RFI-JDM 100 Series frame replacement

[chomedome]

I am the new owner of a JDM1999 HDJ-101K w/157k miles on it. I will be shipping the vehicle from my current home in Japan to my new home in Kansas City this summer. The truck runs great but through further inspection the frame requires some work due to rust and corrosion. As of now the truck is fine for daily driving but needs work before I take it off-road or tow anything. The local shop in Japan said it would be cheaper to source a frame and due a full swap, they said the LX470 frame is compatible and showed me this part in Mississippi 02 LEXUS LX470 4.7L 4X4 COMPLETE FULL FRAME ASSEMBLY | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/166630009688

A couple of questions for the community:

1. Has anyone heard of any other owners on the forum who did a full frame replacement or am I delusional that this work is actually worth it? This truck still has life in it!

2. Does it check out that the LX470 frame would be compatible? I am new to this so my untrained eye I thinks it checks out, anything I should look out for when I source a part and find a shop to conduct the repairs?

3. Does anyone know of any reputable LC shops who could do this type of work either in the KC or Jackson, Mississippi area?

Thank you for the support, I have learned a lot of lessons throughout this process and look forward to contributing to the forum as a 100 series owner!

Matt

 

[Moridinbg]

There is a difference in the crossmembers between the UZJ (petrol) and HDJ (diesel) frames. Gearbox is moved, torsion bars are shorter.
If yours is a diesel, sort this out in Japan.
Can you just get a decent one there? If the frame is so rusted, the rest of the truck will not be any better.

 

[magikaram]

New home in KC! Fellow Kansas Citian here, I haven't seen any good used frames that aren't already on good trucks here. A while ago there was a part out on Facebook for a 100 series, but I believe it was so due to rust anyways. Most LX/LC parts I see on Facebook are 80 series and older.

Swapping a frame wouldn't sound like the worst job in the world, but you'll definitely want to have the right engine/transmission mounts, so in that case, it would probably make the most sense to have that work all done in Japan.

 

[excessive]

i can't even imagine paying a shop to do a frame swap, the cost in labor would probably exceed the value of the truck. Since you're still in Japan, wouldn't it be easier to source a non-rusted out example and ship that back to the US ?
Not trying to throw a wet blanket on your plans, but unless you're a DIY'er, you are looking at spending a fortune on labor

 

[chomedome]

Thanks for all the replies! Unfortunately I don't have enough time before I move to get this sorted out in Japan. I currently have a shop fixing what they can at the most critical parts of the frame. Some other resources I have reached out to mentioned doing a drive train swap vice frame swap. Either way I think I will still run into issues due to the fact that the diesel models are not common in the states.

 

[hoser]

You should post pics of the worst areas of the undercarriage.

 

[DanInDenver]

A frame swap has been done here in the US to a US truck. Frame was bent after running across an unexpected gulley while towing a camper. Post #88 for what a brand new raw frame looks like.

Bent the Frame

So, I've delayed writing this post for sometime until I found some more info about the outcome. In March, I bent the frame of my truck while driving on unmaintained roads in Utah. The route was washed out from a recent storm and there was no definition to the drop off. My truck dropped 2-3 feet...

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