What's an fm40?
71 FJ40 Frame Issue
- Thread starter nelsonto
- Start date
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What authority of significance checks frame vin? Of all the vehicles I've made insurance claims on none has ever checked the frame. Neither has a cop checked my frame. They just look for a vin wherever they can find it with least effort. Either in the door jam or on the dash. If it's a chop shop you are running, the cops may check vins on all the parts.
From the mid sixties until 3/69 the only VIN plaque on the FJ40 was on the passenger's fender below the battery. Not a good location. Besides having it a easy replaceable part corrosion from the battery above can be a problem. Remember going thru emission and handing the tech the VIN plaque from the glove box. After giving me a funny look I pointed out the VIN stamped into the frame. Compared to modern vehicles that seem to have ID tag on everything the early FJ40 it seem to be a way to inventory then to show ownership. Prior to the 81 model with a seventeen digit VIN there is no way to do a good search of the vehicle's history. Dealt with getting a replacement title for my 79 FJ40. VIN was completely worthless since it hadn't been registered in over five years and dropped from the system. Was until I found a photo copy I had made of the title with the state's title number when took a couple of minutes to good a new title. This is why you need to keep these old secure and have pictures documenting them. There is at least site now that has record of stolen and salvage titles today that includes these short VINs. I have never searched any short VIN and came up with anything on that site.
This thing is heading my way on the 19th. The plan is to patch the frame and make it safe. I have a 73 frame I cut up to repair my 76 and plan on using that to patch this one. I want to make it look good and not use Check plate to patch it, or make it look like a hack job. I think we are also going to swap in the 4spd trans while we have it and make sure the brakes are in good working order.
I will post up pics of the repair once I get it and get a better grasp of what will be required. It will be a lot easier once I get it up in the air on the lift. A lot easier to work on it too!
I will post up pics of the repair once I get it and get a better grasp of what will be required. It will be a lot easier once I get it up in the air on the lift. A lot easier to work on it too!
Great plan of action.
I remember years ago, early 1970s, a friend in Idaho purchased an FJ40 new. He drove it pretty hard, as it is made to, and if I remember right, his frame failed at one of the spring mounts, maybe 2. He took it to Peterson Toyota and the replaced the frame instead of welding it back. He insisted a new frame because he felt if he kept his repaired, it would fail in another area. So, New frame installed, AND, new vin on frame was FJ40 - 000000. It would make sense now as Toyota produced a replacement frame, not a new FJ40.
Why would anyone use some random rusty piece of steel found laying around to try and fix a frame? The only time this would be acceptable to me is if you were broke down in no man's land somewhere and it's all you have to get back home. Oh, and he must have had a couple clamps lying around, probably would have helped.
Yes, he did.
That's why you never get around going 'wheeling.
That crack was from a specific stress, not from rust, so, not comparable to the issue faced by the OP.
That particular repair addressed the weak spot. The truck (and driver...) has seen a few thousand trail miles since that repair.
And that's trail miles, not counting highway miles to get to those trails.
and indeed, the frame of my 40 had no rust issues ever, it WAS a Southwest frame all its life - did not prevent it from developing stress cracks at the rear spring hangers, and even the front: I managed to mangle it again.....:rolleyes:
Well, technically, the VIN is the vehicle.
Frame repairs can be effected by replacing the frame, and each and every state has a procedure for transferring the VIN, legally, to a new frame.
Frame repairs can be effected by replacing the frame, and each and every state has a procedure for transferring the VIN, legally, to a new frame.
This rig made it up to my shop this past weekend. The rear spring and axle did not fall off when I lifted it so it may not be as bad as it looks. The frame is filled up to the holes on both sides with dirt and debri that will need to be removed. After that I will address the frame rot and should be able to patch it back together with some new steel.
One of the first orders was to remove those JK bumpers. I had a fellow mudder give me a tube front bumper so I passed it on the this one. It goes with the tubular side bars that are welded to the frame.
One of the first orders was to remove those JK bumpers. I had a fellow mudder give me a tube front bumper so I passed it on the this one. It goes with the tubular side bars that are welded to the frame.
Well there’s your problem....
Looks better already!
Me neither. I spent some time with the customer when he dropped it off. We lifted it in the air and went from front to back, made a list of concerns. Good news is it starts and runs well. The body has been patched and the roll cage is tied into the frame. The truck is not as bad as it may look. When we are done it should be a safe little driver that he can enjoy riding around the lake.
The frame does not appear to be a big issue for me to cut out and repair and make it look good.
This project is filler work so I will update once I get progress done.
The frame does not appear to be a big issue for me to cut out and repair and make it look good.
This project is filler work so I will update once I get progress done.
I have a few updates, nothing major. New wheel cylinders and lines made up for left front along with a good used brake drum. I managed to get the 2" of dirt out of the frame rails and took a pry-bar and chisel to the frame to knock out any loose rust. I have a shopping list of other things to due to this but will try to keep the focus here on frame repair.
