How to keep bumper rust at bay

[kingwilliam]

Hi everyone!

I recently got a 1999 that's got rusty chrome bumpers. When I picked it up, the dealer had cleaned off the rust, but it came back quickly. It looked not too bad cleaned up.

I can't afford new bumper parts right now... was thinking of cleaning the rust and applying some "clear" sealer/paint to the area. Do you think that might work? I thought it would keep the water off the bare metal.

Any other ideas? I had thought of coating it in a thin layer of oil, but thought that wouldn't last too long.
thanks!
b

 

[JeremyH]

Clean it with Naval Jelly and then a clear coat should keep it away...

 

[TheDurk]

They actually tend to rust from the inside out, at least around here. If you have substantial rust, there may be no cure other than new pieces and rubbercoating the back of them when new.

 

[LINY4Runner]

check eBay you can usually get nice new ones for around 150 shipped

don't worry about fitment either, they fit exactly like OEM

 

[JeremyH]

www.certifit.com lists a new (in box) chrome bumper for $60. I am not sure if there is a location near you, but I have one of their bumpers and it is of excellent quality. I am very happy with their products.

 

[kingwilliam]

thanks... I would like to simply get replacement parts. I'll definitely check out those suggestions, likely in the spring.

The dealership here (in Ottawa, Canada) wants something like $250 for one back corner piece. So, getting all the pieces would be well over $1000.
b

 

[JohnsD90]

thanks... I would like to simply get replacement parts. I'll definitely check out those suggestions, likely in the spring.

The dealership here (in Ottawa, Canada) wants something like $250 for one back corner piece. So, getting all the pieces would be well over $1000.
b

junk and scrapyards

 

[nunya]

eBay chrome bumpers in my experience tend to be a bit off from "exact fit" and try to rust through from the inside out a little faster than stock ones. Spray the inside of it with weld through primer(used for if overlapping panels when welding to prevent rust between them). Current fron tbumper on my Nissan has been perfect since besides the self caused imperfections to the outside of it.

 

[LINY4Runner]

eBay chrome bumpers in my experience tend to be a bit off from "exact fit" and try to rust through from the inside out a little faster than stock ones. Spray the inside of it with weld through primer(used for if overlapping panels when welding to prevent rust between them). Current fron tbumper on my Nissan has been perfect since besides the self caused imperfections to the outside of it.

Mine fit exact, and with a few coats of undercoating to the back side, it has survived two northeastern winters, frequent (as in 4 days a week) beach driving and two summers of dunking the boat and still looks brand new.

You're doing something wrong...

 

[fightman80]

Hi everyone!

I recently got a 1999 that's got rusty chrome bumpers. When I picked it up, the dealer had cleaned off the rust, but it came back quickly. It looked not too bad cleaned up.

I can't afford new bumper parts right now... was thinking of cleaning the rust and applying some "clear" sealer/paint to the area. Do you think that might work? I thought it would keep the water off the bare metal.

Any other ideas? I had thought of coating it in a thin layer of oil, but thought that wouldn't last too long.
thanks!
b

Have you tried polishing it with AUTOSOL??? It's a metal polish that can be found at Canadian Tire, or even NAPA. I used it on my chrome step bars, it took the surface rust right off! I've also used it on some pitted spots on the bottom of my rear bumpers, it looks pretty good..... I'd try that before spraying it with clear....IMO. Also, in the winter months......try spraying WD40 on all of your chrome pieces, I've been doing mine for 5 years, and the bumpers still look as good as they did 5 years ago, when I bought it!

 

[kcyota]

Aluminum foil and cola? I can't say that I've tried it, but it might be worth a shot...

http://lifehacker.com/5383384/polish-chrome-with-aluminum-foil-and-cola

 

[LINY4Runner]

Aluminum foil and cola? I can't say that I've tried it, but it might be worth a shot...

http://lifehacker.com/5383384/polish-chrome-with-aluminum-foil-and-cola

hmmmm...I might have to e-mail the Mythbusters about this one...hahaha

 

[nunya]

Mine fit exact, and with a few coats of undercoating to the back side, it has survived two northeastern winters, frequent (as in 4 days a week) beach driving and two summers of dunking the boat and still looks brand new.

You're doing something wrong...

The weld through primer seems to be the ticket for me, holds up pretty good for daily western PA use(salty sloppy roads in the winter, my laziness of not cleanign non-road debris off during nicer months). My fitment issues could just have been bad runs of parts, still couldn't tell from a fiew steps back.

I think Mythbusters did the cola on chrome thing too, remembering them doeing it to a Ford fulsize actually. Don't remember if it actually worked though.

 

[bgmac]

Mine fit exact, and with a few coats of undercoating to the back side, it has survived two northeastern winters, frequent (as in 4 days a week) beach driving and two summers of dunking the boat and still looks brand new.

You're doing something wrong...

I replaced all of mine except the rear center section for like $200 shipped threw Ebay. They fit fine, A little tight but I was able to get them on with out any issues. The only real problem I had was that all of them got slightly banged up in shipping. Its not really that noticeable unless I were to point it out. The stock ones were really jacked up when I bought it. I purchased it in Jamaica Queens, so you can only imagine all the bumps that they endured in the city. The center section was saved because the rear hitch sticks out further, basically protecting the center bumper.

 

[LINY4Runner]

I replaced all of mine except the rear center section for like $200 shipped threw Ebay. They fit fine, A little tight but I was able to get them on with out any issues. The only real problem I had was that all of them got slightly banged up in shipping. Its not really that noticeable unless I were to point it out. The stock ones were really jacked up when I bought it. I purchased it in Jamaica Queens, so you can only imagine all the bumps that they endured in the city. The center section was saved because the rear hitch sticks out further, basically protecting the center bumper.

yeah it's hard to kee a car mint living in the city...everyone's running around in their $100k cars with those ugly rubber mats hanging off them now

hey you're from PA...i dunno if you're a member on the facebook page but check out this thread...we're trying to get a northeaster meet happening...somewhere in the scranton area
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=55688&page=2

also if you're a fasebooker join my group...there's a thread on there about the northeast meet
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=145891641216

 

[bgmac]

yeah it's hard to kee a car mint living in the city...everyone's running around in their $100k cars with those ugly rubber mats hanging off them now

hey you're from PA...i dunno if you're a member on the facebook page but check out this thread...we're trying to get a northeaster meet happening...somewhere in the scranton area
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=55688&page=2

also if you're a fasebooker join my group...there's a thread on there about the northeast meet
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=145891641216

Thanks for the offer, but I really dont offroad that much anymore. My 4Runner is my DD and I've managed to keep it in pristine shape so far, and want to keep it that way. Now, if you want to go ride some quads.....Get ahold of me!

Didn't mean to hijack the thread here, but also look around on craiglist for 4Runners being parted out. Since the "cash for clunker" program their is a ton of them being parted out and they only have 6 months to do it before it goes to the crusher.

 

[nunya]

Thanks for the offer, but I really dont offroad that much anymore. My 4Runner is my DD and I've managed to keep it in pristine shape so far, and want to keep it that way. Now, if you want to go ride some quads.....Get ahold of me!

Didn't mean to hijack the thread here, but also look around on craiglist for 4Runners being parted out. Since the "cash for clunker" program their is a ton of them being parted out and they only have 6 months to do it before it goes to the crusher.

If from western PA check out Millerstown Pick-a-part. Good choices of 2gens and a coupel 3gens (plus some Tacomas) (not meant to add to the hijack, sorry)