Frame Rust Question

[ACK33]

I have a 2004 100 Series Land Cruiser with 160K miles. It drives fine, but I was told by an auto repair and refurbishing group (with a stellar reputation) that the frame is totally rusted out and that the vehicle is unsafe to drive at speeds over 45 mph. Am I totally screwed or is there some frame reinforcement solution out there? Thank you.

 

[ACK33]

That is some interesting rust to say the least. There is some horrific rust right next to an area that doesn't look bad at all. Did this come from an area that puts down sand with salt? There are spots in the frame that definitely rusted from the inside out.

I bought it new and it’s been in Ohio most of its life so I would say road salt is the culprit. Not sure about rust that would have occurred from the inside out. Maybe 20 years of leaking AC…seems unlikely at this level of damage, but the damage is done. Thanks!

 

[ACK33]

Well, that is some legit serious rust. You usually don’t see that kind of flaking outside of a Greek bakery.

That body mount you’re showing could break free, affecting the truck’s stability. A detached trans crossmember will cause a lot of driveline movement, which in turn will rattle loose other turn-y bits.

So yeah, if your pics are typical of the overall condition, that indeed looks like a frame-off resto job if it’s gonna be saved.

Was this a saltwater flood salvage vehicle? I’m scratching my head wondering how it got like that after only 160k.

 

[ACK33]

Bought it new. Road salt prob the culprit. May just keep it and use for weekend jobs. Thanks!