Tacoma

[Seasoned Oak]

As I understand it, the frame replacement should be less than $10k. Say I get it done in 2020. It will probably last for 15 years??? I'll .

Did you consider buying a newer truck for the same 10K. After that frame replacement you would have trouble getting 10K for an 18yr old truck with rusting history. I see a lot of tacomas between 2007 and 2010 for 10K or less.

 

[Soundchasm]

New ones are around $30k. It may be my imagination, but trucks these days (including Tacos) just keep getting bigger. My garage is poured concrete and I sure can't get anything taller.

There's always the worry about maintenance when buying used. I've babied the engine and just done the timing belt during a gasket replacement.

I've got the hood guard thingy, bedliner, camper shell, upgraded struts, new brakes all around, upgraded leaf springs, helper springs, 4WD, class V towing package and $1000 worth of new tires. The darn thing is now exactly what I need. And I like the color!! ;-)

I'm not worried about resale, if that makes any sense. I just want it in tip-top shape. And the rust problem (not aware they ever solved it) begins to accelerate around 10 years.

My problem is I get emotionally attached to stuff. When I was doing some work with one mechanic and swapping stories, he said "You don't buy things, you adopt them". I realized he was right.

I'll get with the frame guy and see what it entails.

 

[bholler]

New ones are around $30k. It may be my imagination, but trucks these days (including Tacos) just keep getting bigger. My garage is poured concrete and I sure can't get anything taller.

There's always the worry about maintenance when buying used. I've babied the engine and just done the timing belt during a gasket replacement.

I've got the hood guard thingy, bedliner, camper shell, upgraded struts, new brakes all around, upgraded leaf springs, helper springs, 4WD, class V towing package and $1000 worth of new tires. The darn thing is now exactly what I need. And I like the color!! ;-)

I'm not worried about resale, if that makes any sense. I just want it in tip-top shape. And the rust problem (not aware they ever solved it) begins to accelerate around 10 years.

My problem is I get emotionally attached to stuff. When I was doing some work with one mechanic and swapping stories, he said "You don't buy things, you adopt them". I realized he was right.

I'll get with the frame guy and see what it entails.

I get what you are saying and for you i agree replacing the frame makes sense. But I personally wouldn't be driving that truck with that frame. They rust from the inside out so yes you fixed that spot but how many other spots are getting really thin? Did those Toyota techs tell you not to drive away in the truck with the frame the way it was? If not I wouldn't trust anything else they said.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

My problem is I get emotionally attached to stuff. When I was doing some work with one mechanic and swapping stories, he said "You don't buy things, you adopt them". I realized he was right..

I know what yur saying.
I tend to keep things way longer then the average person,but only if its very dependable and solid. My rust bucket tacoma was the only vehicle i ever had that i dumped after only 1 year. After all its just a 4k Lb hunk of glass, metal, and rubber. I was mostly alarmed at the speed at which it was disintigrating. I got 9k for mine but it was only about 8 yrs old. Paid around 9.5 a yr earlier.

 

[Soundchasm]

I get what you are saying and for you i agree replacing the frame makes sense. But I personally wouldn't be driving that truck with that frame. They rust from the inside out so yes you fixed that spot but how many other spots are getting really thin? Did those Toyota techs tell you not to drive away in the truck with the frame the way it was? If not I wouldn't trust anything else they said.

I appreciate your input. I was practically begging the most experienced tech to quarantine my truck. He wouldn't do it. He kept saying "that location" wasn't unsafe. He was the guy that suggested the welds. When I asked how long would it last, he said he did his truck "a long time ago" and he was still driving it.

The frame appears to be C-channel, and I've taken a 3-lb hammer to every inch (my BF hammer). The only deformation I got was at the holes, and we found healthy steel and bound to it.

I wish I knew what the true answer is, but I'll get this done in the next 12 months. I think I'll be OK for that time period.

 

[festerw]

FWIW if you had the frame treated by Toyota it may be worth a call to Toyota corporate. There's been some instances of them giving a pretty decent discount on a new truck.

If you're interested in that of course.

 

[bholler]

I appreciate your input. I was practically begging the most experienced tech to quarantine my truck. He wouldn't do it. He kept saying "that location" wasn't unsafe. He was the guy that suggested the welds. When I asked how long would it last, he said he did his truck "a long time ago" and he was still driving it.

The frame appears to be C-channel, and I've taken a 3-lb hammer to every inch (my BF hammer). The only deformation I got was at the holes, and we found healthy steel and bound to it.

I wish I knew what the true answer is, but I'll get this done in the next 12 months. I think I'll be OK for that time period.

Good enough. I didn't think their frames were c channel. If they are that changes everything because you can properly inspect it. In that case ignore my previous comments lol.

 

[Soundchasm]

FWIW if you had the frame treated by Toyota it may be worth a call to Toyota corporate. There's been some instances of them giving a pretty decent discount on a new truck.

If you're interested in that of course.

I did get the free undercoating. That took my '02 from 2012 to 2017 under warranty. What I should have done in hindsight was find a saltwater beach and start parking on it in 2015.

 

[Soundchasm]

Good enough. I didn't think their frames were c channel. If they are that changes everything because you can properly inspect it. In that case ignore my previous comments lol.

I can't be 100% certain about the entire frame, but the part we fixed was C channel. Thanks. I'll look into it.

 

[walhondingnashua]

I know this is an old thread that I started but my search has started back up and is more serious. These trucks were very high priced in the last few months but seem to be coming back down. As I shop around, there doesn't seem to be a price difference between the TRD and SR5 used tacomas. Are the fox shocks really worth it along with? I don't really care about the upgraded look or cosmetics, just durability and performances differences.

 

[ABMax24]

I know this is an old thread that I started but my search has started back up and is more serious. These trucks were very high priced in the last few months but seem to be coming back down. As I shop around, there doesn't seem to be a price difference between the TRD and SR5 used tacomas. Are the fox shocks really worth it along with? I don't really care about the upgraded look or cosmetics, just durability and performances differences.

The fox shocks should ride nicer, particularly offroad, that being said they are a more costly maintenance item. 50k miles is typically what people get out of them, at that point they either need to be replaced or rebuilt, neither of which is an overly cheap endeavor. But I think you can replace the fox shocks with standard ones when the time for replacement/rebuild has come.

 

[walhondingnashua]

The fox shocks should ride nicer, particularly offroad, that being said they are a more costly maintenance item. 50k miles is typically what people get out of them, at that point they either need to be replaced or rebuilt, neither of which is an overly cheap endeavor. But I think you can replace the fox shocks with standard ones when the time for replacement/rebuild has come.

Thank you. That is exactly the type of information I am looking for. Upgrades are nice, but replacing them can be pricey too.