What often doesn't get said (and I don't think it has yet) is at that level nearly every repair is gonna be a pain as every nut and bolt will fight you. Before any repair I'd soak the bolts with PB Blaster for a couple days (reapply at morning and night) to make it manageable, but you should still expect to snap some here and there. I certainly have and they weren't nearly as rusty as yours

That’s the company I bought my repair sleeve from for my 97 project.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It took an entire weekend to do a timing belt job on the 96 because I kept breaking bolts thankfully I have two junkyards near me. One is 15min drive and the other is 40min.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is where I think this forum ironically shines brightest too - finding part numbers for random bolts and screws and the like. Some of you guys are wizards at this

For the area, that frame is in decent shape. The axle housing needs cleanup and resealed up to prevent further rusting. You need to really check out the inner frame rails in the front and rear arches look for rotted out steel. PA Chrome kills a lot of rides. The inner frame mostly rots out in these areas and you mostly can tell by looking at it. Wouldn't hurt to take a flat bladded screw driver with you to check areas.

All and all it doesn't look too bad but can have a few soft spots lingering around.
Like Highlife says I fix the frames. I was teaching RandyBoBandy how to weld and he will assist me at times to learn. But at the moment he is in college with no free time. 19963.4lsr5 is more towards the middle of the state and has done excellent patches on his frame repairs. :-)

I live in Ohio and my diff looks a lot worst than that one. The frame is the same condition as mine but i'm sure with a little bit of work it will be fine for more years. Thats a mint condition midwest vehicle here.

Hahaha! I’m in KC; you’re not wrong.

That frame and diff housing look pretty good. Moderate surface rust. Paint it with POR15 or equivalent or coat it with NHOU, Fluid Film or similar. Dorman makes a weld on diff cover now. I've done a bunch, usually takes about 3 hours.

Thank you for the feedback on the dorman covers. I was wondering how they held up as I have a spare diff housing That can use a new back cover. :-)

I had a 2000 (bought new) that was destroyed in RI due to salt..... it ran tip top everything worked, but there were holes the size of a glof ball in the fame that are the well know rust spots......... the differential cover leaked due to rust. I felt bad cutting it lose, but worried about safety as it was driven by my daughter.
I wanted to sell for parts. but a dude that specializes in fixing 4runner rust and exporting them to Haiti took it. He said he had guys in a shop there that did nothing but fix rust on 4runners and al of it could be fixed for $500 (in Haiti)...........
RI is a cesspool...they dump so much salt on the roads it like driving your toyota into the ocean every day for 3 months of the year. I have a 99 landcruiser that I bought new.......its mint, except when you look underneath it is destroyed .
Stay out of RI is a weird place

looks like an endless money pit to me. Find something newer down south.

Any updates?

That is not the best deal at the asking price. Look at that power steering line repair. Skid plate is MIA too. This is probably a car flipper.

Once the e-brake brackets break off the housing I just recommend replacing the entire rear end. At this neglect and mileage the rear will start whining sooner than later; might as well get a fresher housing with lower mileage diff. Rest of the frame looks half decent.