Rusty Differential/Axel Housing

[mdominic]

The outside of the whole thing is very rusty. I live in NYC and the winters are bad on the bottom of the truck.

There are no leaks on the outside and I just had all of the seals, bearings and what goes with that done.

My mechanic tells me not to worry about the rust, but I do. I'd like to clean it up.

Beyond just taking a wire brush to it, what can I apply to it or do to it to prevent further rusting?

 

[krenaud33]

Por15?

 

[mdominic]

Does anyone else have a method to "restore" the rear housing?

 

[JohnMc]

You do need to worry about it. On many cars, the rear part of the diff would be a sheetmetal cover bolted over the diff, easy to replace if it rusted through. But its lighter sheetmetal welded to the heavier diff housing on a 4Runner/Taco. It will eventually rust through and start leaking diff oil.

Restoration is removal of rust (manual labor) and repainting (POR will probably last longer).

We angle grinder/wire wheeled the new elocker axle that went under my wife's '96, made easier by it being out and stripped down off all brake lines and shocks and suspension arms. It's still pretty awkward, lots of notches and nooks and crannies.

Under the car the part you probably need to worry about the most is that rear cover, the rest of it is pretty thick metal.

 

[mdominic]

You do need to worry about it. On many cars, the rear part of the diff would be a sheetmetal cover bolted over the diff, easy to replace if it rusted through. But its lighter sheetmetal welded to the heavier diff housing on a 4Runner/Taco. It will eventually rust through and start leaking diff oil.

Restoration is removal of rust (manual labor) and repainting (POR will probably last longer).

We angle grinder/wire wheeled the new elocker axle that went under my wife's '96, made easier by it being out and stripped down off all brake lines and shocks and suspension arms. It's still pretty awkward, lots of notches and nooks and crannies.

Under the car the part you probably need to worry about the most is that rear cover, the rest of it is pretty thick metal.

Do you mean the rear diff cover?

Once I wire brush it down I will paint it with POR 15.

 

[Irhmsd]

My rust was pretty light but I cleaned it up and painted with POR15

 

[nissanh]

Use oxalic acid solution to remove the rust, no need to brush. Wash all out and then paint. Many video's on youtube
corroded iron complexes with Fe3+ ion and it comes off from the metal.