Found another TJ but has frame rust, what's that like

Clubbs

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2008
Location
Blounts Creek
2002 TJ X. 114k miles, hardtop, 4.0 5 speed. Super clean and stock. Drives and runs great. Just about made the deal, but one more time crawling around underneath and there's a flaky spot behind the weld on driver's side lower control arm mount.

Sure enough push my knife through it. Dig some more rust out the holes in the sides of the frame and it seems the mid sections are filled with beach sand. No rust on body and rear frame sections are good, dig around in the sand on driver's side and don't feel any scaling.

Googled frame repair sections and there's plenty of options for "C" channel weld in pre formed frame sections.

Got the guy to $6,500. I have all the tools to cut the frame and weld in the new sections, but has anyone done this? Worries about screwing up frame squareness, do the frame repair sections actually fit, should I just swap frames? Wasn't really looking for a project but for the money, mileage, and EVERYTHING else works I'm considering it... who's done it and how much of a pain was it?
 
Clubbs said:
2002 TJ X. 114k miles, hardtop, 4.0 5 speed. Super clean and stock. Drives and runs great. Just about made the deal, but one more time crawling around underneath and there's a flaky spot behind the weld on driver's side lower control arm mount.

Sure enough push my knife through it. Dig some more rust out the holes in the sides of the frame and it seems the mid sections are filled with beach sand. No rust on body and rear frame sections are good, dig around in the sand on driver's side and don't feel any scaling.

Googled frame repair sections and there's plenty of options for "C" channel weld in pre formed frame sections.

Got the guy to $6,500. I have all the tools to cut the frame and weld in the new sections, but has anyone done this? Worries about screwing up frame squareness, do the frame repair sections actually fit, should I just swap frames? Wasn't really looking for a project but for the money, mileage, and EVERYTHING else works I'm considering it... who's done it and how much of a pain was it?
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I haven't done it, but i would run unless you want to do a full frame swap. And that's way too much money for that kind of work.
 
I did it last year on a low mile perfect mech. condition TJ. Just do one side at a time, no worry about squareness. The repair pieces I bougth on Ebay fit fine.

lots of dirty work, but not that bad, esp. if you have a lift. good oportunity to sand and paint other areas as well.

I woud not pay more than $4k for it. Its a ton of labor.

I paid $1500 for mine. then sold it for quite a bit more.
 
No lift for me. Most of my stuff I can sit up underneath, but this stock TJ looks dink... and also very streetable so long as it doesn't break in half
 
yes, you will want it as high as you can get it, to avoid welding while laying you your back. the inside welding portion gets cluttered and tight.

you'll want to remove the driveshafts and exhaust from manifolds back
 
1stgenxxx said:
it’s not that bad to do
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I don't know about all that. I had a really good friend do mine and he called me 1/2 way thru it calls by me every name in the book and hasn't talked to me more than 5 times since

He used the Rust Buster repair kit. Basically cut the frame channel from front lower control mount all the way past the rear where it starts up and over the rear axle. Took the whole bottom third off the channel.
I'll post pics tomorrow when I'm at my PC, or a hard search under my username and rust may merit results
 
CasterTroy said:
I don't know about all that. I had a really good friend do mine and he called me 1/2 way thru it calls by me every name in the book and hasn't talked to me more than 5 times since

He used the Rust Buster repair kit. Basically cut the frame channel from front lower control mount all the way past the rear where it starts up and over the rear axle. Took the whole bottom third off the channel.
I'll post pics tomorrow when I'm at my PC, or a hard search under my username and rust may merit results
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I saw that kit. That would be the same repair section this one would need. But the rot goes up to and probably under the front lower control arm bracket. I suppose once I got the frame cut I could weld some plate in there too or replace that section also. Appreciate any pics you can find, I'll also search
 
Sschassisworx will bend you up boxed frame rail sections to your specs, that's who I used to make rails for my tacoma frame. I have replaced chunks of my Toyota frame, if I can do it, really anyone can. It helps if you can get a hold of the fsm and the section that has all the frame measure points for a frame straightening.
 
I’d 100% swap a frame before doing any of the repair/patch junk. They seem like more work than a swap and always end up looking terrible. Rust free TJ frames aren’t hard to find and if you‘re smart in how you break down the swap it’s pretty fast.
 
Clubbs said:
Appreciate any pics you can find, I'll also search
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I forgot...he removed that post.


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Rnuovrcj5 said:
I’d 100% swap a frame before doing any of the repair/patch junk. They seem like more work than a swap and always end up looking terrible. Rust free TJ frames aren’t hard to find and if you‘re smart in how you break down the swap it’s pretty fast.
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benXJ said:
yea...there are enough YJ, TJ, JK, and JL ot there to not put yourself though the pain of a frame repair, esp. here in NC.

I only did it because I got such a good deal on my rusty frame TJ.
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Also both of these. I put myself through the hell of patching frames/swapping out sections of frame rail because 1st gen Tacomas are made out of platinum apparently and i got emotionally attached to the truck that I already owned. If I was buying something new I would move along.
 
Yup figured on parts and my labor and I'm pretty sure I could add all that up and be way too deep in this one. Sure is unfortunate though, this thing was otherwise in the best shape I've seen lately. Even the AC and cruise worked....weird.
 
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