Bad thing is once its all patched its still junk underneath.
CK5
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2014 Silverado High Country RUST Nightmare
- Thread starter ZombieK5
- Start date
2014 Silverado we bought for our 16 yr old. Turns out the rear frame is suffering the normal total corrosion issue
"underneath" ?
Yea, mines worse than that. Got first two crossmembers loose fitted. Haven't started actual frame yet
Yes, all the safety cap pieces get welded over the existing frame, the base frame is so heavily rusted that the metal is already compromised. It’s essentially welding good clean metal over rusty metal. The frame is only as solid as the parent material that makes it up.
Theres no class action on these frames?
I know the tacomas and tundras had them but 4runners did not, which was BS. My dad just paid $2k to have back portion of his ‘07 4runner frame fixed, shop did great job, 2 days. They mentioned his frame was not that bad in comparison, they had done several frames in the $5-7k range. The toyotas last forever minus the frames.
I know the tacomas and tundras had them but 4runners did not, which was BS. My dad just paid $2k to have back portion of his ‘07 4runner frame fixed, shop did great job, 2 days. They mentioned his frame was not that bad in comparison, they had done several frames in the $5-7k range. The toyotas last forever minus the frames.
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So what do you recommend?
Probably the same I did, walk away.
But I am just tired of dealing with rust, thankfully I am in place where I don't have to anymore.
This for me ^
I mean when you get done with all this work you still don't really have anything. Just seems like I see a pile of people repairing frames on these and you are basically putting lipstick on a pig.
Let's say this is your only truck. You take $200 from the scrap yard and go spend $12k-$25k on another used truck to avoid the work? You can recover another grand or two if you spend a week parting it out.
The idea is to bring the frame along for a more normal lifetime of the vehicle, which is basically until the body rusts out. He can't just jump on Marketplace and find another cheap truck that doesn't have the same problem. The kit exists, so people are buying it. I know a guy doing it right now.
The idea is to bring the frame along for a more normal lifetime of the vehicle, which is basically until the body rusts out. He can't just jump on Marketplace and find another cheap truck that doesn't have the same problem. The kit exists, so people are buying it. I know a guy doing it right now.
I'd say the best fix is to buy a frame from out west. Obviously more money and more work. I'll grab a pic of the well abused 24,000 hr 2015 Chevy Silverado 1500 I have sitting outside my shop here at work.
I understand that, I lived on the Mediterranean and everything rusted, we didn't have many options so we had to keep chasing rust, but as you know rust never sleeps.
I got tired of it so that is where I am coming from
The OP said he just bought this truck, meaning he bought it already this rusty. He lives in PA, I live in PA. You'd be better off going south and buying a rust free truck. If you've had the truck since new and your only option is to fix it (financially or by choice) then I get that. I still don't think its the best way to go because the strength of the frame is compromised at that point but if you can get it to pass inspection and your comfortable with it so be it. Bringing the frame along for a more normal lifetime would mean coating it with wool wax or oil from new so it doesn't rot like this. I don't believe the blame falls on the manufacturers as much as it does the states that use this crap on the roads...its destroying bridges just as fast as frames.
Here is the PA inspection law pertaining to frames:
(5) Inspect the vehicle frame and reject if one or more of the following apply:
(i) The vehicle frame is not in solid condition.
(ii) The repairs are made with tape, tar paper or cloth, or are made in another temporary manner.
(iii) The frame components are missing, cracked, rotted or broken, or are in a deteriorated or dangerous condition.
(iv) An adjustable axle assembly has locking pins missing or not engaged.
As per most of the rules the end decision is up to the inspector but one could argue that plating over rust means its not in solid condition. Section iii is also pretty open to interpretation, to me this frame and some of the others I've seen pictures of are in deteriorated and dangerous condition. My concern is the shops that are plating these frames where holes are and are not paying attention to the overall structural condition. You can make holes disappear and I still wouldn't want to pull a loaded trailer down the highway with it.
Yea, the frame internals are impossible to fix. Whatever I can reach with my needle scaler will get cleaned up and repaired. I'm going to vacuum out all of the bad flaky metal and waxy coating from inside the frame just so it doesn't continue to trap water. I also plan on spray painting the interior of the frame and then using fluid film to prevent further deterioration.
I found that by gently hitting the frame itself with a the blunt ended implement from an air hammer knocks a lot of the loose rust off. Over the next year or five I'm sure additional rust will flake off but I will keep up with the fluid film to keep it from degrading any further.
For the most part it is what it is and it's all I can do unless I cut out the entire frame inside surface so it looks more like an old Chevy truck square body frame, fixed everything, then reboxed the frame with new steel. That in and of itself would take entirely too long. The repair pieces I have are being welded to Solid Steel higher up on the frame itself. That should provide the necessary structure to secure frame integrity. I don't necessarily see these trucks becoming Classics down the road with people rebuilding them in the year 2045. The frames are too bad for that. If I can get 5 to 10 years out of it I'll be very happy.
Starting to put it back together. Got one rear spring hanger done and working in the passenger side now. Using every tool I have... Welder, Plasma Cutter, Map Gas, grinder, hammers, impact gun, impact hammer and even more...
Same reason why I redid my 2012, used trucks were too expensive to just have the same problems. I own my '12 out right so I decided that a few hundred in materials and a weeks worth of my time was way more worth while than getting stuck in another truck payment. Besides I also had just put a new transmission in it the year prior so the other ticking time bomb on my truck was fixed.
Rear looks good, I do admire your determination. For what you have to work with you are making the most of it.
Just to make you feel bad. This is our highly abused truck at the plant. It took a good 2 hrs of pressure washing to get it this clean. Apparently the missing rivet on the spring hanger is normal because both are that way. It does have an aftermarket market rear bumper. Maybe there was a bracket there.
What ever was on was bolted with a washer, so yeah not just a missing rivet
It's got a bolt there now.
Thats still a good bit of rust for a Utah truck, think of how clean Utah square bodies are. To me this shows that the metal and coating is just junk, then add the shit they use on the roads here and presto.
