Frame repair (1 Viewer)

[toyotaboy80]

I'm fully in the rabbit hole of frame repair.

I was initially just going to slap a couple patches in the frame where I could see that the inside was blown out. (Usual suspect area right around the spring mounts at the cab)

Couldnt leave it well enough alone considering how much time and money is already into the truck... picked up a chipping hammer and found all the holes in the frame rail from the cab back.

Truck is an '85 pick up. Best I can tell how the frame was manufactured was with a 1/8" C channel main peice then the inside is a thinner C channel with a 1/2" flange that got slipped into the main frame and welded top and bottom.

The main frame C channel is 95% solid. The inside frame rail is basically toast in several spots. Going to cut it all out do the entire inner from the cab back with a new tank mount and rear cross member.

Any pro tips on grafting into the main C channel?

Cut out the exisiting inner flange and just cap the c channel, or leave the exisitng inner in place with an 1/8" lip and weld the new plate to that?

 

[KLF]

uuuugggg... your post has brought back up all sorts of thoughts from a past life, when I tried the same thing. I had an '84 Xcab that I bought mostly as a trail beater and as a fun project for my son and I. I loved that truck like crazy, it was so much fun to have a truck that you didn't care about scratching the paint or maybe a few fresh dents. But the frame was in bad shape. I think I patched it 3-4 times, and I eventually had to give up and part it out. My suggestion is to start looking for another frame. You think you've found it all with that little chipping hammer, but when you start cutting out all the bad metal, it will be very sobering.

This is a patch I did way back in 2001:

I knew there was a small crack along the frame just in front of the horsecollar. So I starting knocking out the loose crusty stuff, got to here:

I ended up having to cut out the bellcrank mount for the e-brake, it was falling off. Had to convert over to an AllPro transfercase e-brake (which is still on my old red truck).

Took about 2 days of work, making templates with cardboard, torching out patches, lots of grinding, and welding on the patches. At one point I was grinding under the truck and despite having goggles AND a full face shield on, I still got some rusty metal shavings in my eye. That sucked, had to go to the ER and endure the Dreaded Eye Drill.

After the patches installed:

When you start cutting out the crusty metal to get to solid stuff, you'll know how to proceed. Good luck.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Thanks for the pictures and insight. How was your frame from that horse collar cross member back?

At this point my frame is "solid" from the cross member forward. From the cross member back the holes revealed from the chipping hammer are much smaller than the one you posted. Wonder if my truck is just at a different stage than yours was or if each frame has their own "localized" rust out spots based on the history of the truck.

A fresh arizona frame would be nice... maybe one day.

 

[KLF]

I had already patched the inner rails (both sides) behind that crossmember, around where the fixed spring hanger mounts were.

About 3 months after doing that big patch, the rear cab body mount failed, just broke off the frame.

Rather than try to fix it, I just shoved a chunk of wood between the cab and the frame.

It was obvious at that point that the end was near. I had another hole open up at the top of the arch in the back next to the LSPV. I bought the red truck the next Spring (2002), and started taking it apart. I found this when I put what was left of the frame on the trailer to take it away:

I cut the VIN stamp out of that frame, I still have it on my toolbox:

Geez I miss that truck. But, I'll never chase the rust demon on a frame again. It was a losing battle for me.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Jeez... some trucks sure lead different lives. My frame is in fantastic shape compared to that one...and that was 20 years ago! I reckon my truck has spent a lot of years as a garage queen being built or meticulously taken out dry and put away dry...or hardly winter driven. Or imported from somewhere warm...Dont know.

At this point my flat deck is off, gas tank is out, exhaust is out, driveshaft out, shocks out.

Was initially only going to patch the box mounts(along with my initial only going to slap a couple patches in) but I decided to cut them right off and build new...glad I did, because that area of the frame was headed for sure failure similar to the way your box mounts/frame was. They looked good with a chipping hammer in my hand. Mine were rusting from the top down inside out. The outter frame rail is in fantastic shape after cutting the box mounts off.

I'll carry on and pretend like I know what I'm doing...I've owned the truck 8 years and have been keeping a semi close eye on the rust progression and have only put it through 2 winters. might have saved this ol girl before it was too late by getting into it now.

 

[KLF]

That truck spent a lot of it's previous life doing plow duty (there was a plow on it when I got it), but in a very rural area. So, the frame rails were homes to countless mice during that time, and the little nests that they build. I didn't realize this when I bought it. It was never parked in a garage.

Once you get it done with all the welding, I *highly* recommend you start an oiling regimen to keep corrosion away. Use whatever you prefer, anything is better than nothing, as the factory paint is pathetic. Fluid Film is good if you can stand the smell for a couple of weeks, but you need to re-apply annually. My red truck got liberal treatments of 90W underneath during it's life here, and it saved it. Now it's in a dry climate (Tucson AZ) enjoying a semi-retired life that it earned.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Quite often the truck gets 20 minutes of pressure washing after every single trail run it goes on as often there is usually a mud/wet condition on the trails around here. I was thinking a 4 or 6 coat spray bomb paint job initially then touch up anually/as needed as I'd constantly be washing the frame which wouod wash off fluid film or something. Or use some sort of rubberized textured spray...

when I get it all cut out I'll get in there with a wire wheel and paint the inside of the frame....whatever burns off when welding so be it.

But I havent got as far as figuring out exactly what I'll do for corrosion protection going forward. Was thinking of boxing off the rear frame opening and patching all the holes in the frame so s#it cant get inside the frame.

Do you have a method of oiling the inside of the frame? Or did you just wipe down the outside religiously?

 

[KLF]

...use some sort of rubberized textured spray...

NO no no no... never do the rubberized stuff. I don't care how well you apply it, water will get under it. Then it is trapped, and it will rust it's way through all your hard work.



I also would not weld up all the access holes. You need it to be able to breath and let water out.

Do you have a method of oiling the inside of the frame? Or did you just wipe down the outside religiously?

I had the luxury of having a bare frame sitting on some stands, so I had full access. I had the entire frame sandblasted, then I spent a long time with various blowguns getting all the media out, wow it was messy. I fixed a few things and added some gusseting with the welder, then a heavy coat of Rustoleum Red Metal Primer, then 3 coats of Satin Black, all sprayed with an HVLP gun. I let this dry out in the sun for a couple of days, then I used an undercoating gun to hose the inside of the frame rails with a mixture of 90W and cosmoline, heated up on the BBQ grille. Very effective. Once I got the truck all back together and a few drives, the entire underside got the same treatment. It's messy to work on (sorry Will) but it makes a YUUUGE difference.

 

[toyotaboy80]

Should I paint the inside of the frame rail and then oil it, or just oil it?

Also, there are little C channel like formed brackets/supports along the inside of the frame rails. They are only connected to 1 side of the frame. Were these used for integrity or as assembly peices when they put the frame rails together to get consistent width?

 

[KLF]

Can't answer your second question, but ya there's a bunch of those gussets/braces in there.

Paint won't hurt. I took a piece of coat hanger wire, nice and long, then attached a chunk of clean rag to the end, dipped it in the paint, and "swabbed" the stuff inside the rails where I could. Then I used rattle cans to squirt in the holes where the swab wouldn't fit. Let that dry for a few days, then oil liberally.

 

[PAToyota]

Build yourself a new frame...

After a couple rounds of patching up holes in the OEM frame to pass the annual inspection, I decided it was a losing battle and started fresh.

 

[Toast]

KLF, what do you recommend for an under coating?

 

[toyotaboy80]

My suggestion is to start looking for another frame. You think you've found it all with that little chipping hammer, but when you start cutting out all the bad metal, it will be very sobering.

Didnt take much convincing... took a hiatus from this project and now theres a minty rust free 2wd frame in my driveway. You were absolutely right... cut it all up and I threw the towel in. Much more rust than anticipated and would have taken a lot of fab work to recreate an oem style frame.