at my truck. I thought it was a frame overlap of the rear section over the front instead of a steel doubler for reinforcement just in that area. At least that's what it looks like on my 02 tundra.

 

You might be correct. I've been wrong more often than I've been right.. My 2001 AC is one continuous C channel through that area.

 

Thanks for the comments y'all. I don't plan on driving my truck into a tree but that's probably the "work smarter not harder" way to go about this issue haha.

I'm not sure if it's a frame overlap or a doubler (the latter I think) but either way the layers there are where the rust has essentially taken over. I'd say the problem area is a foot or so where there's more rust than solid metal. The rest of the frame is genuinely fine.

I still think it can be fixed, I just have to find a welder who can do it on the side. But maybe I'm just desperately hoping for the best. I need to get the opinions of fabricators who aren't just thinking about liability issues.

I really wish SafeTCaps could be the solution but they don't have anything that covers my part of the frame.

 

Yeah, thats the hard part. The difference between what can be done...and what you can find someone do in infront of a lawyer is vast. Its hard to find someone who will risk getting sued for everything they ever made or ever will make, over one small job on a old truck.

Its really sad because there are probably a thousand welders in you area that could fix it up for in a couple hours if it wasn't for that.

 

Yep. I'm optimistic I can find one, hopefully the road warrior gods pull through for me

 

Or be like me and plan to take a night class in welding so you can do it yourself.