Hey Scotty I saw a video you recently did about that rusted out Tundra frame. I recently bought a Tundra from a Pilot who took the most immaculate care of his 2002 V8 4x4 Tundra and he bought it off the lot new in 2003(as a pilot the guy practically documented everytime he drove it) I paid extra because it had a certificate from a shop that the frame was in great condition. 2 months later in the front wheel well on the boxed portion of the frame I was poking around and pushed my finger through the frame. What would you suggest I do? I’ve contacted Toyota and as you said they just didn’t care and said oh well we aren’t fixing them anymore. I am planning to weld in a “Safe-T cap” should I go through with it? Or should I keep attempting to get Toyota to fix it? I used pretty much all my money on the truck and now I probably can’t sell it to make it back so I will be broke if I can’t make this tundra last.
You can keep trying, but it's understandable that Toyota might not get involved fixing a truck that's over 20 years old. Unfortunately this is an expensive lesson - you really should have had your own mechanic check the truck out instead of trusting a certificate provided by the seller.
If the rust-through is confined to one area the Safe-T cap might get you by for a while, but rust is usually more extensive than it initially appears and it never stops.
I appreciate the response. You think I should just do what I can to maintain it and drive it till it crumbles?
Have it evaluated to see how widespread and dangerous the rust actually. It's not worth your life, or the life of others, if the rust is really extreme.
From what I understand the clock is ticking. Should I just drive it till its dead? (Frame wise)
If you can poke holes in the frame, I wouldn't drive it at all. People drive around my neck of the woods with rusted frame rails. To the point where the bed of the truck is resting against the cab. Evidently, they either don't know the implications of driving on a rusted out frame, or they don't care. They like to gamble with their life.
Sorry to hear that.
I would examine the frame, even the inside with something like a boroscope and begin the removal of any rust, and see what you have left. Hopefully it is in just one spot.
Once you remove any rust, get it protected, I like cosmoline, but there are many other methods.
Do something, or the rust will win for sure, if it hasn't already.
By the way, if you have a certificate from the shop, would that be legally binding, and they perhaps be the ones that need to deal with it?
From what I understand the clock is ticking. Should I just drive it till its dead? (Frame wise) Thanks for the response!
@narblock as @chucktobias said, check out the frame, or have somebody do it for you, and see how bad it really is. Rust is like cancer of a car, if you ignore it, it will grow. Just like cancer, it could possibly be removed and treated, or it could be terminal. I have been working on a friend's F-150 that he was giving up on, thinking the rust was terminal, he was going to drive it until it fell apart. I told him I would see what I can do. I got after any rust with a wire brush for a drill, and cosmoline, and now his truck will not likely die from rust, although some places were getting pretty bad.
Rust CAN be stopped, if it is removed, or covered enough to suffocate it.
Unfortunately, I think you might be out of luck on that one.
On the truck surviving? or Toyota Giving a new frame?
like Chuck said, time has probably run out on frame replacements. And chasing rust with repairs is kind of a futile exercise. If you can poke holes through the frame, it won't hold up in a collision.