Frame Rust Problem - What should I do?

[SpiderT4R]

Yes, another frame rust thread

So, I have a 2000 SR5 with 241,XXX miles that I have been driving for about a year. It has been almost perfect mechanically but it has frame problems.

I am 17 and this 4Runner was given to me by my parents. It sat for a few years and was thoroughly checked and worked on by my uncle, who is a mechanic, before I got my license. When he was working on it he patched a rust hole that was on the frame on the passenger side. I have known that the frame had some problems because of this, but I never knew how bad it was until a few weeks ago when I checked it out for myself after reading some of the horror stories on here about frames rotting out. I went under there with a screwdriver and the drivers side frame rail is pretty bad, there are 2 large holes and multiple smaller holes in the frame. From my inspection it seems like the rest of the frame is solid, there seems to be surface rust but nothing too bad.

A few days ago I was feeling inside the frame on the drivers side and it seemed like it was filled with dirt, rocks, and pieces of rust. Today I went under there and my fears were true…. On just the span of a few feet of the drivers side frame rail I pulled out all of this!!! (See photo)


So I’m not really sure what steps to take next. I’ve seen worse than this be fixed, but I’m scared that the rest of the frame is like this too on the inside. My dad can weld and I am willing to put in the money and time on grinding away the surface rust, patching the holes, painting the whole frame, etc. Can it be fixed or is it a lost cause at this point? I love this car and want to do some modifications to it, but I’m not doing ANYTHING without fixing this rust problem. I know that I could always get another and am willing to go that route too. The way I see it there are two options, what do you guys think:

1. During the summer I take a few days and completely restore this frame to the best of my abilities. I grind down all the rust, spray the frame with a rust converter, patch the holes, paint the frame, etc. After that I would continue to do yearly preventative maintenance for as long as I can, hopefully getting 5 or so extra years out of the car.

2. I do some simple work to prevent the rust from spreading for now. I don’t have the money to get a new car right now, so I would basically drive this one for a while until I get a new car and can use this one as a parts car or sell it. If this is the case how long do you guys think I’d have before the frame becomes unsafe? I love my 4R so if I go this route my next car might be another 3rd gen, one with a good frame. Then I could use my current one for parts.

Let me know what you guys think. I can provide more pictures if needed.

 

[brillo_76]

Very common in the rust areas. They can be fixed. My build thread is full of frame repaires.

They make repair panels to plate your frame. From bumper to bumper.

The trick is to get the frame completely cleaned out. Then coat the inside with rust prevention solutions. Then plate it. One of the easier ways to plate it is to use the safe t caps from autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit

I done it both ways. The safe t cap make it easier.

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[SpiderT4R]

Very common in the rust areas. They can be fixed. My build thread is full of frame repaires.

They make repair panels to plate your frame. From bumper to bumper.

The trick is to get the frame completely cleaned out. Then coat the inside with rust prevention solutions. Then plate it. One of the easier ways to plate it is to use the safe t caps from autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit

I done it both ways. The safe t cap make it easier.

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Thanks! I've looked at the safe t cap before and that definitely seems like the easiest way to do it. So what would you recommend for cleaning out the frame? I think I got the worst of those rust flakes out yesterday, but that was only inside a very small length of the frame. It took me over an hour to do that and I did it by hand. I've seen people stick a hose in their frame and wash it out, should I go that route? I'd want to get it all cleaned out before coating the inside, but it seems like there could be a lot of stuff in there.

 

[blazerod4R]

I have a '96 from up north with some similar frame problems. Cool to see us broke teens try to get our rigs somewhat functional lol. Hopefully you can go the DIY route and keep the truck.

 

[JustTroItIn]

Brillo is definitely the expert here. My Limited had one part of the frame I repaired at the rear lower control arm mount on the passenger side. I just picked up some metal from Alro Steel, made templates with cardboard, cut to metal, and welded her up. Repair turned out pretty good and took me a weekend. Yours is a bit worse than mine was but since you have access to a welder you might as well give her a go.

 

[brillo_76]

Thanks! I've looked at the safe t cap before and that definitely seems like the easiest way to do it. So what would you recommend for cleaning out the frame? I think I got the worst of those rust flakes out yesterday, but that was only inside a very small length of the frame. It took me over an hour to do that and I did it by hand. I've seen people stick a hose in their frame and wash it out, should I go that route? I'd want to get it all cleaned out before coating the inside, but it seems like there could be a lot of stuff in there.

I literally cut the frame open in the really bad spots. You need to get all the scaling dirt, etc. Then seal off the steel inside the frame.

Then use something like steel-it.

So washing all the dirt out is a good idea.

Once all coated good weld the safe t cap on. I actually seal the frame factory holes off. Then put fluid film, used oil. Used transmission fluid to help keep oxygen off the steel to reduce the rust.

You notice the frames rust from the inside out.

I can confirm. That correseal as a base and por15 /kbs seal is not a good combination. It will start flaking off after a year off.



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[brillo_76]

Brillo is definitely the expert here. My Limited had one part of the frame I repaired at the rear lower control arm mount on the passenger side. I just picked up some metal from Alro Steel, made templates with cardboard, cut to metal, and welded her up. Repair turned out pretty good and took me a weekend. Yours is a bit worse than mine was but since you have access to a welder you might as well give her a go.

I done frame repair this way as well. If doing it this way. It's the same internal cleaning etc. Then carefully systematically cut the rot steel out and weld good metal in...

So far I have fixed 3 4 runner frames and 1 st gen Tocuma frame as well...

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[diverscale]

Very common in the rust areas. They can be fixed. My build thread is full of frame repaires.

They make repair panels to plate your frame. From bumper to bumper.

The trick is to get the frame completely cleaned out. Then coat the inside with rust prevention solutions. Then plate it. One of the easier ways to plate it is to use the safe t caps from autorust.com - Makers of the Frame Saving Safe-T-Cap Kit

I done it both ways. The safe t cap make it easier.

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these are interesting

So for the lower rear control arms (Mid-Rear Frame Section (ART-218-S) Set - autorust.com), you remove the rust, but you HAVE to have a remaining section of the mount for localisation, then you weld that thing over it and align the mounting holes? Did I get it?

If that is it, these are really worth the price and I might even use them to save mine down the road, as even with my cautious anti-rust, they put so much of that crap on the road in such quantity that it's a pretty hard fight for the rear section of the vehicle.

 

[brillo_76]

these are interesting

So for the lower rear control arms (Mid-Rear Frame Section (ART-218-S) Set - autorust.com), you remove the rust, but you HAVE to have a remaining section of the mount for localisation, then you weld that thing over it and align the mounting holes? Did I get it?

If that is it, these are really worth the price and I might even use them to save mine down the road, as even with my cautious anti-rust, they put so much of that crap on the road in such quantity that it's a pretty hard fight for the rear section of the vehicle.

We have several members who have used those plates to fix their lower control arm brackets.


In one of my rigs. Cleaned the frame out and put 2 quarts of fluid film in the frane and just silicone the factory frame holes shut. The frame at this point is decent so I went after slowing the inside.

I plated steel over bad sections doing nothing just to see how long the steel will last...[4 to 7 years max ]no paint nothing just new steel plated over.... after 4 to 7 years, the steel will be heavily oxidized and rusted in between the plates, twisting a be bending steel due to.the oxidation of the steel.

I even done internal frame plating. Where I cut the bad steel and weld the plates internally with plate on the sections rotted out. I put another outer plate and seal all the holes by welding them shut.

I like this method for keeping the frame outer dimensions intact. Plus, thickening the structural steel in the frame. Being the holes are gone, salt water can't get in, and the rust inhibiting solutions will do 6 the rust down.

I am now using up all my steel before I make another change.

My latest change will be going to cold rolled steel as it's harder and more rust resistant the hot rolled mild steel.

The safe t caps are cold rolled harder steel. I used them on a tacuma frame and are a good product.

One downfall is cold rolled steel is quite a bit more expensive then mild steel. It's extremely difficult to bend and alot harder to drill.

So there is lots of pros and cons on the different methods.










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[SpiderT4R]

I literally cut the frame open in the really bad spots. You need to get all the scaling dirt, etc. Then seal off the steel inside the frame.

Then use something like steel-it.

So washing all the dirt out is a good idea.

Once all coated good weld the safe t cap on. I actually seal the frame factory holes off. Then put fluid film, used oil. Used transmission fluid to help keep oxygen off the steel to reduce the rust.

You notice the frames rust from the inside out.

I can confirm. That correseal as a base and por15 /kbs seal is not a good combination. It will start flaking off after a year off.



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Ok, thanks for the help. I'll probably be doing all of this over the summer, but I will be sure to let you know if I have any more questions!

 

[jmoore15]

What happened?

Whatever happened with this? did you make the repairs? I have a very similar issue and want to know what to do.