Rusted out frame

Need advice from a frame person/ welder. 26 years of Michigan winters has taken its toll on the frame on my FJ60. the cross member the shocks mount has rusted through and is about to brake. the frame is scaled and flaking. 3 spots I can see have holes. fortunately the engine leaks oil, the transmission/Tcase leak, and the PS pump leaks so the front of the frame has been protected. I cleaned the front and it is fine. The problem starts at the mid point and goes to the back. I am actually afraid to drive it now.

My choices are to replace the frame

Build a new one

fix this one.

Sell the rig and start over.

Any advice on how to fix this one?

I am not a welder, but I know what I was told about my slightly bent 01 Tacoma frame from the shop that it was towed to after my accident. They said it was evident that I use the truck off road and said it should be totaled by your insurance company as off road use would be too risky if repaired. Esurance, my insurance company tried to argue with them to avoid an 18k payout, but the shop refused its repair.

In my opinion, I would either buy a replacement OEM frame (if possible) or find a rolling chassis and use the good parts to build a bad ass crawler.

Or scrap the entire rig, ebay the good parts and go out and buy a used Jeep or Tacoma and trick it out.

Ryan

Unless it has some major sentimental value, piece it out and start over.

Thinking 91 - 94 Ford Explorer  4 door with a 5spd. can pick em up cheap and cheap/easy to modify............ know of one using Jeep XJ coils and F-250 coil buckets/shock towers in the front and 3/4 ton 63" chevy springs and 6" beltech drop shackles in the back. Villian motor sports makes some nice 6" pivot brakets for the front and some nice extended radius arms that relocate back to the transmission cross member ....... designed for a 6" lift. The problems with lifting a ford TTB are junk kits and messed up steering ........this is solved by piecing your own kit together, adding a 6" drop pitman arm, and using a modified inverted K link steering. Already has a D35 in the front and an 8.8 with 31 spline shafts in the back. the weak hub problem is solved with using warn's locking hub kit for the D35 rear axle in the jeep (the one that alows you to unlock your rear axle) and for a front locker any used for a D35 jeep axle will work fine in the front of an Explorer (even though Dana will not admit to this, know several guys using them and they work fine)

would like a tacoma but any jeep or tacoma in my price range is either beat to hell, A mechanic's special, or does not have enough room for 3 kids and a dog.

Took the shocks out of the LC so if the cross member broke they would not go through the floor........... it got real scary all of a sudden. what gets my goat about this is I just dropped a grand into the new clutch.

found a frame in TX. guy said $350 after he is done stripping it