Should you buy a truck that has had the frame replaced?

[SportsmanJake]

Hey guys,

I wanted to get some opinions on frame replacements when buying a truck.
My search pertains to 1st gen Tundras, but I am sure this advice is applicable for all makes and models.

Here is what I have come up with:

Pros of Frame Replacement:

• You get a new Frame. One that hopefully is better made than the original.
• You don't have to worry about your stock frame rusting out! (weakness eliminated)
• Usually customers will elect to have other parts replaced at same time.

Cons of Frame Replacement:

• This is evidence that the truck is from a Salt State. Expect rusting on all other metal bits.
• All future wrenching will be difficult because of rust.
• Higher chance of Body rust.

So it kind of seems like a trade off. With a frame replacement, you have eliminated a weak point, but the rest of the truck is usually rusty.
Any advice?

 

[Adventurous]

Your pro/con list seems pretty spot on. Good news is they would have replaced a lot of rusty hardware and things that got touched during frame replacement. I'm not sure I'd be too concerned about purchasing a truck that's had the frame replaced; a lot of the other rust would be visible to the eye and you'd likely not encounter any big surprises.

 

[dwh]

The replacement frame might not be better than the original - it probably is an original - either ordered new through a dealer, or used from a junkyard.

It's possible it could be some aftermarket frame with thicker steel and fully galvanized...but I think that's not as likely as just replacing the broken frame with an original.

And rust isn't the only reason frames break. Jumping, stump pulling, winching, overloading, etc., can all bend a frame and eventually lead to a break.

 

[tyv12]

In terms of Toyota almost gaurinteed it's a Toyota replaced oem frame, the amount of stuff they replace during the frame replacement I would see it as a huge plus to have a brand new frame on an older truck


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[mtnbike28]

I agree with tyv12 - Toyota replaced bushings, hard brake lines and other stuff, I added a ton more when mine was done, new body mounts, all the rubber hoses on the back of the motor and valve cover gaskets since it was so easy with the motor out. Mine was replaced at 200k and now at nearly 300k all is great. Test drive and inspection as always when buying used....

 

[Joe917]

The replacement frame might not be better than the original - it probably is an original - either ordered new through a dealer, or used from a junkyard.

It's possible it could be some aftermarket frame with thicker steel and fully galvanized...but I think that's not as likely as just replacing the broken frame with an original.

And rust isn't the only reason frames break. Jumping, stump pulling, winching, overloading, etc., can all bend a frame and eventually lead to a break.

The Toyota frames were replaced by the dealer under recall, not by backyard mechanics.

 

[surlydiesel]

I specifically searched for a truck with a replaced frame when I bought my most recent truck. If I had extra time and the ability to travel for my truck when I bought it, I would have gotten something out of a dry climate or a place with no salt on the roads. Even though my frame is mint, other parts are rusty. My exhaust is basically falling apart piece by piece. Lots of other bits are rusted solid, brake parts and related. So in general, I would stick to vehicles that have never seen salt if at all possible.

 

[bkg]

I specifically searched for a truck with a replaced frame when I bought my most recent truck. If I had extra time and the ability to travel for my truck when I bought it, I would have gotten something out of a dry climate or a place with no salt on the roads. Even though my frame is mint, other parts are rusty. My exhaust is basically falling apart piece by piece. Lots of other bits are rusted solid, brake parts and related. So in general, I would stick to vehicles that have never seen salt if at all possible.

This is good advice. Purchased my last 3 Tacoma's (all 1st gens, still have 2 of them) from California, Texas, Arizona. It's worth the flight/drive, IMHO, and in some circumstances, the trucks are actually cheaper than buying up north.

My AZ truck has other issues - but I'd rather deal with replacing a few heat-worn items than deal with rust. And it's so much easier to work on w/o the rust.

 

[vicali]

Our 2005 had a frame replacement in 2015- new Dana frame, plus everything that was connected to it including lower swing arms and rear spring packs.

It worked out well for us, a 10 year old frame replaced by brand new because of a quarter size hole beside the catalytic converter. $14000 worth of work and it cost us nothing - all we had to do was wait the three days to get it done.

After that it drive better, everything was tighter, springs were beefed up and it was good to go for another 15 years.

Shame they couldn’t treat the headgaskets the same..

 

[mathers420]

Are you buying a Toyota truck from an area that salts the roads?
If Yes, then you should absolutely look for a truck with a replaced (by Toyota) frame. They will be much, much cleaner underneath.

Are you buying a truck form an area that does not salt the roads?
Then no, you should look for a truck that is rust free because they exist near you.


One small note, if you buy a truck from Arizona and then bring it to a salt state and the frame rusts out, Toyota will not cover you (or at least they wouldn't with the first gen Tacomas), but you would most likely be over the time limit so it probably wont' matter either way.

I still miss my 2002 Red Tocama with a replaced frame.

 

[SportsmanJake]

Are you buying a Toyota truck from an area that salts the roads?
If Yes, then you should absolutely look for a truck with a replaced (by Toyota) frame. They will be much, much cleaner underneath.

Are you buying a truck form an area that does not salt the roads?
Then no, you should look for a truck that is rust free because they exist near you.


One small note, if you buy a truck from Arizona and then bring it to a salt state and the frame rusts out, Toyota will not cover you (or at least they wouldn't with the first gen Tacomas), but you would most likely be over the time limit so it probably wont' matter either way.

I still miss my 2002 Red Tocama with a replaced frame.

Yes I live in the Salt Belt, but Virginia does not see as much as say New York.

From searching for the past 2 months, I'd guess 90% of 05/06 Access Cabs I come across for sale are from up north.

 

[JLee]

Yes I live in the Salt Belt, but Virginia does not see as much as say New York.

From searching for the past 2 months, I'd guess 90% of 05/06 Access Cabs I come across for sale are from up north.

I would buy one from the southwest. I had someone ogling my 2005 GX470 with 191k miles on it just yesterday, telling his wife "can you believe this has 191 thousand miles!?" When I had it in a shop for an alignment a few months back, one of the techs was asking what year it was while it was up on the rack - and guessed 2014. Arizona truck ******!