1998 Toyota Truck “He’s Dead Jim”

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Oldtom

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Jul 5, 2014
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Ceciltucky
The frame rust finally won. The front leaf spring hanger is now free floating. ( see pix ) I have a 1998 Toyota Tacoma with perfect interior, perfect engine and trans and a bad frame.

Aside from driving (slowly) to a scrap yard about 3 miles away, is there anything you can do with a vehicle like this? I live in a farming area and thought about giving the truck to a farmer who needed a farm only truck. He could probably jury rig a repair for low speed use.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

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A twenty year old truck from south of the Mason-Dixon line really shouldn't be falling apart like that.
Toyota did warranty a number of these truck frames for premature corrosion damage.
I'd take the truck to a dealer and see what they have to say.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
A twenty year old truck from south of the Mason-Dixon line really shouldn't be falling apart like that.
Toyota did warranty a number of these truck frames for premature corrosion damage.
I'd take the truck to a dealer and see what they have to say.


That.

And give Auto Rust Technicians in Rhode Island a call. Thy may have pre-made repair pieces. 401-944-4444
 
Toyota has had an issue with frames dating back to the mid-1990s. There's currently another class action lawsuit that was filed on December 6 of 2018 for another host of frame issues from 2005-2011 vehicles.

For a 1998 the frame buyback ended quite a few years ago.
 
Keep it.

If you're serious and have a way to tow I can find an inop unit at an auction down here in Georgia.

My neighbor had a 1996 Tacoma with 328k. He owned it since new. I sold it last year for him and bought a 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid. That turned out to be a lucky break, since a truck plowed into the Escape's back side at 40 miles per hour.

Feel free to PM me or look up 'long-term reliability'. You will find me either way.

All the best!

Steven Lang
 
If you take it to the junkyard they'll patch it up and resell it.

If you're serious about it, smash all the glass and dent everything else up, too.

I'd offer it up as-is for $700 with appropriate disclosure. Someone may want parts off it.
 
Fdcg27 - People refer to my county as " Ceciltucky " since it is rural and lots of good ole boys live here. In reality, Cecil County, Maryland is right next to Newark, Delaware. Both Delaware and Maryland compete to see how many tons of rock salt and chemical brine they can drop per snow. This truck spent 20 winters in this hellbroth.
 
It's time tp just let it go.
I've been thru this four times. The body rusts but the engine and trans are running pristine. Mine usually went to the junkyard 18 years later. We use road salt like crazy here in Southeast Michigan. The last two went to the junkyard blowing a clean exhaust and a clear dipstick.

Sometimes it felt like I lost my pet dog. Especially when the wife picked me up at the junkyard and I look back at the vehicle sitting in front of the junkyard, both me and the vehicle knowing I haven't the keys anymore and the keys now belong to someone else there at the junkyard. But missing it only lasted a few days. Then life returns to normal inside another vehicle.

It's time to Man-Up. You can do it.
 
I wonder if all of the frame is like that, or just one corner. Even so. I wonder if a great deal of strength could be added in by tacking in some 1/8" steel. I did that on an Isuzu once, made a big difference.

I wonder... Toyota techs are probably real good at frame swaps. I wonder if you were friends with one if you could have it fixed on the cheap. Just need a frame...

Probably best to just move on. Full disclosure and sell.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
It's time tp just let it go.
I've been thru this four times. The body rusts but the engine and trans are running pristine. Mine usually went to the junkyard 18 years later. We use road salt like crazy here in Southeast Michigan. The last two went to the junkyard blowing a clean exhaust and a clear dipstick.

Sometimes it felt like I lost my pet dog. Especially when the wife picked me up at the junkyard and I look back at the vehicle sitting in front of the junkyard, both me and the vehicle knowing I haven't the keys anymore and the keys now belong to someone else there at the junkyard. But missing it only lasted a few days. Then life returns to normal inside another vehicle.

It's time to Man-Up. You can do it.


+1. You can part it out yourself and make some money on the parts then haul the carcas to the crusher. Most likely more trouble than that's worth. "All good things must come to an end" Geoffrey Chaucer
 
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by fdcg27
A twenty year old truck from south of the Mason-Dixon line really shouldn't be falling apart like that.
Toyota did warranty a number of these truck frames for premature corrosion damage.
I'd take the truck to a dealer and see what they have to say.


That.

And give Auto Rust Technicians in Rhode Island a call. Thy may have pre-made repair pieces. 401-944-4444


I was wondering if a welder and some flat steel plate might give the truck a new lease on life ?
 
Originally Posted by eljefino
If you take it to the junkyard they'll patch it up and resell it.


^ That is exactly what I would do. ^

As a welder that has repaired WORSE than that.... that is actually repairable. But I would swap the whole frame (it's a weekend job) if I could find one, instead.
 
Originally Posted by Oldtom
Fdcg27 - People refer to my county as " Ceciltucky " since it is rural and lots of good ole boys live here. In reality, Cecil County, Maryland is right next to Newark, Delaware.

Heh, I grew up there in the 70s. We were within earshot of the Dragway (i.e. a couple of miles), could hear them running every weekend in good weather.
 
Its done for the road without a bit a of money to replace frame which is crazy on 20 year old truck.

I'd sell it with a bill of sale for parts only not safe etc. Some will buy it and jury rig it back together or pull parts.
 
Originally Posted by WyrTwister
Originally Posted by Jarlaxle
Originally Posted by fdcg27
A twenty year old truck from south of the Mason-Dixon line really shouldn't be falling apart like that.
Toyota did warranty a number of these truck frames for premature corrosion damage.
I'd take the truck to a dealer and see what they have to say.


That.

And give Auto Rust Technicians in Rhode Island a call. Thy may have pre-made repair pieces. 401-944-4444


I was wondering if a welder and some flat steel plate might give the truck a new lease on life ?

Easily...though Jerry Carlson might actually have pre-made repair parts.

They do-INCLUDING the rear frame section and spring hanger. https://www.autorust.com/product-category/toyota/tacoma-xtracab-2wd/
 
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