3rd Gen 4Runner Frame Rust Issues...

[foggysps]

File a complaint here @ NHTSA and get a campaign started.
Apparently Toyota is not going to step up and fix the issues unless they have enough complaints and the government feels that there are enough incidents to pose as a safety concern.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

Look on the Left hand column and click "File a Complaint"

My best recommendation to determine if your frame is actually rusting from the inside out is to probe inside the access holes (both sides) that are found along the frame rail and/or run a compressed air line inside to see if any big chunks of rust come flying out.
My frame looked totally fine until I further examined it. Major scaling on the inside. Outside looks perfect. Well, it seems that the inside rotted so bad that my inner frame rail on the passenger side near the rear track arm had almost rotted through. It is soft like a sponge, but yet the factory Toyota frame paint held it together. Poking it with my finger and it all crumbled

[YotaFun]

Well, I am bumping this thread.
A friend of mine has my truck and has been looking it over and fixing a few issues here and there.

He was checking out my frame and ended up pooping a whole right through the bottom of the frame.

7 years, and 124k miles of me owning it and it is starting to look like time fore me to find another 4Runner...

I will have pictures up later this evening but I am almost to the point of loosing it...

[YotaFun]

So here are the pictures,
Passenger side, rear door area.
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2098.jpg[/img]
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2100.jpg[/img]

Its hard to make out here but as you travel further up the frame rail it gets soft towards the front
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2101.jpg[/img]
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2102.jpg[/img]

The rear cargo area of the frame is the worse, the round cross member that is over the gas tank is pretty much done and the rest is on its way
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2096.jpg[/img]
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2095.jpg[/img]
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2097.jpg[/img]

Also found that I must have hit the driver side lower rear control arm mount pretty good, its starting to rust and buckle
[img width=800 height=600]http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz219/Yota-Boy/Rusted/DSCN2103.jpg[/img]

I know you may think not so bad at first can be patch, but when I was beating the frame with a hammer looking for soft spots I was getting showered with rust chips out of the factory holes in the frame.
While yes I can patch the one spot, its already spread it will only last till the next whole then the next then the next, till I have a Swiss cheese frame...

The plan for now, just drive it but the mods are done, 5spd swap is not gonna happen, 4.88s, and what ever other small projects I had...

I am thinking of trying to find a rolling chassis with a blow motor or trans or what not for cheap and transferring all my stuff (minus sliders) over and unfortunately start over again...

Truck is currently 250 miles shy of 200K, its going to make it there and then sit till I can find something else hopefully before winter...

[CJM]

Aw that sucks Avy! I say find yourself a clean frame and start from there. Make sure you use some sorta rust proofing paint on it too, eastwoods por15, etc.

[4x4mike]

Crap, that sucks. I hate rust because of all the damage it can do.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Frame swap FTW!

Lemme know if you need any parts from here in the southeast, I'll get them to you!

[paddlenbike]

Wire brush it and paint it before it gets worse. I don't think it's bad enough to swap.

[YotaFun]

Mark, Yeah dude I was devastated, trying to get my own place soon and was relying on the 4Runner to be okay since I was going to sell my DD to help fund the down-payment on a place.

Mike, its living in the rust belt, it took me twice as long to do a clutch in a Scion TC because of the rust on it, its just a killer.

Chris, thats sort of the plan, I'll explain in a Sec.

Paddlenbike (Kevin?), I can do that for the back half of the frame, but the mid section is already on its way out, I smack it with a hammer and get showered in rust chips, its rusting from the inside out, its def getting soft, If I can put a decent dent in the frame rail with my smaller hammer its def done.

My current plan for now is to stop all mods, I was going to do 4.88, 5spd swap, and cases, but I am going to put that on hold to start looking for another truck.

I will plate my frame for now to just hold me off till I find another Decent 4Runner
Thinking something like this:
||_||
-----
Just a simple C channel around the bottom with it going about 1/4 up the side of the frame rail
Paint it, place some drain holes along the way and go from there.

Shooting for a 98-00 now.

It doesn't need to be running it just needs to have a straight clean frame and body.

My plans are to strip everything off of it and keep it down to just a rolling chassis.

I will slowly work on cleaning up the frame and coating it to protect it, as well as go through the interior with some sound deadening spray as well as underneath the body itself and get it protected and coated, then hopefully by spring I can swap my drive train over to the roller and start a new build.

[CJM]

Avy, that absolutely sucks! I hate to say it but it looks as your between a rock and a hard place now. finding a roller is all you can really do unless you want to repair more than half the frame.

Yea Id say C channel it would be best for now. Id weld/bolt it all up on there.
Then get some fluid film or heavy gear oil or something and spray it inside the frame till it drips out and spray it every 2-3 months or something.

My frame has surface rust but not like that. However my rear bumper is starting to rust thru

[Obi..]

~Have your dealership's Used Acquisition Manager hit up the auctions or watch Car-Part.com and find a trade-in to buy @ expense or a wrecked one w/ the frame still straight. I can definitely also suggest calling some yards in Arizona or out this way to see if they have a frame you can pick up.

Then just shoot Dan the money to rent a trailer and pull it the rest of the way around the country to you?