Frame Rust 100 series

chadwicksavage

Adventurer
Any particular place you would look for a donor frame or should I just start ordering parts from toyota? 2001 100 series. My mechanic says it's probably fine for a while and we'll just chase stuff down but i'd rather baseline the whole thing and I have time so...
 

chadwicksavage

Adventurer
My question has shifted. Mechanic found a donor frame (he actually called it a rolling chassis) for 5k said he’d do labor for 3k.

so now I’m asking what other stuff I need to go ahead and take care of while he’s under there?
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
My question has shifted. Mechanic found a donor frame (he actually called it a rolling chassis) for 5k said he’d do labor for 3k.

so now I’m asking what other stuff I need to go ahead and take care of while he’s under there?


Every piece of rubber and your break and fuel lines.
 

chadwicksavage

Adventurer
Every piece of rubber and your break and fuel lines.

any list of said rubber anywhere so I can start making my spreadsheet?

I’m assuming you mean like bump stops and bushings?

brake line work is what started this fiasco so definitely.

anything else that would just be cheaper labor wise to take care of now like long range fuel tank or anything like that?
 

wreckdiver1321

Overlander
any list of said rubber anywhere so I can start making my spreadsheet?

I’m assuming you mean like bump stops and bushings?

brake line work is what started this fiasco so definitely.

anything else that would just be cheaper labor wise to take care of now like long range fuel tank or anything like that?

I don't think there's a comprehensive list out there, and it's quite dependent on the state of the donor chassis. If it's a rolling chassis, you're going to have all the suspension stuff, diffs, etc. attached to the chassis. If it was me, I'd get the rolling chassis and do a bunch of work myself while the body was off. Your access is unprecedented with the body off, so you'd have a ton of opportunity to fix things or refresh things easily. I'd look at doing the suspension now, and do it yourself honestly. Super easy when the body is off. Same thing with brake lines, fuel lines, and other stuff. Please bear in mind, though, that I'm completely nuts when it comes to preventative maintenance. I've done pretty much everything I've listed below to mine thus far.

Here's what I would do, starting from the front:

-Replace radiator hoses
-New serpentine belt
-Fuel filter
-Air filter
-Reboot the CVs if they're Toyota units or replace
-New upper and lower ball joints
-Replace upper and lower control arm bushings (if necessary)
-Replace steering rack bushings (if necessary)
-Replace brake lines (if necessary)
-New brake pads
-Repack front wheel bearings (replace bearings if necessary)
-Replace front shocks (if lifting or if necessary)
-Replace torsion bars (if lifting)
-Replace front sway bar bushings
-Replace front sway bar end links
-Check front U-joints and grease or replace
-Change front diff oil
-Change engine oil
-Change transfer case oil
-Check rear U-joints and grease or replace
-Change rear diff oil
-New rear brake pads
-Replace rear shocks (if lifting or if necessary)
-Replace rear springs (if lifting)
-New trailing arm bushings
-Swap one set of trailing arms (upper or lower) to adjustable (only if lifting, to minimize/eliminate driveshaft vibrations)
-Replace rear sway bar bushings
-Replace rear sway bar end links
-Replace panhard bar bushings (if necessary)
-New body mount rubbers when the body goes on

Finally, inspect all of the fuel and brake lines, metal or otherwise. If anything is cracked, stretched, corroded, or kinked, replace it. Chase all the wiring to make sure there's no breaks or frayed wires. That would be my checklist. All of these items are doable by yourself with the assistance of Ih8mud or YouTube. You'll save yourself a boatload of labor cost if you do that too. This is easily a few thousand dollars. I'd say the most complicated items are the ball joints, the bearing repack, and the torsion bars, and even those aren't bad if you do a little research. Everything else is simple nuts and bolts stuff.

Everything here is also subject to interpretation or budget. If the bushings on the control arms, panhard bar, steering rack, or trailing arms aren't cracked or loose, you don't have to change them if you don't want to or if it's cost-prohibitive. You probably don't have to reboot the CVs unless they're weeping. It's a good idea if you're lifting, but otherwise not necessary. If the belt and hoses are in good shape, you don't need to do them. Same with the ball joints, brake pads, etc. It's all about how far you want to go. I can say from experience that this list will provide you with basically a like-new ride and handling experience, and you won't have to do the work later as things fail. Again, all subject to your desires and budget at the time.

I know that is a long-winded response, but I hope it helps inform you and steer you in the right direction.
 

chadwicksavage

Adventurer
I don't think there's a comprehensive list out there, and it's quite dependent on the state of the donor chassis. If it's a rolling chassis, you're going to have all the suspension stuff, diffs, etc. attached to the chassis. If it was me, I'd get the rolling chassis and do a bunch of work myself while the body was off. Your access is unprecedented with the body off, so you'd have a ton of opportunity to fix things or refresh things easily. I'd look at doing the suspension now, and do it yourself honestly. Super easy when the body is off. Same thing with brake lines, fuel lines, and other stuff. Please bear in mind, though, that I'm completely nuts when it comes to preventative maintenance. I've done pretty much everything I've listed below to mine thus far.

Here's what I would do, starting from the front:

-Replace radiator hoses
-New serpentine belt
-Fuel filter
-Air filter
-Reboot the CVs if they're Toyota units or replace
-New upper and lower ball joints
-Replace upper and lower control arm bushings (if necessary)
-Replace steering rack bushings (if necessary)
-Replace brake lines (if necessary)
-New brake pads
-Repack front wheel bearings (replace bearings if necessary)
-Replace front shocks (if lifting or if necessary)
-Replace torsion bars (if lifting)
-Replace front sway bar bushings
-Replace front sway bar end links
-Check front U-joints and grease or replace
-Change front diff oil
-Change engine oil
-Change transfer case oil
-Check rear U-joints and grease or replace
-Change rear diff oil
-New rear brake pads
-Replace rear shocks (if lifting or if necessary)
-Replace rear springs (if lifting)
-New trailing arm bushings
-Swap one set of trailing arms (upper or lower) to adjustable (only if lifting, to minimize/eliminate driveshaft vibrations)
-Replace rear sway bar bushings
-Replace rear sway bar end links
-Replace panhard bar bushings (if necessary)
-New body mount rubbers when the body goes on

Finally, inspect all of the fuel and brake lines, metal or otherwise. If anything is cracked, stretched, corroded, or kinked, replace it. Chase all the wiring to make sure there's no breaks or frayed wires. That would be my checklist. All of these items are doable by yourself with the assistance of Ih8mud or YouTube. You'll save yourself a boatload of labor cost if you do that too. This is easily a few thousand dollars. I'd say the most complicated items are the ball joints, the bearing repack, and the torsion bars, and even those aren't bad if you do a little research. Everything else is simple nuts and bolts stuff.

Everything here is also subject to interpretation or budget. If the bushings on the control arms, panhard bar, steering rack, or trailing arms aren't cracked or loose, you don't have to change them if you don't want to or if it's cost-prohibitive. You probably don't have to reboot the CVs unless they're weeping. It's a good idea if you're lifting, but otherwise not necessary. If the belt and hoses are in good shape, you don't need to do them. Same with the ball joints, brake pads, etc. It's all about how far you want to go. I can say from experience that this list will provide you with basically a like-new ride and handling experience, and you won't have to do the work later as things fail. Again, all subject to your desires and budget at the time.

I know that is a long-winded response, but I hope it helps inform you and steer you in the right direction.

This is what I needed. This is wonderful.

CVs were replaced in march, Lift was done last october.

  • 3/10/21 - Replace left front cv axle
  • 1/29/21 - Replace rear link bars
  • 1/29/21 - Replace starter
  • 1/29/21 - Replace knock sensor intake gasket
  • 1/29/21 - Replace exhaust gasket on left side
  • 1/29/21 - Replace valve cover gasket and spark plugs
  • 11/3/20 - Replace window motor
  • 10/23/20 - Tires and alignment
  • 10/20/20 - Replace heater tee hose
  • 10/20/20 - Remove running boards
  • 10/20/20 - Greased driveline
  • 10/8/20 - Replace shocks and springs
  • 10/8/20 - Repair A/C
  • 10/10/19 - Replace front and rear brake pads
  • 10/10/19 - Replace right and left calipers and repair e-brake
  • 10/10/19 - left rear axle seat and machine rotor? Writing was hard to read
  • 10/4/18 - Painted
  • 12/22/16 - Replace right and left exhaust manifold, rear hatch latch, rear seat belt latch
 

wreckdiver1321

Overlander
This is what I needed. This is wonderful.

CVs were replaced in march, Lift was done last october.

  • 3/10/21 - Replace left front cv axle
  • 1/29/21 - Replace rear link bars
  • 1/29/21 - Replace starter
  • 1/29/21 - Replace knock sensor intake gasket
  • 1/29/21 - Replace exhaust gasket on left side
  • 1/29/21 - Replace valve cover gasket and spark plugs
  • 11/3/20 - Replace window motor
  • 10/23/20 - Tires and alignment
  • 10/20/20 - Replace heater tee hose
  • 10/20/20 - Remove running boards
  • 10/20/20 - Greased driveline
  • 10/8/20 - Replace shocks and springs
  • 10/8/20 - Repair A/C
  • 10/10/19 - Replace front and rear brake pads
  • 10/10/19 - Replace right and left calipers and repair e-brake
  • 10/10/19 - left rear axle seat and machine rotor? Writing was hard to read I'll bet this was axle seal.
  • 10/4/18 - Painted
  • 12/22/16 - Replace right and left exhaust manifold, rear hatch latch, rear seat belt latch

Cool, it looks like it's had some maintenance done then, that would make me confident. If you can handle the corrosion, it should be reasonably solid. I'd check into whether the CVs are aftermarket or Toyota, the aftermarket units tend to crap the bed early. Otherwise, take a look at that list and replace what needs it. The tough thing is deciding how far you want to go.
 

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