Rust behind license plate

[Bonin]

Hey guys,

I had a 2011 SR5 for 2 years and it developped rust blobs around the rear license plate mouting holes. I had bought one of those cheap license plate frame so I thought it might have caused it. I now own a 2013 SR5 and after 4 months it is starting to develop the same rust, probably from the salt accumulating in that area. I have just the plate mounted, no frame this time.

Anybody else has that problem, and potentialy a fix to it besides removing the plate every couple of months to remove the rust before it penerates the paint/screw holes?

 

[adam2562]

try using a plastic frame instead of metal.. and instead of the metal tag rubbing too

 

[Bonin]

try using a plastic frame instead of metal.. and instead of the metal tag rubbing too

I should have mentionned that the frame I had was plastic.

 

[eddiebx]

It's not the kind of frame you use that makes it rust...what you need to do is space the plate slightly away from the body (where it bolts down). I don't have pictures, but what I did was put a rubber washer (~3/4" diameter x 1/4" thick) on each bolt before threading it into the tailgate. This way you don't have any metal to metal contact.

Also I placed a wide strip of rubber foam along the back side of the bottom edge of the license plate so the bottom portion does not end up hitting the tailgate either. I'm talking about this kind of rubber foam:

I've have pretty decent luck with this but I do take the plate off once a year to clean behind it. In between, I just pressure wash it real good and it seems to blow out most of the trapped dirt (since there's a small air gap between the plate and the body).

 

[simplemind]

It's not the kind of frame you use that makes it rust...what you need to do is space the plate slightly away from the body (where it bolts down). I don't have pictures, but what I did was put a rubber washer (~3/4" diameter x 1/4" thick) on each bolt before threading it into the tailgate. This way you don't have any metal to metal contact.

Also I placed a wide strip of rubber foam along the back side of the bottom edge of the license plate so the bottom portion does not end up hitting the tailgate either. I'm talking about this kind of rubber foam:

I've have pretty decent luck with this but I do take the plate off once a year to clean behind it. In between, I just pressure wash it real good and it seems to blow out most of the trapped dirt (since there's a small air gap between the plate and the body).

Good idea, and FWIW, when I traded my 2010 last week neither the salesman, the transport guy or me could get the old plate off. Evidently there was something going on back there with the screws that I really don't want to know about. I'm thinking either silicon grease or nylon screws/bolts for the attachment. Plus spacing away from the body as you aptly suggested.

 

[RubiconSS]

I use the round felt adhesive pads used for furniture feet, have always padded the plate away from the paint. Toyotas are not "Super- Non-Human".... IF bare metal gets exposed to salt etc. it's going to rust.
Tough to do but..... regular cleaning is the answer.
IF one is lucky enough to have a garage with a drain.

Hook a lawn sprinler up to your hose bib (again, if lucky enough to have one in your garage. Stick it under your rig and let it pressure wash your underside washing away salt and road grime every week.
I do that and wash my 4runner (if its 9* out my garage gets close to 32* inside) but most of the winter I can keep it cleaned off.
Makes a difference.

 

[jrandom]

It's not the kind of frame you use that makes it rust...what you need to do is space the plate slightly away from the body (where it bolts down). I don't have pictures, but what I did was put a rubber washer (~3/4" diameter x 1/4" thick) on each bolt before threading it into the tailgate. This way you don't have any metal to metal contact.

I do the same thing anywhere I bolt something on that can have metal to metal contact and vibrates.