I have a 93 Dakota 4x4 that I bought with 100,000 miles on it a few months ago out here in Hawaii.

I just got done changing the clutch and noticed my frame is pretty corroded on the left frame under the bed around the area of the gas tank.

The frame seems to be solid (I can beat on it with my hammer and it feels solid), however in a few spots it's gone through the top part of the I-beam.

I'd estimate the corrosion extends about 2 feet down that particular section of the frame, however the rest of the body is fine.

First and foremost, why would this particular section of the truck be so corroded, when the rest is fine, or only has light surface rust (which I expect given the age)?

Secondly, should I attempt a repair, or just sand off the rust, primer it and press on until the frame snaps later on?

Finally, if I do attempt a repair, what should I do? Does anyone know what the particular metal the frame is made of? My roommate is an expert at sheet metal in the Air Force, so if I knew what type of metal the frame was, he could help me pick out an appropriate beef-up plate.

If needed, I'll post a picture, but I don't know how much a picture would help given the general nature of the problem.

Thanks!

 

you may just have to have that section of the frame replaced with some fresh steel. you dont want it to snap while you're on the highway. I saw the back half of an old ford ranger snap off on a lift at a muffler shop. after the guy got done threatening the shop owner with a lawsuit, the guy simply replied "would you rather it broke while you were driving down the highway" and that shut him up real quick.
btw, sheet metal wont do you any good, you need to take it to a frame and alignment shop.

 

Well, that might have to wait several more months until I leave Hawaii then. These guys would probably charge more just for labor out here than it would cost me to pick up another used Dak

Any idea why it's isolated to that particular area? I'm asking to try and prevent/eliminate any potential catalysts, if that's a known area to corrode for whatever reason.

 

who knows, maybe it just wasnt coated the right way in that spot from the factory... ive seen trucks where the whole frame looks like rust. my 2001 dak has absolutely no rust at all on the frame and it's still black, kind of strage since its gone through 7 ohio winters.

 

what I've seen some guys do is get some new steel and simply patch the area where the rust has eaten the frame, if you have welding skills, or if you can learn, this might be the way to go.

 

if it still looks strong enough for what you want to do with the truck, maybe get one of those rust stop kits. the old daks have a stronger frame with thicker steel than alot of the newer trucks of today. being in hawaii i bet your not going to be plowing, are you towing a 4000 pound boat, or maxing out the load. patching a frame sometimes causes more stresses that will cause cracking, if you intend to fix it you need to find someone that knows what they are doing, not just any old welding shop.

 

Well, that's exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks. I'll call around and see what I can figure out.

I'm not towing or really maxing out the load ever, so I'll probably just try to get it to last until I can get it fixed back in the mainland.

 

just a note on this. i worked for a dealer in the early 90's and it was my job as the lot boy to apply rustproofing on cars and trucks. there was no manual to follow it was just spray everthing and hope you got it. so it would pretty easy to miss quite alot.