[Bill Lumbergh]

Hey, I have a 93 pick up. I am going to be fixing the frame and Im sure this has been asked a hundred times but I have a few questions. The leaf spring's front hanger on the frame has just about rotted off and I need to fix that as well as numerous holes in the frame. I have a 110 DC mig that I will be using. My main question is how thick is the steel on the frame? Should I use 1/4 steel to patch it? Or is that overkill?
Also does any one know if these leaf spring hangers are sold anywhere that I could weld onto the new material? Any advice would be awesome

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

For me, the first repair was on the inside of the frame rails at the "dogleg" where the frame kicks up from the cab to under the bed.

Welding on a couple strips of 1" wide x 3/16" thick stock got it past inspection for that year.

Two years later there were holes opening up around the previous repairs. Ground the stock back off and cut some 3/16" plates to cover things up.

Another year and I had some new holes opening up. Ground the previous repairs off and took a needle scaler to the frame rails to see how bad things were. Ended up with half a five gallon bucket full of rust flakes, larger pieces, and accumulated debris. The scary thing was that there was now a hole in the frame rail under the passenger side door that was over half the height of the frame rail and over a foot long... There had been very minimal signs of there even being a problem there when I started.

I cut plates to cover everything up to get it past inspection, but started building the frame after that.

What I had found was that there was a lot of dirt and debris inside the frame rails. This just trapped moisture in there. With the salt they put on the roads in the winter around here, I'm sure that was collecting in there as well. All of that causes it to rust from the inside out. There were places where the undercoating on the exterior was about all that was left.

If, from new, you made a point of flushing out the debris from the frame rails and regularly coating it inside the rails with some sort of creeping oil undercoating, you might stand a chance of preventing this. But I really feel that once you notice rust-through, it's the beginning of the end.

Appreciate the the advice from every one. The only thing is that I actually dont do hard core off roading. I mainly use the truck for hauling my dirtbike, so even if it is the begining of the end do you think it would be worth patching up due to the fact that I mainly drive it on the road (even though there are some massive potholes here in rochester ny haha). How much long does it usually take to remove the bed of the truck? (assuming everything comes apart)

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Yeah with the bed off I will really get a good idea of all the lousy spots. I love the truck, if someone did not know just looking at the body is mint, but the rear portion of the frame is getting pretty bad so before I slam another pothole and immobilize the truck I need to fix the frame. Does anyone know if you can purchase these spring hangers I could just weld into the new material?

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Interesting all the ones I have patched I had no problems with the areas repaired in other areas sometimes . Then I boxed the entire frame not just where rusted through

Although this new liquid brine they spray on the roads is down right brutal

Yes indeed the road slop gets up in the frame and can`t drain out and lays there right at the spring hanger most often the first place to go.

Yeah that stuff is horrible, and they use so much salt too, even when its hardly necesary. So you have patched a few of these spring hangers then? It seems that with the bed removed it should be pretty straight foreward, from cutting out all my rot, welding in new steel and then welding in the new hangers. The front of the frame is still completely solid. Just like you said, right at the hanger where it all sits.

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

i just picked up a 91 4runner for 600 bux the other day.. Drove it over 250 km to get it home it made the trip fine..

upon bringing it into the shop i noticed some serious rott in the rear end around the stock springs. I have ended up cutting the front and middle crossmembers out as well as cut the entire inside wall and of the frame out on both sides. picked up a 4"X72" piece of 1/8th flat stock tonight and i sourced some leaf springs and a back axle out of a runner with leafs in the back.. ill be welding the plate into the frame tonight as well as tacking on new hangers and doing a leaf spring conversion.. but again i already know this is only going to fix things for the short term its only a matter of time before this thing continues its rott from the inside out. its a shame but if i see a years use out of the truck it will have more then payed for itsself..

tho i do love living here in british columbia my 04 tacoma looks like the same day it came out of the factory.. but ive taken it down to the frame 2 times and did a good tremclad paint job (8 or so coats) i always pressure wash the inside of the frame to help get all the crap out of the frame..

all in all its a shame toyota frames are so weak, my brothers chevy k 1500 has see its day its an 89 and spent its life in ontario and well ontario vehicles are terrible but his frame its still got alot of life left in it :smokin:

Totally agree, for such indesturctable trucks its a shame that the boxed frame has to be the downfall, that and the chain guides. But yeah I have noticed that the chevys i beam frame last waaaaay longer.

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Yeah those hangers would be perfect. Just need to call them to find out what size I need. Thanks!

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

don't screw around. if your going to wheel; it just plate the whloe rail. I ended up doing the inside and outside. probably overkill. ohh well.

here is what i did.
http://www.sontt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=105&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=180

Thats basiclly what I want to do. Your rot is similar to mine except my hangers are rotting off. Do you think its possible for me to do what you did and weld in the hangers? Did you plate the underside of the frame where the hanger sits?

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

here's what mine looks like

Nice, thats basiclly exactly what mines like. Really nice job on the frame though!

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Wow man, you did a hell of a job back halfing that frame. From the pics you make it look very easy. My rust isnt that bad but that looks easier to just chop the whole rear end off and make a totally solid rear half. Where exactly did you cut the rear end off? Was it chopped right where the cab starts? Also as far as making the side of the frame, did you place it up to the old frame as a template and mark it? , or did you just measure where you would need to cut/ weld the new square tubing?
My welder is a hobart 140 setup for mig.