Rusting Frame

W

WrongLane

Junior Member
Hey Folks,

I have a 2011 4runner that lived in New England its entire life and seems like the salt is doing it's thing. Wondering if this is worth fixing? Nothing is wrong with it mechanically. I have a quote from a shop for $1000 to get it fixed.

The rest of the frame seems to be ok, or at least not rotting away.
 
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damn. before you fix it I would have the shop really look at it and make sure it's not $1000 today, $5000 tomorrow. miles? condition?
 
WrongLane said:
Hey Folks,

I have a 2011 4runner that lived in New England its entire life and seems like the salt is doing it's thing. Wondering if this is worth fixing? Nothing is wrong with it mechanically. I have a quote from a shop for $1000 to get it fixed.

The rest of the frame seems to be ok, or at least not rotting away.
Click to expand...

The rust on these frames especially from the rust/snow belt tend to rust from the inside out and looking at your photos there's a ton more rust you aren't even seeing inside that frame, to really know the extent of the rust "you" need to go over the entire frame tapping on it with a hammer and punch or a big screwdriver to see if any more holes start to appear!!!

You'll be able to tell where it's still solid and where there's a lot of rust inside by the sound when tapping.
 
Yeah, there's potentially a lot more rust than you're seeing.
You need to go over every square inch of the frame to find out how bad it really is.
Otherwise you'll end up patching it over and over.
Been there done that, replaced the frame eventually.
 
Thanks guys, I'll get under it this weekend and go over everything. It has only 140k miles on it so hopefully the rest of the frame is ok.
 
Alright, crawled under it and looks like the rest of the frame is ok. It's only this section that's rusted out. Passenger side from the front cross member forward to where the frame bends up for the wheel arch. I think I might bite the bullet and try to get it fixed. What do you guys think?
 
WrongLane said:
Alright, crawled under it and looks like the rest of the frame is ok. It's only this section that's rusted out. Passenger side from the front cross member forward to where the frame bends up for the wheel arch. I think I might bite the bullet and try to get it fixed. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Glad for you that you're not finding a lot more bad rust, the area you describe I think is where the HVAC condensation drain line that comes out of the firewall and drips down onto the top of the frame, at least that's where it is on a 4th Gen, anyway if it's there on a 5th Gen I would recommend extending that hose so it doesn't drip onto the frame any longer!

As far as fixing it I guess it all depends on your goal, getting it to last a few more years/miles or trying to sell it, etc.

Only you can determine if the cost is worth it to you.
 
That's long-term neglect on salt-encrusted roads. The A/C drain mod while fine advice, is not what caused this level of rot.

Any make or model will rust out if neglected under highly corrosive environmental circumstances.

OP, that rust is pretty bad. If you can find someplace that is willing to attempt to strengthen it, and take on the liability of doing so, I'll wish you the best of luck going forward.

I'd also strongly suggest being more proactive in preventing rust in the future. Washing the undercarriage in winter. Having the vehicle treated for rust prevention by a reputable place that does that, in your area. I can't recommend a business as I'm not in your area. Others from the east coast could probably recommend a business that does that, with good results.
 
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