Frame Rot!! Is this the end?

[T4R2014]

Great progress! I'm surprised nobody in this thread has suggested that you do a SAS while you're at it.

I'll be the first - you should SAS while you're at it!

Ha good one. Might be cool for a trail rig with a beat up body, but if you use it as a daily runaround then you really don't want to deal with that. I think an e-locker conversion may be better.

 

[mckennar]

No, I started pulling the frame early last week, even before I made the first post. I was pretty sure what I was going to do. And I hit this pretty hard, despite the heat. A few hours in the AM, then more at the end of the day. I want my truck back. And I have air tools, too. Thank goodness. The impact, the ratchet, and the 12-ton air jack all got a workout.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to have as much time for a week or two.

Something like this would take me probably the rest of the time I have left on this planet, and it would only be about 30% complete. It's still quite impressive.

Bonus, that second frame looks pretty decent from afar. How does it look up close? If you're interested as to what it looks like on the inside, I used to use a borescope to inspect the inside of the rails in these (and Tacomas) back when I lived in New England.

 

[TheDurk]

Ha good one. Might be cool for a trail rig with a beat up body, but if you use it as a daily runaround then you really don't want to deal with that. I think an e-locker conversion may be better.

Thanks but no thanks. I go off-road, but I don't "wheel". I just like going to out-of-the-way places. Dirt, mud, snow, but no rocks. The way she is is plenty good for what I use her for.

 

[TheDurk]

Something like this would take me probably the rest of the time I have left on this planet, and it would only be about 30% complete. It's still quite impressive.

Bonus, that second frame looks pretty decent from afar. How does it look up close? If you're interested as to what it looks like on the inside, I used to use a borescope to inspect the inside of the rails in these (and Tacomas) back when I lived in New England.

It looks pretty good for around here. My junker guy was impressed, he was joking he wanted to raise the price on me once he saw how nice it was off the body. The borescope is a good idea, although this frame is going on no matter what. I know it's solid inside the brackets as I hit it with a screw driver pretty hard. I don't have one of those borescopes, but I have thought about it.

 

[TheDurk]

Well, I just wanted to record a (slightly) interesting factoid. I am replacing the fuel pump and in-tank filter while I have the chance, and will also paint the tank, so I had occasion to measure precisely how much fuel is left in the tank once the fuel pump sucks air. I'm sure there are a number of variables, but in my case, there was almost exactly 100 oz. left in the tank when I propped the tank on end and siphoned out the last drop. Call it 4/5ths of a gallon. Some have posted it is as much as 2 gallons and I have always doubted that was true.

I'm also going to trim an inch off the vent pipe to bring my '99 more in line with other years. This should allow me to get more than 12.5 gallons in on a fill up.

 

[TheDurk]

I haven't posted on here in a while so here is an update.

Completely stripped everything off my old frame. Learned one of the alignment bolts was frozen to the point where only a Sawzall was going to get it off. Hauled old frame into the woods until I figure out what to do with it. Only thing left on it are the UCAs.

First, I applied the Eastwood Internal Frame Coating throughout. I have now wire wheeled the top and sides of the new frame. So, how to do the bottom. Lie under, or flip it? I hate working against gravity. My arms give out fast. So, how do you flip this puppy? I'm alone, and it weighs a ton.

Well, I have a few secret weapons. First, is the bumper jack from Daddy's 1961 Oldsmobile station wagon. A very useful beast as it is screw drive so it can go from six inches off the ground to three feet high with absolute precision. No other jack I have seen can do that. So, we pick up one side, pull the support logs, and drop that side to the ground.

Next, we push on the other side as far as we can and prop it up with a handy fence pole driver that is also the cheater I use on my 24" pipe wrench. Then we put a chain on the far rail and tie it to secret weapon #2, my 50 year old International tractor.

Give it a gentle pull and it flops over gracefully. One inverted 4Runner frame:

Please, if any one quotes this post, strip out the pics. It really ruins a thread to have tons of duplicate pics going on for pages.

 

[TheDurk]

This allows me to get a real good look at the underside for the first time. I am very pleased with what I have. Here is the money shot. See the solid, unrusted rail within the new control arm bracket on the bottom, and then look at what remained of the rail inside the bracket that broke off the old one above. Yeah, not much, you can see daylight through two-thirds of it. Look at my first post in this thread and you can see it wasn't left behind, either--it's just gone, dissolved...poof!

Here is a better shot of the new one (plus my left foot). The rail is pristine in there--so pleased:

 

[TheDurk]

So, back up on the logs and ready for more wire wheeling today before Hurricane Hermine comes by starting tonight. That may shut me down until Wednesday on the frame, but I am going to work on the rack, both diffs, and the fuel tank in the garage so they are ready to go on once the frame is painted. Exhaust system with new tailpipe, muffler and new bolts and gaskets throughout is all ready. You can see it on top of the stone wall.

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

So, back up on the logs and ready for more wire wheeling today before Hurricane Hermine comes by starting tonight. That may shut me down until Wednesday on the frame, but I am going to work on the rack, both diffs, and the fuel tank in the garage so they are ready to go on once the frame is painted. Exhaust system with new tailpipe, muffler and new bolts and gaskets throughout is all ready. You can see it on top of the stone wall.

How are you getting into all the crevices where that wire wheel can get? I was considering buying one of those cheaper sandblasting pots from Harbor Freight to do my last truck. I have access to a cabinet sandblaster and it was the fastest, most efficient, and thorough way to get the rust off of any part I could fit in the cabinet, and leaves a perfect surface for whatever frame coating you'll use.

 

[TheDurk]

How are you getting into all the crevices where that wire wheel can get? I was considering buying one of those cheaper sandblasting pots from Harbor Freight to do my last truck. I have access to a cabinet sandblaster and it was the fastest, most efficient, and thorough way to get the rust off of any part I could fit in the cabinet, and leaves a perfect surface for whatever frame coating you'll use.

Going to go back over with a pointy wire brush using my electric drill. I also have a sideways wire wheel for the grinder that will be perfect for some spots. If I get obsessive, I have a small brush that goes in the cable extension of the Dremel, I could wire brush your lower intestine if I were so inclined.

I'll get to all of it, one way or another. I'm sure sandblasting would be great, but this is a frame, not a carburetor and I think that would take a long time unless you had a big pro machine, and I'm not going to go there. I have a cheapo Sears sand-blasting rig, and I rarely use it because it's a pain.

 

[Scramble]

Great updates but I dont see any pics.

 

[Myrunr2010]

I could wire brush your lower intestine if I were so inclined.

Lol, this made me laugh!

 

[ThorInc]

Great updates but I dont see any pics.

LOL, blink twice, they are there!

 

[GangsterOfLove]

I don't see any pictures either? :shrug:

 

[heat]

Man, what a commitment. Kudos for the effort.

 

[TheDurk]

Great updates but I dont see any pics.

I don't see any pictures either? :shrug:

I have no idea why some can't see them. Are you on a phone, maybe?

 

[fourfive]

I have no idea why some can't see them. Are you on a phone, maybe?

I've been following your thread since the beginning and I haven't been able to see any of your pictures either from my phone or laptop...

 

[T4R2014]

Aren't you going to need to move the transmission crossmember since you have a manual and the donor frame is for an auto?

 

[TheDurk]

Aren't you going to need to move the transmission crossmember since you have a manual and the donor frame is for an auto?

Huh? Good question. If I do, I have a guy who can do it. I'll look into it.

What do all the guys who do 5-speed swaps do? I don't think they have to do that...

[MENTION=99565]kolelt[/MENTION] Didn't you do a 5 speed into auto swap? Was there an issue with the cross-member?

[MENTION=78000]zgensler31[/MENTION] Zach, same question. Any issue with the trans cross-member putting 5-speed into auto frame?

I just skimmed two swap threads and I saw no mention of it. Drive-shafts, yes, but that doesn't apply to me. I'll measure tomorrow to make sure.

 

[zgensler31]

Nah man the crossmember is the same and in the same spot. No need to change it out. Only difference is the trans mount on the auto/manual.

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