Rusted out sway bar from frame

I have a 2006 Toyota tundra. Had the frame sprayed when they did the recall in 2016, however where my frame meets the sway bar it’s rusted out. Any idea what it’d cost to get it replaced? Can I drive it?

 

Ouch…you’ll be parting her out I’m afraid.

 

Yeah, that's the downside to the spray: It doesn't do shit, and your frame continues to rust out from under. Hindsight is 20/20, should've done the replacement.

I wouldn't feel safe driving around with a chunk like that missing, you'd ideally want to remove the swaybar. A lot of welding shops won't touch something like this due to liability, if the frame does snap, guess who gets the blame?

That's not even a commonly-bad location. If it snapped at that mount, I have zero doubt in my mind some of the worse-impacted areas are not far behind, which is why I'm with @CCE525 on this one: Time to part it out and recoup some $$.

 

It also looks like you have a boot/bellows that's wide open there too. Which makes me wonder how much overdue maintenance you may already have...

 

That appears to a little more than a stabilizer support problem.

How does the outside of the frame rail look? Is it compromised as well or in good shape?

 

The frame rail is in good shape. This is the only part on the frame that’s rusted out. Definitely over due on maintenance. Just replaced the boots/bellows. I’d hate to get rid of it but if I can’t salvage it. I’m taking it to a good frame shop tomorrow to get it quoted or to even see if they’d touch it. Other than this, the truck runs great. Great body, no damage. With 179,000 on it.

 

Yeah, see what they say and let us know.

 

$1300 to fix it including the strap on my gas tank. Other side is in good shape. They took a look at the rest of the frame and beat on it. Told me I had a tundra in really good shape & if I ever wanted to sell it bring it there lol

 

It's repairable, anything is. This is why you must spray oily wax based coatings inside the frame rails for ALL Toyota frames in northern or wet climates or for off road use. They usually rust from the inside out, or wherever their is sandwiched steel layers.

1st, inspect the entire frame, make sure it's worth your investment in fixing this.
Then I would use 1/8" sheet to plate inboard side and bottom of frame, and then weld the sway bar bracket back on.

Here's a Tacoma frame with similar rot repaired using an angle cut out of 4"×4"×1/8" wall tube. Note how there in the hole picture there's black paint on outside of frame but inside is totally rusted.

 

Thank you! I had no idea about spraying the inside. & yes i think it’s the dumbest thing they could’ve done is doubling up the steel and sandwiching it. I appreciate the input & I will definitely take your advice.

 

No problem. I just bought me a personal 1999 4runner that needs major repair, another proof of rusting from inside out (rest of frame is pretty nice) and body is very clean and it's a Limited w/ locker 4.30s and sport wheels, worth saving to me.

 

You are absolutely right. My frame looks mint on the outside but there is some rust inside the box portion. I just dumped two cans of Fluid Film in there this past weekend. And my truck is from the South. I doubt it has seen a ton of salt. I also think the stupid crap Toyota sprayed on it actually made it worse.

 

Nope, they sprayed with Noxudol. I don't know if they used a cavity wax in the frame channels, but they better be doing that. Also need to refresh all the coating every few years.

All the pictures in this thread show it rusted from inside.

 

Yeah, I had our 1G Sequoia sprayed by Toyota with the Noxudol, and the dealer DIDN'T wire brush loose rust, DIDN'T spray cavity wax. I would never use Noxudol on a frame again with any rust showing, because the rust just grew underneath the Noxudol. Fluid Film, Krown, WoolWax etc, the oily creepy crawly stuff is the best solution, 100% tested by me for 7 years on Buffalo NY salted roads.

 

Yeah, I've had a bad luck with Noxudol 900. Perhaps it does something, but I sprayed it in locations where abrasive wear is significant, so it all has been gone soon. It lacks penetration, too, so spraying it over rust is senseless.

My Tundra and wife's Sequoia are coated in 1600 (abrasion-resistant asphalt-like substance) and 700 (cavity wax) inside the frame and in hard to reach places. The only rust I see on Tundra is where Noxudol has been scraped off, along with paint (I offroad in my Tundra). Oh, and welding seams, too. Unfortunately, Toyota or whoever makes the frames for Toyota didn't figure it out how to weld properly. Sequoia is rust free yet.

Cavity wax on the whole frame is bad, at least in my case, since it attracts dirt, which attracts moisture. This summer I had to power wash my frame thoroughly and now coat with 1600 vs cavity wax and grime mix I found there.

 

That's about the best news you can hear, and you're a lucky dawg, 1st shop you hit was willing to repair. That's a rarity!