Hello! New to trucks and my first Tundra!

Hello everyone! I've always been a car guy and I'm new to trucks but I've been looking at Tundra's and Tacoma's for a few months now and I just purchased my first Tundra yesterday! It's a 2003 Limited Access Cab 4.7 V8. My friend told me to look out for the infamous frame rust so I always asked for photos of the frame first before even attempting to look at any of the trucks.

She's got 272k miles on her which is the highest mileage vehicle I've ever bought but the history looked pretty good, one owner, maintenance done and they had the timing belt replaced twice, the first one at 90k and the next at 190k back in 2016. The first thing I did to her when I brought her home was change the oil. I ordered a timing belt/water pump component kit and plan replace that also.

The frame has some surface rust on there but it doesn't seem too bad. I'd like to take the bed off and start some repairs, weld some frame caps, clean up the rust and prep the frame so it doesn't continue to rot away. I think this would be a good Winter project to do.

 

Welcome from Western NC.

 

Welcome from Nevada

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Welcome aboard from The Pacific South West.

 

Welcome from Ontario Canada

 

Very clean,..Welcome.

 

That looks great for 272,000 miles. You sure it's not 272,000 Kilometers??

Make sure to heat the bed bolts With a propane torch from underneath before attempting to remove them. Also, use a liberal amount of a good quality penetrating oil before and after heating each bolt. You'll thank me later....

 

Welcome from Ohio

 

Welcome from Vermont

 

Welcome from True NorCal. Nice truck!

 

Welcome from So Cal

 

Another welcome from WI.

 

I wish it was 272k in kilometers haha. I'll definitely make sure to heat and use a ton of WD-40. I want to replace the rear bumper too since the paint is rusting through and there's a hole on the bottom of the bumper too and I'll to make sure to use heat and WD-40 on those too.

 

Welcome from Vegas. Very Nice looking Truck.

 

So I brought my truck into work today and put her up in the air and the bed bolts do not look like they will come out without breaking so one of my coworkers who specializes in trucks suggested just cleaning up the rust from under the truck then using some rust preventative paint and just brush it all over the frame. I'm looking at possibly using POR-15? Has anyone had any experience using that on the frame?

 

Just my 2 cents, but i had bad results with the one time i used POR-15. They require you to buy and use their 3 step process and products, and after one year mine was peeling and bubbling off. never again.

 

Good to know, thank you! I'll keep looking around to see what the best option is. Winter season will be here in the next month or 2 so I want to prep up my frame before then.

 

We all go through this every fall to prepare for winter...maybe this will help you decide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXlhmbvdKBo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXvl9nt57Kg

 

I don't live in a heavy winter state I don't think. Usually we only get a light dusting, but salt is a heavy factor here. Local gubbernments go stupid with the salt and even the first syllable of the word "snow"

I pulled the bed, and ground as much of the rust off the frame as I could. Then I "painted" it with ospho metal treatment, then painted with primer, and paint. Rustoleum.

 

Squirt everything down with 2 cans PB Blaster Penetrant including frame, frame box, axles, and the under bed rails. Then rub it all down with grease using a sponge. Total cost less than $20.

PB Blaster takes 10 minutes by just firing away at long distance. The grease rub a full day. Or you could break it into 2 partial days. Permanent. Recco the PB Penetrant refresh at least once a year to get the folds and nooks.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)! Luckily we don't have to deal with the salt, or winterizing, or really even the rust issues y'all have up there!

 

Welcome from the Garden State.