How bad is the rust

Hello everyone, sorry for another rust post. Just bought this 2005 DC Tundra with 187k miles, has excellent maintenance history and has been in Virginia and NC. Got a good deal for it, when I checked the rust when purchasing it seemed like it only had surface rust.. Upon closer inspection, I found some delamination around the leaf spring mount. Both sides seem to have it at the same spot. I hit along the frame with a hammer and didn't create any holes or punctures. Cross members have a bit of surface rust, but no delamination that I can see. My question is: what would your plan of attack be? Obviously, I know these trucks are notorious for this and I thought I did a good job of inspecting when purchasing (the owner even sent pictures beforehand). I looked to see if it ever had a recall done for the frame, but nothing popped up. Should I take it to a Toyota dealership for their opinion? Can I grind down the delamination and weld on a new reinforcement plate? I appreciate any help and advice.

 

That delamination in the rear by the secondary support brace looks pretty bad. Keep looking as the only way to treat that is drilling out the brace and fabricating a new one to replace it.

The dust boot on the steering rack is filled with PS fluid by the look of it as well.

 

No.

Yes. How skilled are you? It's going to require some fabrication as well.

 

2005 isn't under the safety campaign to replace, so the dealer DGAF (sorry).

The important part here is, the frame itself looks like it's intact and not delaminating. It's just the stiffener/support/mount that's toast, and you can alwys install new.

The first place any frame will rust is at the weld. Those welds pictured can be cleaned up, ospho'd / naval jelly'd, rinsed/dried/prepped, then self-etched and hit with satin black rustoleum for proper treatment and remediation.

The stiffener/support/mount that's absoltuely fucked ... I dunno if AutoRust makes a kit for it, but it's worth checking: https://www.autorust.com/product-category/toyota/tundra-2000-2006/

If they do, Ideal situation would be to grind down one side of the factory rivet, then air-hammer the rivet out by the shank. Once the plate pops out, install properly treated/painted replacement and bolt in with grade 8 or better hardware with nylock nuts.

 

Thank you for the replies. Looking at the website you linked, the green area is where this stiffener/support/mount is correct?

 

Yep.

 

There's a guy here who just posted a thread (last 12 months as I recall) about how he repaired this very defect, but I'll be damned if I can find it. Hutchinson?

 

This one? https://www.tundras.com/threads/hutcheson’s-frame-restoration.144548/

His was a bit worse and this would be way overkill for OP.

OP's framerail is fine, it's the inner part that's fucked, no?

 

That's it...I found it just moments after you did. Hutcheson (not Hutchinson), but damn...why should I even recall that much.

I saved it in my brain because I too (like many of us) have frame stiffener de-lamination. Not bad enough yet to do anything about it (other than to keep it packed with moly grease to slow further decay), but one day I may pull the bed off and have at it. I don't care for the AutoRust solution in that the spring mounts are integral to the patch. OEM style mounts are readily available (I've done the rears already). When I do it I'll fabricate a replacement frame stiffener, patch the frame rail as required, and put it all back together.

 

So best solution for the stiffener/mounts is cut off rivets, clean up stiffener/mounts, fabricate a new stiffener like N84434 did in his restoration of his AC Tundra: https://www.tundras.com/threads/my-2001-trd-access-cab-repair-modify-thread.71679/ or Hutcheson's thread. Then for weld joints, just wire wheel those clean and treat for rust?

 

I remembered the exact same thing. You just beat me to it... so there

 

I can only tell you what I'd do.

If the framerails were intact and showing no worrisome signs of delamination, i.e. it's only the piece Toyota riveted onto the framerail at the factory that's disintegrating, it's a no-brainer. I'd grind the rivet head as is shown in the thread I linked, pop that piece off, and if Toyota didn't have a replacement piece to bolt in with grade 8+ hardware and nuts (I'm sure they must, they're still making f'n frames!) then I'd probably carry it to someone to fab something.

With the forward-most stiffener, the one that sits in the framerail just up under the rear of the cab, all you'd need is a local fab shop to press-brake out a piece that will fit inside the framerail (it's two bends, they shouldn't charge much!), you clamp it in place, drill through it using the exiting rivet holes as a template, then bolt it in place (after sanding/self-etching/coating your metal appropriately).

But yeah. If the framerail is nicely intact, no delam, I'm popping off the bad pieces, and putting new ones in its place.

AND DON'T FORGET! You can probably find someone with a wrecked frame with the same cab/drivetrain and snake good parts from them if there's no OEM to be had!

 

Hey all, been tackling this job. Got the bed off, tank dropped, rivets ground down, and stiffeners out. Frame is looking ok, couple small holes.


Thoughts on repairing holes? Don’t think I need auto rust replacements. Planning on getting a new stiffener made and bolted in there. Will also get rid of rust and coat everything in por15.

 

I would do this if I had the skills…

https://youtube.com/shorts/FG9AVoWXk00?feature=shared