undercarriage thoughts

[cahil]

curious if i could get some in the know opinions
of this undercarriage / frame of a 3rd gen 4runner
i am consider purchasing..

..the price of the 4runner is beyond reasonable
but now i ponder if i am buying a potential problem vs a solid truck
that i am looking to get at least 2-3 years out of..

all responses and insights are greatly appreciated..
thank you..

..cahil

 

[shootmymime]

it does not look beyond repair, and it looks solid, just super rusty.
You should be able to get away with taking a couple weekend and sanding and painting then move on to the net section of the truck.

 

[lhsoulrebel]

Sand, paint w/ por 15, then apply fluid film.

 

[jgue467]

I guess fixable as others said but don't you have any other choices or are they all like this in your area? IMO, I'd pass and keep looking especially since you mentioned its over priced anyway. Luck!

 

[MStudt]

It's not that bad. Mine is about the same, and I've done a frame repair already. Check the frame rails from the cross member back. Check for bad rust around the lower control arm mounts on both sides of the frame. Also check for frame rust on the drivers side by the gas tank.

 

[shootmymime]

..the price of the 4runner is beyond reasonable
..cahil

IMO, I'd pass and keep looking especially since you mentioned its over priced anyway. Luck!

:ranger: is it still to early or am i reading things correctly.

he said the price it good.

 

[zombiescustoms]

Good luck getting any fasteners out under there, with out severely soaking them and heating the crap out of them, I'd say pass, there are cleaner ones out there. I looked at 4-5 before I found mine, and they were all rusty.

 

[Hepar]

I would avoid it like the plague, but I hate rust and dealing with all that comes with it. What is the "beyond reasonable" price?

 

[MrRoo]

Thats mostly just surface stuff. Ive worked on stuff way worse. Im doing POR15 on mine. Mines not rusted real bad. But trying to keep it from getting worse. I use some stuff called Marine Clean to neutralize the salt. Then sand blast if you can and apply POR15. For mine being a 97 in Michigan its not as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Surface rust doesnt bother me. Deep rot does.

 

[mtier0067]

I'm also interested in this question. I know there are a bunch of pages around the forum on this issue with 3rd gen 4runners but the question is so case specific it seems... What about this issue with a 4runner 1997 with 169k on it, timing belt, water pump, new brakes, 02 sensor and regular maintenance, but a rusted frame in the normal spots from MN winters. Looks like someone has already patched the back side of the drivers frame where the arm meets the rail with a few small 1"x2"x1/4" plates. I got a quote from a local frame shop that they could patch the area all along the bottom of the drivers rail by the gas tank for ~500$. Just wondering if its worth it... It seems like the engine would drive for another 100k if I did this frame repair and put new shocks/coils in it. Probably run me around 2k total to get it in good shape but I got it for 1.2k so it still become cheaper than almost any other option I can find out there with low(er) mileage, 4wd, 3rd gen. Thoughts?

 

[Hepar]

I'm also interested in this question. I know there are a bunch of pages around the forum on this issue with 3rd gen 4runners but the question is so case specific it seems... What about this issue with a 4runner 1997 with 169k on it, timing belt, water pump, new brakes, 02 sensor and regular maintenance, but a rusted frame in the normal spots from MN winters. Looks like someone has already patched the back side of the drivers frame where the arm meets the rail with a few small 1"x2"x1/4" plates. I got a quote from a local frame shop that they could patch the area all along the bottom of the drivers rail by the gas tank for ~500$. Just wondering if its worth it... It seems like the engine would drive for another 100k if I did this frame repair and put new shocks/coils in it. Probably run me around 2k total to get it in good shape but I got it for 1.2k so it still become cheaper than almost any other option I can find out there with low(er) mileage, 4wd, 3rd gen. Thoughts?

Looks like you need to reload your pics.

 

[phattyduck]

I'm also interested in this question. I know there are a bunch of pages around the forum on this issue with 3rd gen 4runners but the question is so case specific it seems... What about this issue with a 4runner 1997 with 169k on it, timing belt, water pump, new brakes, 02 sensor and regular maintenance, but a rusted frame in the normal spots from MN winters. Looks like someone has already patched the back side of the drivers frame where the arm meets the rail with a few small 1"x2"x1/4" plates. I got a quote from a local frame shop that they could patch the area all along the bottom of the drivers rail by the gas tank for ~500$. Just wondering if its worth it... It seems like the engine would drive for another 100k if I did this frame repair and put new shocks/coils in it. Probably run me around 2k total to get it in good shape but I got it for 1.2k so it still become cheaper than almost any other option I can find out there with low(er) mileage, 4wd, 3rd gen. Thoughts?

Fixed the pic links... you might want to adjust the pic size!

-Charlie

 

[mtier0067]

Wow, My fault on the pics. Here are some more detailed pics of the frame. Basically the drivers side is in lousy shape and needs to be seriously reinforced and patched. The auto body shop said that they would likely put a plasma cut plate from the drivers door all the way back to the wheel. The other side doesn't have the same rust on the bottom of the tube but does have rust at the arm connection similar to the other side. Rocker panels are completely rusted out. I'll need to replace those... Its only got 160k miles and I'm thinking that I will try to bring the frame and the suspension back to life and see if she runs for another 100k. I figure i can budget in 3-4k for repairs and upgrades and have a nice old reliable vehicle for around town in the winter and camping trips up into the boundary waters in the summer. No major offloading planned for this ol girl... yet

View attachment 257965

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View attachment 257969I can't


I'm going to chime in on another thread about the shocks and springs that are on this vehicle. I got it for a song but I really have no idea what the previous owner did to it. I believe it has 1" lifts on the front and there is something going on with the rear. It couldn't be sitting that high without new suspension components back there or a spacer right? start a new thread yet as I have only been a member for a few days but I'll try to find something that fits the bill... about a million threads on 3rd gen suspension here...

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[Difflock]

Depends how much work you wanna do really, looks repairable but rough indeed


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[grahamwzim]

Hi All, hoping for your advice on a similar question. Looking to purchase a 02 SR5 with 91K miles on it. How concerned should I be about the rust (it's from MD)

 

[Hepar]

Hi All, hoping for your advice on a similar question. Looking to purchase a 02 SR5 with 91K miles on it. How concerned should I be about the rust (it's from MD)

I think it all depends on costs and personal preference. Definitely don’t pay for it based on the 91k miles. That has 400k miles of rust compared to say here in Seattle.

 

[grahamwzim]

Thanks, that's super helpful. I could take it to have someone look at it but don't want to drive the hour to look at the vehicle unless the rust isn't an issue. Just completely out of my knowledge base when it comes to rust.

 

[DreadPirateJon]

I am repairing a truck of similar "patina" right now. It do able, and I have seen much worse in my research, but this is a big chore, I would guess it has 2 or 3 winters left before becoming a safety hazard.
If you do look at it, reach around and see if you can put your finger through the weld on the inner side of the rear lower control arm. That seems to be the first place these frames go.

Good Luck

 

[DreadPirateJon]

Also there are other things to consider, like the brake lines and power steering. Plus bushings and ball joints.

 

[grahamwzim]

That's a shame. At $7-8K with that mileage I knew it was too good to be true. I wouldn't know where to start with repairing.