Time to give up on my 1st gen?

Went to visit Mom for Mom's Day weekend today. Helping Dad in the driveway glanced at my Tundra (okay was admiring it - LOL) & noted a puddle under it. Under the rear diff to be specific.
Toyota put the new frame under it & topside it looks pretty good. Under is fairly rusty, two small holes in the bed floor, some rust on the cab floor. Fine for a cheap N.E. working truck. I Fluid Filmed it last fall, which made my rusty rear axle look... moist & fragile. When I did the F.Filming I checked the rear diff - absolutely no sign of LSD sticker. Oh well.


so BONUS - turns out I DO have LSD. Fluid film seems to have brought forth my hidden sticker from below the filth.
So, you can see that's a worrisome leak. Decided to high tail it back home. Won that gamble as I made it, but there's …. a feeling. Dunno, Guess it's the feeling of unlubed diff.


Got home & had this on the rear bumper. Uh oh.

I can't do the work, just can't happen in my life by me now.
Needs front suspension - clunks & such.
Needs rear axel, likely everything between the rims, including shocks.

Does anything other than selling it as a parts truck make any sense?
Can't drive it as is. Assume used axle & suspension is $$$.

Those brake cables tell you about the what at either end of the axle. Look at the spare tire rim - wouldn't even bother to mount it.

?

Sigh.

 

Jeez, that's so bad man. Sorry to hear. At that point I would do the same for fear that if money was dumped to make it like new, how long would it last.

Is this common where you live?

 

Yes. They spray this 'brine' on the roads before snow falls. Dries to a powder, snow falls & it turns to a sort of saltwater layer to keep roads from freezing. Rots the underbody of vehicles out fast. Yes very common here in CT. Afraid I allowed my eyes to fixate on the shiny new frame when I looked it over for purchase.

 

Why didn't Toyota replace everything ?

I'm pretty sure on the Tacomas with frame rust that have em brand new suspensions too. I'd go to Toyota and see what they say

 

That sucks. As a temporary repair, you could drain the fluid, clean the area & JB Weld it. At least then, it stops leaking on your driveway and you can move it around while you decide what to do.

 

Is that the red crap?

 

Can be. They mix a bunch of different things with chlorides to make them work better. Beet juice is becoming a big one.

 

Really sorry to hear this Nudrat. I would at least get a few estimates to have the work done but you're probably correct that selling it may be the best option. I would at least try to get the rear diff to stop leaking first. That would be tough to sell as is.

Maybe a new drain and fill plug with washer might help? I just bought those parts online. They were around $8 each.

Side note, how come some stated like CO and AK have figured out how to keep the roads clear without using salt? They use sand in Colorado or so I've heard. That brine is horrible. It's too bad people can't petition the state to stop.

 

At lot of states don't use salt.

But I used to live in AK....no salt, no sand.....just 4WD and good tires and the acceptance that driving was dangerous.

In MT they use sand and gravel....and everyone complains about going through windshields and having to repaint the leading edges of their hoods.

The roads aren't even close to clear in the winter. You just deal with it.

 

Bummer bud. Your springs look better than mine. I’d buy them if was close by you, but as suggested above you may try to JB Weld that pumpkin and get a little more life out of her. She does look on the brink of giving up the ghost so maybe just patch this thing up and milk it for all its worth.

Only do what is cheap to keep it going at this point and ride her proudly into the glory land.

 

This ‘brine’ is very corrosive. Evil stuff. Went through a couple brine states and after getting back home noticed rust powder starting on welds in places its not been seen before.

There are some youtubes on the JB Weld fix if you go that route.

 

Sand comes with its own problems, not so hard on vehicles but it's not a great choice in an area where the roads clear naturally after a snow.

On dry roads sand becomes a skid hazard, it also disrupts waterway wildlife, and clogs drainage.

Back on topic:
Barnes4wd makes a replacement "cover" that welds on https://www.barnes4wd.com/Toyota-T1...ndra-Heavy-Duty-Differential-Cover_p_359.html

The previously mentioned JB Weld approach or Permatex makes a spray sealer that may work.

You could also try to find a decent used axle to swap in but there's no guarantee it won't have the same problem.

 

Well thanks folks. I went to bed depressed I was going to have to throw away my Tundra. I wake up with hope. Thank You!

Funny, when visiting Mom yesterday - she pulled out some JB Weld I had given her years ago & asked about using it for a repair she needs to make. I actually had some right there at my disposal - just never connected the dots.

Guess it's time to figure out how to clean off the fluid film so the JBW will actually stick.

 

Any solvent like brake cleaner will remove it in short order.

Were it me I'd drain it, remove both plugs, try to spray down the inside as best as possible to avoid oil seeping back through. Something like this would probably help.

KBS Coatings 75015 36" Cavity Wand with 360 Degree Spray Tip

$30 KBS Coatings 75015 36" Cavity Wand with 360 Degree Spray Tip (Cavity Coater Aerosol Can NOT Included)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UDIZX2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xdc2CbQRYTSS3

Then use a kit like this instead of trying to smear the putty evenly.
https://www.jbweld.com/collections/metal/products/j-b-weld-tankweld

 

Sweet 360° spray nozzle.

 

This is always an option if you can weld/know some one
https://www.barnes4wd.com/Toyota-T1...ndra-Heavy-Duty-Differential-Cover_p_359.html

 

Actually Alaska uses a LOT of sand (with salt) during the winter for the vast majority of its roads.

The salt is generally about 5% of the mix, and has nothing to do with thawing the roads actually. The salt is mixed in with the sand to keep the sand piles from freezing so they can still be loaded into the trucks, and still be spread.

Have experimented with different chemicals and methods of storage to try and eliminate using salt, but it’s relatively cheap and very effective.

The State of Alaska DOT (along with local gov Municipality of Anchorage / Mat Su / Kenai Peninsula / Fairbanks) spend a ton of money every spring to clean the roads of all the sand. It’s a huge maintenance cost since the sand clogs storm drains, manholes, mounds up on road shoulders / under guardrail that trap water, and grows vegetation on the shoulders.

As far as the rear diff, I agree with the JB Weld / new plug and gasket fix. Should be able to buy you some time and will be easier to sell if you choose to sell it as an operable vehicle and not just parts.

Good luck!

 

Sand disrupts wildlife waterways? Ok? Ughhh what?

 

The amount of sand used can fill crevices that microorganisms and insects make their homes in which trickles up through the ecosystem.

It's not just a problem from that but any runoff that can cause excess turbidity in the water.

Everything we do has an impact some are easily visible, some aren't.

 

Ok, I was a bit confused