Rust help

[levi10moore]

My wife’s 2006 limited v8 is showing its age

I know this rig isn’t completely lost yet. But I feel I’ve lost the battle already.

The frame seems repairable but not sure the rear wheel wells are. I’m not sure what that mount is that seems to be poking through where it’s rusted out.

If anyone has any information to help that’d be great. I’d like to keep this rig on the road as long as possible. My wife absolutely loves her 4runner.

Not sure on what to do with the frame. Besides take it to a shop.
What company makes frame repair kits?
What cost should I be expecting?

With the wheel wells. Is that even repairable?
Have I lost the battle already?

Is it even worth fixing? Or will the rust cancer just keep growing?

 

[Inv4drZm]

The cancer will only grow but you can slow it up a ton by doing some maintenance. The rust isn't bad yet, you still have a chance. Do some research into products that convert the rust into iron oxide (rust converter) and spray it all over. The rust spot you have on the frame is likely right next to the catalytic converter, which somehow gets hot enough to cause rust in that one spot. If the frame rusts out you have a structural issue. If the body rusts out it just looks ugly but nothing structural is affected and safety isn't compromised so the wheelwell rust might look ugly and needs treated but no real need to worry about it as much as frame rust. At this point judging from these pictures nothing needs welded or patched, just maybe grinded/sanded down and rust converted.

 

[Hungryhawk]

First do you have a place, interest and mechanical skills to do any undervehicle work?
There are rust prevention sealers that are best applied BEFORE rust get established. After rust is visible it need to be chemically treated and converted(stopped).
The frames are called box style because they are hollow. It takes a fiber optic inspection camera to see inside the frame. So rust can be worse inside frame than the rust spots you see on the outside.
Both 4runner forum sites have lots of posts on this topic. Use the search function and also the internet.
You either find a service to do the necessary rust treatment or you do it yourself.

 

[MikeinNH67]

This is minimal right now although I don't recall mine rusting in the wheel wells. As mentioned, the frame is the part to monitor. The arches are easily fixed. I'd grab a screwdriver and see if you can poke through that spot in the frame. Even if you can, it looks like a 2"x2" square could be cut out and welded in. If it was worse, you could buy Safe-T-Caps (Google them) and have them welded on. I would look and poke around some more though, typical places for frame rust are the lower flats at the bottom of the axle arches, the ends behind the rear bumper and the tow point areas on the front.

 

[levi10moore]

Thanks guys!

Yeah I haven’t been able to find much info on any others having the wheel well arch rust out. I’m not sure if this has something to do with it having the 3rd row option. It looks like there is some mounting point that it’s rusting out at.

 

[MikeinNH67]

Ah, the wheel arch rust is only in the rear? Interesting.

 

[rdruss]

I have an '03 4Runner and the frame was severely rusted under the passenger side front door. This area is where the AC condensate gathers and drips to the ground EVERY time you use the AC. I had the frame patched there AND relocated the exit point of the AC condensate line so it didn't drip directly on top of the frame in the engine compartment passenger side.
The inside of your frame probably has considerable rust in it, I have pulled out VOLUMNS of rust from just a couple of areas with a coat hanger. The frame comes "perforated" from the factory with about 60+ holes of various sizes and shapes. I have sprayed Fluid Film in each of these holes after a long dry spell (so the inside of frame would be dry as possible) and then plugged the holes using a frame plug kit from Toyota (takes 3 kits at $50/ea) and RTV on each plug. 5th gen frames (at least some) have these holes plugged from the factory now. Frame maintenance on a 4Runner is an on-going battle, it needs to be inspected and addressed at least yearly if you are in the rust belt.

 

[Cezar]

Those pics are garbage. Aren't there plastic fender liners anyway?

The parts of the frame you CAN see look completely fine.