Dreaded lower control arm rust

[Sir_LR]

My 4Runner has not been troubling me for a while now and I’ve heard a clunk from the back end and while inspecting the noise I noticed that the frame is rusting through and making holes. I plan on getting it fixed but what should I be doing to the rest of the frame to stop it from getting worse until I get this fixed. Pictures attached. Thanks for any advice.
Photo
IMG_3498.JPG - Google Drive

 

[spartacus]

My 4Runner has not been troubling me for a while now and I’ve heard a clunk from the back end and while inspecting the noise I noticed that the frame is rusting through and making holes. I plan on getting it fixed but what should I be doing to the rest of the frame to stop it from getting worse until I get this fixed. Pictures attached. Thanks for any advice.
Photo
IMG_3498.JPG - Google Drive

Frame swwp.If the rest of the frame is just as bad.
Grind the rust off and use chasis saver like por15 or Eastwood , or rustolem.
Rust buster is a good site for weld on pieces.

Rust Buster Frame Repair Kits For 1996-2002 Toyota 4Runner

 

[TheDurk]

Do you know what happens if that mount separates while you are driving? I do, because it happened to me! I was lucky in that it happened while I was accelerating on to an Interstate ramp and was going in a straight line at a relatively low speed in no traffic. Even so, it scared the pants off me. The truck was going one direction while the body was pointing in another. Any touch on the accelerator made weird things happen. I was able to coast it to the shoulder but in another circumstance the outcome could have been disastrous. If it had happened at highway speed in traffic, I am sure I would have hit something.

I would strongly suggest you stop driving that thing until you get it fixed. And by the way, my frame did not look nearly as bad as yours does.

To see one way to fix it, read the thread in my sig. (I don't recommend it, but that truck is still going strong today.)

 

[brillo_76]

I done it all. From Frame patching to now frame swapping. You can slow the rot down and repair frames as they rust from the inside out. The main trick is to keep the frame clean and keep coating the frame of rust inhibitors both inside and out. This helps slow it down from rusting. That can be fixed. However, it really needs strengthen now. As The durk said, you do not want that coming off the frame while you are driving.

 

[Sir_LR]

Thanks for all the info the truck currently just makes light 1km drives to work so 2ish km round trip and ill look into doing a frame swap but its a pretty tedious process but it does make it like starting from scratch which is good for me. I will try not to use the truck as much. The rest of the fram is mostly surface rust but it could be getting worse so I will be looking into it. Thanks again

 

[Sir_LR]

I done it all. From Frame patching to now frame swapping. You can slow the rot down and repair frames as they rust from the inside out. The main trick is to keep the frame clean and keep coating the frame of rust inhibitors both inside and out. This helps slow it down from rusting. That can be fixed. However, it really needs strengthen now. As The durk said, you do not want that coming off the frame while you are driving.

I would love to do a frame swap but it's hard to find people that are willing to do that for you especially in ontario Canada. I would be willing to make a drive down to the states if you know of anyone good that does it since I dont think I am capable of doing it even though im decently inclined mechanically.

 

[brillo_76]

I would love to do a frame swap but it's hard to find people that are willing to do that for you especially in ontario Canada. I would be willing to make a drive down to the states if you know of anyone good that does it since I dont think I am capable of doing it even though im decently inclined mechanically.

Its a project.. Takes many days and that is if the donor frame is completely ready to do go ..

In your case. I would just patch and stiffen those brackets.. Just so they cant come looose. Then that will give you time to find a good frame and do a swap.

Kinda surprised nobody does it up there in Canada as you about in the same climate as I am in Western PA and the steel just literally rots away.

 

[FD7683]

The dreaded upper control arm rot is what puts these 4Runners in the junkyard. When I go to the pick a part to grab stuff I always look under any 4Runner/Tacoma frame whenever I see one. 9 times out of 10 the control arm bracket is busted off and the rest of the frame is swiss cheese. You should be ok with a patch like brillo mentioned.

 

[walkercars2]

I’d suggest to just frame swap it. Seems the simplest route