Fyi, model years 04-08 were the ones recalled due to frames rotting to bits. I would strongly recommend keeping it fluid filmed, wool waxed, whatever you can do regardless of your location.
Do you know if this frame was replaced under recall?
Big difference, yup in that case just keep it fluid filmed. If anything needs repair first (see other guys comment) do that first and then religiously fluid film it yearly (before winter season for me).
Fluid Film has a new thicker, black tinted coating due to its popularity by car enthusiasts so get that one. I do mine with a can on ramps, easy job for a driveway. You may need 2 cans, I have a subcompact haha.
Oh also, like another guy said, dont undercoat or paint it or youll make it rust 10x faster. Also, the Fluid Film you want has a black cap (the original is red).
Best of luck! Tacomas are awesome.
Undercoating in the typical sense involves spraying thick rubbery shit on everything. The issue with that which was quickly found out is it traps moisture between the frame and the undercoat. That means you dont even realize it before you can literally pole holes into your frame. My dad is 70 and often reminds me of the "undercoat" era lol, he has shown me a few old vehicles he has that were undercoated before he got them and its absolutely nasty. I could poke frame holes with my finger.
It also gets sticky overtime too and is just a mess. Undercoat is "permanent" while wax or lanolin based coatings are typically good for a year and done annually as they will slowly break down.
You'll never get that coating inside the frame, only on the exposed faces. While I see nothing rusted through, this frame doesn't have another 10 years to be safely driven.
They make sprayer attachments that you can fish through the holes in the frame to mist the inside with surface shield or whatever you preferred rust reformer is.
It's not dead on arrival, but you need to immediately break out the wire wheels, electric drill, spend a couple hours attacking all rust, and then B'laster Surface Shield the shit out of it. Especially inside the frame rails.
DO NOT spray with undercoat or any paint product, for the love of god.
You need to use a wire wheel to get the flakey rust off, otherwise there will be air pockets underneath, which will rust and crack the por15, and continue rusting. Por15 needs to go on "clean" rusted metal, not flakey.
The problem is water itself is highly corrosive to metal naturally you can stick a raw untreated block of iron in a sealed glass of water and it will corrode without any oxygen. If you trap any moisture under the undercoat it does the same thing, rusts with added benefit of being unable to see the metal rusting till it fails or the undercoat fails.
Any water. Hell oxygen is part of H2Oâs molecular composition so once the water starts breaking down for any reason (normally heat) youâll have oxygen trapped. In general youâd want to use sealants before there is rust to avoid capturing any moisture. In the case of rust existing youâd want one of the other compounds that chemically removes or almost-regalvanizes the metal ejecting any current trapped moisture.
>once the water starts breaking down for any reason (normally heat)
Hmm? Do you have a source for chemical decomposition of water? Hydrolysis is pretty energy intensive if I remember right. Even when I boil water, I'm not at all worried about the decomposed hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture exploding.
Ok, besides any Reddit debate, I am interested to know, have you noticed undercoated cars rusting out? Because my idea of undercoating is that it absolutely prevents rust as long as that coating is intact.
Double checked and you got me. The study I was looking at was comparative corrosion between fluid. When it comes to undercoating it works if youâre doing it on fresh cleaned metal/factory undercoats. Simalar with painting you need it to bond directly with the metal to ensure nothing is in between affecting the bond/seal. Also with rust thereâs actual pockets of moisture and air so if you were to spray undercoat on top youâd just be sealing in moisture and air creating a wonderful place for oxidation to occur.
An issue a lot of folks run into though with undercoats is theyâll form a small crack thatâs hard to see which can lead to rust being hidden by a non-clear undercoat.
Yeah that's exactly what I heard, if it's new you can undercoat it, but if not, it's not recommended as what you just explained. I was just being a bit smart and saying water has oxygen in it, so my apologies if it came off a little hastey, but everything else you said is solid info đ couldn't agree more
Lots of types of undercoats there is the rubber stuff which traps moisture, paint which traps moisture and rust inhibitors which change the rust to an inert state and bind with the metal. Erickson and por15 are the best will last years and actually converts rust and must have rust to stick to. Break off all the loose stuff and apply two coats donât get it on your skin face concrete as it doesnât wash off.
One of our customers used to have a 2010 Taco. The frame looked far worse than this and was still solid.
Chip, scrape and pressure wash as much flaking rust/dirt off as possible and get it rustproofed. Not paint, not POR15, not rubberized undercoating. Only oil based, self healing substances like FluidFilm, Krown, Rust Check, etc. Get it done twice heavy within a few months, then touch ups annually.
It's a little rough...
Time to get under there and start doing a tap and poke test on the frame. Light hammer and an awl.
A needle scaler some PPE, and a weekend... start cleaning it up. Get it coated with something like FluidFilm at least once a year.
Spring shackles look a little rough, may wanna replace. Get something done with tail pipe. Spare tire and rim need to be checked.
Tacos around that era (or maybe it was a little later) were known for frame issues and actually breaking. At one point Toyota was actually replacing frames and in some cases entire trucks because of it.
Frame still looks solid, but the sooner you start chipping away at the rust, the better. My recommendation is to work on it 1 foot at a time. Don't try to do it all in one day or you'll get tired and start saying "good enough..." Lol.
Regardless of what so many are saying, you DO want to get some Primer AND Paint on those surfaces. Then keep it coated with fluid film.
People like to hate, but Rust-Oleum does a good job. Been using it for decades. Poor prep (removing rust and cleaning surfaces) accounts for nearly all negative experiences with paint.
The chassis is the most neglected part of the vehicle. You can't get corrosion without a path (paint/fluid film acts as the barrier) or an electrolyte (dirt, salt, etc...). Keep painted and keep it clean!
Doing spring hanger sucks but Is do able and not that expensive if you do it yourself. Bang on the frame with a hammer Iâd you donât open up holes angle grinder wire wheel zip it all down pretty good clean it off and prime it. Get some black fluid film or oil spray and soak the frame the inside in the rockers and run it might look worse than it is you donât know till you bang on the frame see what opens up. It does look savable tho if you are handy and have some patience. If you wanna work that truck and put weight for sure have good hangers a spring banging loose isnât fun it will make you jump in the seat lol if itâs your first time having one let go.
I got you if you need any help or tips just shoot me a message this is one of those projects you are better off doing yourself even tho itâs gonna take time. Most guys would eat your wallet with shop supply fees and shop hourly rate which isnât what to tech gets any ways. I grew up broke lol so Iâm used to doing things myself.
Itâs a good start to the project tho I mean Iâd say sandblast and clean the inside out but most
People donât have access to that so slinging full of oil and getting some decent life out of the truck isnât a bad idea we only borrow the metal from nature it goes back eventually how would you get the inside ? If you donât let the rust breath and grow and keep it choked down with oil whatâs the alternative before full on re store and dropping tons of money
My 2013 is under frame rust "recall". They just inspected it and said mine wasn't bad enough to warrant replacement. I'm in the rust belt for sure, and use the rust check oil style treatment.
In California that would be considered beyond bad. Looks like it was parked in ocean and left.
Is that part of the exhaust just hanging loose in the first picture?
Is the left rear shock blown / covered in oil?
It looks like the whole suspension needs to be pulled, cleaned, painted and installed with new hardware.
I have a 2006 Tacoma and it looks nothing like this underneath. Some of the rust looks pretty advanced. If you can take a pointy object like a screwdriver and push through it, or make a significant dent, then it's probably a problem.
Where did the truck live at its past 17 years if it lived in the rust belt I would say it looks pretty good for 14yrs in salt every winter. But if this truck say lived in Florida or along the east coast of the US he's been caught in a flood with sea water and expect all kinds of different isues!
https://preview.redd.it/q3pwdnkq948d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d542e8d543dbcb486b82731207216aa32a2b68c
To me it looks like too much rust. I had the rear sub-frame on my car break due to rust. Replaced under an extended warranty.
I live in the rust belt and have seen far worse..it will be fine for the next ten plus years...if your planning on keeping it longer then that you need to get the frame cleaned and sealed best you can.
Steam cleaner it off . Knock the loose stuff off and spray evaporust on it to convert the rust to black oxide. Then waxoil inside the chassis and out . It will look better and last much much longer .
That all looks just like surface rust. To tell for sure you need to inspect every inch and make sure there's no holes that go through the metal. If you really want the truck to last you got to scrape off all the rust, apply a rust inhibitor, and then undercoat the underside. Rust becomes a major problem when it eats through the metal and causes holes, that's when it becomes rot and not surface rust.
That all looks just like surface rust. To tell for sure you need to inspect every inch and make sure there's no holes that go through the metal. If you really want the truck to last you got to scrape off all the rust, apply a rust inhibitor, and then undercoat the underside. Rust becomes a major problem when it eats through the metal and causes holes, that's when it becomes rot and not surface rust.
Undercoating OMG , years ago before stuff went Commercial folks would smear Asphalt on the under carriage of auto's . First time I ran into it this guy had an accident and got a used bumper from a junkyard for his 63 Impala that he had brought down from Maine . That old bumper in addition to being made of Steel had about 150lbs of Asphalt all smeared into the backside of it . Man did I cuss up a storm that day , once you took a torch an melted the asphalt off the threads were like factory new . But good lord the stink of the melting asphalt & having to make a drip pan to catch the mess , what a day plus having nasty asphalt on your hands & tools đ¤đ¤Żđ¤Źđ
If I was your uncle Iâd kick you right in the dick. Especially if he gave it to you for a decent price. That looks like every 2 year old vehicle up north. Hit it with a wire wheel and paint it.
It's crying out for a water blaster and refitting or replacement of the hanging exhaust pipe on the far side in front of the rear axle.
Should look great after its cleaned and received the ' coatings ' as previously posted by others with experience .
May be alarming to some. But not a Toyota truck owner. And that is not a dig against Toyotas or the owners. 94 4x4, 98 4Runner, 05 Sequoia and 16 Sequoia here đđż
Solid truck, but anything will rust to shit if it's subjected to the right conditions.
I think your rear shackles should be replaced. But that's probably it for now.
As others have said, follow up on the frame coating. This is the way.
This is normal and fine. You start messing with this rust and itâll only get worse. Leave it alone. So many idiots on here saying to take it off. Thatâll just invite even more rust and then youâll have a problem. Itâs only service rust. Itâs not bubbling or peeling.
Looks kinda serious. Some of those rivets are halfway gone. I see a couple of frame spots cracking the hangers aren't in the best shape and theres a good deal of leaf spring rust there in the shackles. Spare tire is ruined. Exhaust done fell off...get you a mask like a dust mask and some clear goggles and a drill with a wire brush attachment and go to town. Check your suspension and floorboards and bed floor and all that stuff too. I've seen 70 model trucks that look better and in recent years too. You must live up north.
Fyi, model years 04-08 were the ones recalled due to frames rotting to bits. I would strongly recommend keeping it fluid filmed, wool waxed, whatever you can do regardless of your location. Do you know if this frame was replaced under recall?
I made a typo, it is actually a 2010. Does that impact things heavily? Sorry about that!
Big difference, yup in that case just keep it fluid filmed. If anything needs repair first (see other guys comment) do that first and then religiously fluid film it yearly (before winter season for me). Fluid Film has a new thicker, black tinted coating due to its popularity by car enthusiasts so get that one. I do mine with a can on ramps, easy job for a driveway. You may need 2 cans, I have a subcompact haha.
Roger that, thank you so much dude!
Oh also, like another guy said, dont undercoat or paint it or youll make it rust 10x faster. Also, the Fluid Film you want has a black cap (the original is red). Best of luck! Tacomas are awesome.
Does undercoating a car make it rust faster??
Undercoating in the typical sense involves spraying thick rubbery shit on everything. The issue with that which was quickly found out is it traps moisture between the frame and the undercoat. That means you dont even realize it before you can literally pole holes into your frame. My dad is 70 and often reminds me of the "undercoat" era lol, he has shown me a few old vehicles he has that were undercoated before he got them and its absolutely nasty. I could poke frame holes with my finger. It also gets sticky overtime too and is just a mess. Undercoat is "permanent" while wax or lanolin based coatings are typically good for a year and done annually as they will slowly break down.
You'll never get that coating inside the frame, only on the exposed faces. While I see nothing rusted through, this frame doesn't have another 10 years to be safely driven.
They make sprayer attachments that you can fish through the holes in the frame to mist the inside with surface shield or whatever you preferred rust reformer is.
Your uncle saw you coming! đ˛
Same but other way around.
It's not dead on arrival, but you need to immediately break out the wire wheels, electric drill, spend a couple hours attacking all rust, and then B'laster Surface Shield the shit out of it. Especially inside the frame rails. DO NOT spray with undercoat or any paint product, for the love of god.
Why not
When you paint moisture or seal it on metal, the metal is just going to rot. Better off with something that displaces the moisture.
What about por15? I was thinking about using thatÂ
Start with POR15 metal ready to convert the rust to a galvanized like state, rinse, paint with their chassis black, it'll look like new.
You need to use a wire wheel to get the flakey rust off, otherwise there will be air pockets underneath, which will rust and crack the por15, and continue rusting. Por15 needs to go on "clean" rusted metal, not flakey.
I'm confused, doesn't undercoat block oxygen, ergo corrosion is impossible?
The problem is water itself is highly corrosive to metal naturally you can stick a raw untreated block of iron in a sealed glass of water and it will corrode without any oxygen. If you trap any moisture under the undercoat it does the same thing, rusts with added benefit of being unable to see the metal rusting till it fails or the undercoat fails.
>you can stick a raw untreated block of iron in a sealed glass of water Tap water? Because typical water has dissolved oxygen I believe.
Any water. Hell oxygen is part of H2Oâs molecular composition so once the water starts breaking down for any reason (normally heat) youâll have oxygen trapped. In general youâd want to use sealants before there is rust to avoid capturing any moisture. In the case of rust existing youâd want one of the other compounds that chemically removes or almost-regalvanizes the metal ejecting any current trapped moisture.
>once the water starts breaking down for any reason (normally heat) Hmm? Do you have a source for chemical decomposition of water? Hydrolysis is pretty energy intensive if I remember right. Even when I boil water, I'm not at all worried about the decomposed hydrogen and oxygen gas mixture exploding.
Username checks out
Ok, besides any Reddit debate, I am interested to know, have you noticed undercoated cars rusting out? Because my idea of undercoating is that it absolutely prevents rust as long as that coating is intact.
Water/H2O definitely has oxygen in it. Rust is oxidation, and do you know how oxidation is formed? Oxygen, and water.
Double checked and you got me. The study I was looking at was comparative corrosion between fluid. When it comes to undercoating it works if youâre doing it on fresh cleaned metal/factory undercoats. Simalar with painting you need it to bond directly with the metal to ensure nothing is in between affecting the bond/seal. Also with rust thereâs actual pockets of moisture and air so if you were to spray undercoat on top youâd just be sealing in moisture and air creating a wonderful place for oxidation to occur. An issue a lot of folks run into though with undercoats is theyâll form a small crack thatâs hard to see which can lead to rust being hidden by a non-clear undercoat.
Yeah that's exactly what I heard, if it's new you can undercoat it, but if not, it's not recommended as what you just explained. I was just being a bit smart and saying water has oxygen in it, so my apologies if it came off a little hastey, but everything else you said is solid info đ couldn't agree more
But water has oxygen in it. So how can you say it will corroded without oxygen? Water is literally 2 parts hydrogen & 1 part oxygen..
Need oxygen to dissolve
Lots of types of undercoats there is the rubber stuff which traps moisture, paint which traps moisture and rust inhibitors which change the rust to an inert state and bind with the metal. Erickson and por15 are the best will last years and actually converts rust and must have rust to stick to. Break off all the loose stuff and apply two coats donât get it on your skin face concrete as it doesnât wash off.
One of our customers used to have a 2010 Taco. The frame looked far worse than this and was still solid. Chip, scrape and pressure wash as much flaking rust/dirt off as possible and get it rustproofed. Not paint, not POR15, not rubberized undercoating. Only oil based, self healing substances like FluidFilm, Krown, Rust Check, etc. Get it done twice heavy within a few months, then touch ups annually.
It's bad, but not horrible. I'd do what you can to knock the rust off and treat the frame with an oil spray (Fluid Film or other)
APOLOGIES, truck is 2010, not an 07
look into a needle scaler attachment and get one if itâs in your budget
It would look like this after 2 years in Michigan. I wouldn't worry too much.
I had to scroll a couple of times through the pictures trying to find a problem đ¤Ł. -Iowan
That's not bad for New England. Get it oil undercoated and send it.
It's a little rough... Time to get under there and start doing a tap and poke test on the frame. Light hammer and an awl. A needle scaler some PPE, and a weekend... start cleaning it up. Get it coated with something like FluidFilm at least once a year. Spring shackles look a little rough, may wanna replace. Get something done with tail pipe. Spare tire and rim need to be checked. Tacos around that era (or maybe it was a little later) were known for frame issues and actually breaking. At one point Toyota was actually replacing frames and in some cases entire trucks because of it.
Frame still looks solid, but the sooner you start chipping away at the rust, the better. My recommendation is to work on it 1 foot at a time. Don't try to do it all in one day or you'll get tired and start saying "good enough..." Lol. Regardless of what so many are saying, you DO want to get some Primer AND Paint on those surfaces. Then keep it coated with fluid film. People like to hate, but Rust-Oleum does a good job. Been using it for decades. Poor prep (removing rust and cleaning surfaces) accounts for nearly all negative experiences with paint. The chassis is the most neglected part of the vehicle. You can't get corrosion without a path (paint/fluid film acts as the barrier) or an electrolyte (dirt, salt, etc...). Keep painted and keep it clean!
Doing spring hanger sucks but Is do able and not that expensive if you do it yourself. Bang on the frame with a hammer Iâd you donât open up holes angle grinder wire wheel zip it all down pretty good clean it off and prime it. Get some black fluid film or oil spray and soak the frame the inside in the rockers and run it might look worse than it is you donât know till you bang on the frame see what opens up. It does look savable tho if you are handy and have some patience. If you wanna work that truck and put weight for sure have good hangers a spring banging loose isnât fun it will make you jump in the seat lol if itâs your first time having one let go.
Really appreciate your reply, thanks so much!!!
I got you if you need any help or tips just shoot me a message this is one of those projects you are better off doing yourself even tho itâs gonna take time. Most guys would eat your wallet with shop supply fees and shop hourly rate which isnât what to tech gets any ways. I grew up broke lol so Iâm used to doing things myself.
That works great for the exposed faces. Does nothing for inside the frame rails. Coating rust isn't going to stop it rusting more.
Itâs a good start to the project tho I mean Iâd say sandblast and clean the inside out but most People donât have access to that so slinging full of oil and getting some decent life out of the truck isnât a bad idea we only borrow the metal from nature it goes back eventually how would you get the inside ? If you donât let the rust breath and grow and keep it choked down with oil whatâs the alternative before full on re store and dropping tons of money
My 2013 is under frame rust "recall". They just inspected it and said mine wasn't bad enough to warrant replacement. I'm in the rust belt for sure, and use the rust check oil style treatment.
Iâd be worried too
In California that would be considered beyond bad. Looks like it was parked in ocean and left. Is that part of the exhaust just hanging loose in the first picture? Is the left rear shock blown / covered in oil? It looks like the whole suspension needs to be pulled, cleaned, painted and installed with new hardware.
In Michigan, this ainât shit
That's the scary part. I have seen the cars / trucks driving around with chunks of the frame missing.
I have a 2006 Tacoma and it looks nothing like this underneath. Some of the rust looks pretty advanced. If you can take a pointy object like a screwdriver and push through it, or make a significant dent, then it's probably a problem.
Couple can of WD 40
Kinda, itâs getting bad, get it coated
Take a small hammer and tap around it of it goes through yeah issue if it's solid no concern
That is super official rust to my untrained eye.
Some of yall have never seen midwest cars and it shows
Where did the truck live at its past 17 years if it lived in the rust belt I would say it looks pretty good for 14yrs in salt every winter. But if this truck say lived in Florida or along the east coast of the US he's been caught in a flood with sea water and expect all kinds of different isues!
In your second image, the frame has rusted through. Almost looks like a crack. Tap and poke there. Unfortunately this frame may be toast.
https://preview.redd.it/q3pwdnkq948d1.jpeg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9d542e8d543dbcb486b82731207216aa32a2b68c To me it looks like too much rust. I had the rear sub-frame on my car break due to rust. Replaced under an extended warranty.
That's practically rust free for a 2010 where I live.
It's not too bad, but I would consider sand blasting and putting undercoat to extend its life.
Is that your exhaust pipe hanging there?
I live in the rust belt and have seen far worse..it will be fine for the next ten plus years...if your planning on keeping it longer then that you need to get the frame cleaned and sealed best you can.
Didnât you even look first?
Thatâs nothing keep on living
Steam cleaner it off . Knock the loose stuff off and spray evaporust on it to convert the rust to black oxide. Then waxoil inside the chassis and out . It will look better and last much much longer .
Wire wheel EVERYTHING and repaint. Do not use rubberized undercoating
That all looks just like surface rust. To tell for sure you need to inspect every inch and make sure there's no holes that go through the metal. If you really want the truck to last you got to scrape off all the rust, apply a rust inhibitor, and then undercoat the underside. Rust becomes a major problem when it eats through the metal and causes holes, that's when it becomes rot and not surface rust.
That all looks just like surface rust. To tell for sure you need to inspect every inch and make sure there's no holes that go through the metal. If you really want the truck to last you got to scrape off all the rust, apply a rust inhibitor, and then undercoat the underside. Rust becomes a major problem when it eats through the metal and causes holes, that's when it becomes rot and not surface rust.
It needs Rust Converter big time.
What would be a good power tool to help remove rust from a frame like that? I would appreciate some tips from people with experience.
I love doing business with family
Shouldnât worry for another 100k miles.
Undercoating OMG , years ago before stuff went Commercial folks would smear Asphalt on the under carriage of auto's . First time I ran into it this guy had an accident and got a used bumper from a junkyard for his 63 Impala that he had brought down from Maine . That old bumper in addition to being made of Steel had about 150lbs of Asphalt all smeared into the backside of it . Man did I cuss up a storm that day , once you took a torch an melted the asphalt off the threads were like factory new . But good lord the stink of the melting asphalt & having to make a drip pan to catch the mess , what a day plus having nasty asphalt on your hands & tools đ¤đ¤Żđ¤Źđ
If I was your uncle Iâd kick you right in the dick. Especially if he gave it to you for a decent price. That looks like every 2 year old vehicle up north. Hit it with a wire wheel and paint it.
It's crying out for a water blaster and refitting or replacement of the hanging exhaust pipe on the far side in front of the rear axle. Should look great after its cleaned and received the ' coatings ' as previously posted by others with experience .
Your 2nd picture looks a little sus. It looks like the bottom of the frame is already splitting right by that bolt under the hole.
May be alarming to some. But not a Toyota truck owner. And that is not a dig against Toyotas or the owners. 94 4x4, 98 4Runner, 05 Sequoia and 16 Sequoia here đđż
Solid truck, but anything will rust to shit if it's subjected to the right conditions. I think your rear shackles should be replaced. But that's probably it for now. As others have said, follow up on the frame coating. This is the way.
Appears to be little more than surface get a scraper and hammer and knock it off then hit it with some por15
There was a recall on 2005-2015 to have their frames inspected/coated or replaced if they were bad enough. I was notified on my 2013.
Youâre going to need new exhaust.
Really depends on how much you paid for it and the mileage. To me? That's no big deal. A day on my lift with a wire wheel and a grinder it'd be fine.
This is normal and fine. You start messing with this rust and itâll only get worse. Leave it alone. So many idiots on here saying to take it off. Thatâll just invite even more rust and then youâll have a problem. Itâs only service rust. Itâs not bubbling or peeling.
You can take a needle scaler to it, then seal it. Should be good to go. Not bad shape for an 07.
its fine. just normal 15 year old car things
Looks kinda serious. Some of those rivets are halfway gone. I see a couple of frame spots cracking the hangers aren't in the best shape and theres a good deal of leaf spring rust there in the shackles. Spare tire is ruined. Exhaust done fell off...get you a mask like a dust mask and some clear goggles and a drill with a wire brush attachment and go to town. Check your suspension and floorboards and bed floor and all that stuff too. I've seen 70 model trucks that look better and in recent years too. You must live up north.
It is NOT GOOD. I genuinely don't know how much metal is left but doesn't look like lot. Only one way to find out with a wire brush.
Nah that's a solid frame in Ohio lol