Please rinse out your frames...

[Yoder68]

Notice vehicles with oil leaks. The places where oil runs are very clean underneath that oily mess. Overseas, spraying the underside of vehicles with oil has been done for decades. Ask some mechanics of Caribbean background(I know quite a few), and they will often tell you that back home it was common practice to spray vehicles underneath with used oil in order to protect them from the salty conditions of the seaside. This is also commonly done in South America and Asia. Here is one example. I also believe that [MENTION=45027]fightman80[/MENTION] can attest to the oil undercoating. His build is an excellent testament to its effectiveness.

I agree completely with T4R2014.

I have to drive through the Ohio brine slush. I've tried lots of rust treatments and paints. In the end I settled on blobs of grease, antiseize, motor oil, low voc cosmoline, and lots of fluid film.

Also, I made sure (see hole in frame in pic) I can keep the inside of the frame near the rear lca free from pooled briney water, gravel, salamaders, etc. The frames on pretty much all 3rd gens I see around here are rusted in half at this point, and full of a wet salty dirt and rust flake paste.

 

[Yoder68]

Here's a shot with the cosmo and fluid film wiped off. You can see where I hit the bare metal with touch up paint after drilling. That was two winters ago. I'm going with the theory that greasy metal does not rust. I feel I lack the skills to properly prep and paint a frame, but I can apply fluid film and cosmo.

 

[Scramble]

Here's a shot with the cosmo and fluid film wiped off. You can see where I hit the bare metal with touch up paint after drilling. That was two winters ago. I'm going with the theory that greasy metal does not rust. I feel I lack the skills to properly prep and paint a frame, but I can apply fluid film and cosmo.

What drill bit did you use, that looks large? My largest bit I think in 1/2".

Clean/degrease - sand/rough up/remove loose rust - paint with primer or encapsulator - chassis paint over that. It's not hard but very time consuming.

 

[Yoder68]

What drill bit did you use, that looks large? My largest bit I think in 1/2".

3/4".

 

[Stephen88]

I live East of Cleveland and we get a ton of lake effect snow... and therefore a ton of salt mix on the roads in winter. I rinsed my frame out 3 times over the winter (with my fingers freezing off) and got a lot of small flakes of metal. I doubt the previous owner ever did it so the first time I got the most and after that it was mainly dirty water. Seeing steel frame flakes in your driveway is slightly disheartening though.

 

[Scramble]

I live East of Cleveland and we get a ton of lake effect snow... and therefore a ton of salt mix on the roads in winter. I rinsed my frame out 3 times over the winter (with my fingers freezing off) and got a lot of small flakes of metal. I doubt the previous owner ever did it so the first time I got the most and after that it was mainly dirty water. Seeing steel frame flakes in your driveway is slightly disheartening though.

It sure is.

What drill bit did you use, that looks large? My largest bit I think in 1/2".

3/4".

Thanks, I'll just stick with my 1/2" for now.

I took off tomorrow so the goal is to drill a new hole in front of the control arm mount, enlarge the smaller holes & get all of those damn flakes out!
My Eastwood order isn't arriving until Monday so the interior of the frame should be totally dry by next Sat to apply the coating.

 

[Kanoe]

This is my rust prevention method for the winter. Driving the wife's cavalier as a commuter. Lot cheaper on gas too. Can't wait to get the 4runner out again!

 

[Scramble]

Last Sat I attempted to drill a 1/2" drain hole in front of the DS control arm mount. I started with a 1/8" bit & then a 3/8" bit but the 1/2" bit was too dull. So I have a 3/8" drain hole & I'm very happy to say that there was plenty of steel to drill through. I was a little worried that if it was rotted inside that I would have pushed through too easily. So my frame is still solid! :thumb:

On Sat I rinsed the hell out of the frame rails from front to back & back to front & all of the small rust flakes came out.
On Sunday I was able to get most the big rust flakes out of the big square drain hole by the front doors. I was able to wrap double sided tape around the tip of 3/8" plastic electrical conduit entering from the rail sides to help push & pick up the big flakes. My index & middle fingers on both hands have nice little slices in them from pushing razor like flakes towards drain holes. I think it would be better to put band-aids on your finger tips before pushing these little shards around.:hatsoff:

My Eastwood internal frame coater came & hopefully I can apply the stuff this coming Sat but I have the fix an exhaust leak between the headers & cat first because it's throwing a CEL now & my inspection is up on the last day of March.

 

[Scramble]

All of those brown chips in the center is what came out of the front square DS drain hole. They didn't come out with water, they had to be pushed/pulled out with my fingers. You can get your pinky in the square drain hole.

 

[Scramble]

These came in the mail.:target:

 

[Yoder68]

On my old 3rd gen I used compressed air to blow the flakes out the back where possible and a shop vac wih a reducer on the end of the hose with a piece of pvc hose small enough to fit through the rectangular holes to suck up the rest. I also had a piece of copper pipe with an angle for getting in there.

Not the most fun job ever, but I got it as clean as I could. Also, my shop vac has never forgiven me for running it with the suction side so restricted... the motor screams like a banshee now, but it still works...

 

[Scramble]

On my old 3rd gen I used compressed air to blow the flakes out the back where possible and a shop vac wih a reducer on the end of the hose with a piece of pvc hose small enough to fit through the rectangular holes to suck up the rest. I also had a piece of copper pipe with an angle for getting in there.

Not the most fun job ever, but I got it as clean as I could. Also, my shop vac has never forgiven me for running it with the suction side so restricted... the motor screams like a banshee now, but it still works...

Haha, I have an old shop vac in the basement. I'm gonna try that, if it dies...so be it.

 

[andrewck]

What's best way to protect a roof rack from rusting? I'm seeing some topical rust on mine right now that I've brushed/cleaned off.

 

[Scramble]

I haven't had much time to work on the the truck because it's been raining every weekend & in between the drops I had to work on my lawn tractor & pressure washer.

Here's a few pics of the larger rust chips I got out with 1" wide magnetic strips.

 

[Scramble]

1" magnetic strips..

 

[Scramble]

The strips come on a roll & I fed it into the frame from the rectangle holes on the sides of the frame.

 

[Scramble]

You have to pull out the strips slowly or the flakes fall off back into the frame.

 

[Scramble]

I was surprised how many flakes were still in the frame after rinsing it out with water a few weekends in a row.

 

[Scramble]

I watch every car show on TV & saw the body guys using these step bits so I though I'd give them a try.

 

[Scramble]

They make quick work out of the frame & I hit the holes with some general purpose black paint for now. The next step is to hit the inside of the frame with the Eastwood Internal Frame Coating when the temps & humidity are good outside.