I hope I bought my frame a few more years

[RPS99SHO]

Went underneath with a ballpoint hammer, and banged the crap out of my frame. Truck has spent its entire life north of the Mason-Dixon Line (until I bought it and live a few miles south of that line). Nothing but dings and pings from the frame. No rust-through anywhere. I popped open a can of POR-15 and went to work (after cleaning and prepping of course).

 

[soupkitchen]

sweet man..this is on my spring list...wire brush/ etch and paint. My 97 lived its early life in Chicago.

My wife's 96 has been in Nashville its whole life, still has factory stickers everywhere and zero signs of age...Midwest is a killer for sure!

 

[bmodo16]

On my lift of things to do before registering... how much por did you use?

 

[RPS99SHO]

About 2/3 of a quart. I bent the can trying to hammer the lid back on, so if anyone in MD wants to come grab it and use it before it dries up, come take it.

 

[absalom]

Do you think one of these would've helped to knock down the rust a bit before painting? Great write-up btw. Definitely doing this to my cruiser.

 

[RPS99SHO]

Couldn't hurt!

 

[Ed_C]

So hammer/chip/scrape away any loose rust, spray with metal prep, then apply POR?

 

[RPS99SHO]

So hammer/chip/scrape away any loose rust, spray with metal prep, then apply POR?

Degrease before metal prep. :cheers:

 

[Proco]

You did what you could do, nothing stops rust but you can slow it down. The biggest issue for me is every time you need to work on something underneath you are fighting rust. Something simple that takes someone in SoCal or Texas 15 minutes takes 3 hours.

 

[RPS99SHO]

You did what you could do, nothing stops rust but you can slow it down.

Yep, that's the plan here. I realize I can't turn the frame into a rust-less southern frame, but I can at least slow the rot and extend the truck's useful life. And make it somewhat presentable to onlookers. That rust red color is not becoming.

 

[T4R2014]

Inject the inside of the frame with Fluid Film or used oil.

 

[3rzrunner]

Inject the inside of the frame with Fluid Film or used oil.

or better yet this stuff.. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/171083-frame-rust-prevention.html




[MENTION=135299]RPS99SHO[/MENTION] Don't forget that the inside of the frame is equally as rusty! this stuff really works. Internal Frame Coating w/Spray Nozzle | Eastwood

the first link is my review of the stuff, it has been holding up perfect since i applied it a while back.

 

[T4R2014]

or better yet this stuff.. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/171083-frame-rust-prevention.html

Maybe on an already not-so-rusty frame, but on one like OP's it seems risky since you may just be painting over a big chunk or dirt or scaly rust. The oil undercoat doesn't run that risk. If anything, the dirt helps it cake up and stick nicely. Out overseas(the Caribbean, Asia, various parts of the Middle East etc) they love to spray old oil underneath to prevent damage caused by constant dirt road driving and salt exposure, and it is a proven method. A car restorer friend told me about some nearly rust-free 50's Cadillacs that were original northeast cars. Underneath had at least an inch thick of oily, dirty undercoat. Once that stuff was scraped away, it revealed some very mint floor pans.

 

[RPS99SHO]

Inject the inside of the frame with Fluid Film or used oil.

I would love to, but that would be a messy job for a DIY. The EPA and my wife would hate me.

 

[T4R2014]

The EPA and my wife would hate me.

The frame stops dripping after a couple days. The way I see it is that I keep my vehicles running to spec with no leaks. A few vehicles with oily insides to prevent the creation of a rusty death trap is far less harmful than the leaky old junkers scattered across the northeast that when combined probably leak out gallons of oil a day.

 

[RPS99SHO]

or better yet this stuff.. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/171083-frame-rust-prevention.html




[MENTION=135299]RPS99SHO[/MENTION] Don't forget that the inside of the frame is equally as rusty! this stuff really works. Internal Frame Coating w/Spray Nozzle | Eastwood

the first link is my review of the stuff, it has been holding up perfect since i applied it a while back.

Thanks for the heads-up!! I was wondering what a good solution for the inside of the frame would be.

 

[RPS99SHO]

Inject the inside of the frame with Fluid Film or used oil.

So I purchased Fluid Film for the inside of the frame. That's next, then touching up areas outside the frame where the POR didn't hold (potentially - all's good for now), then topcoating the outside of the frame rails for UV protection.

 

[T4R2014]

So I purchased Fluid Film for the inside of the frame. That's next, then touching up areas outside the frame where the POR didn't hold (potentially - all's good for now), then topcoating the outside of the frame rails for UV protection.

Do you really need to topcoat for UV protection? The frame doesn't see much sunlight.

 

[RPS99SHO]

Do you really need to topcoat for UV protection? The frame doesn't see much sunlight.

The frame rails that are exposed with the running boards removed, yes.

 

[kolelt]

Check out Eastwood internal frame coating. I used it on my frame. I went nuts and used 7 cans.
Eastwood Internal Frame Coating 14oz Aerosol

After this dries I would then use the fluid film. Currently my whole undercarriage is coated in fluid film.