Why northern 4Runners are so prone to rust.

[fightman80]

BTW, here's some pics of my rig with the WD40 sprayed on all the body panel edges and chrome pieces:

And the undercarriage, caked with oil and grease:

Aside from the oil and WD40, I also give it a good coat of wax in the Spring and fall, and maybe one other application during the summer....I find that helps too! Also....touch up any rock chips you get....seal it up with paint...so rust doesn't have a chance to start!

Those are my methods.....works for my 14 year old truck!

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Fortunately this is only my second winter with the truck in the midwest, so not too much damage done. Two years here will probably do just as much damage as its 12 year life in Colorado did

My truck has been on the road since late '98 and it could be on the road in Colorado for 20 more years and I doubt you'll match the corrosion and rust you see in just a few years on the eastern side of the states.
We use Mag Chloride on the major roads here but it's easier to spray off than salt and doesn't seem as corrosive othewise it's sand and while sand beats up vehicles I'd take that over salt anyday. Humidity also does a number just on alot of metal parts under tyhe hood also.

No rust on anything major and the only visible orange I have is a little residue from the cheaper bolts or screws on the truck otherwise it's very clean underneath.

 

[Nelsonmd]

My truck has been on the road since late '98 and it could be on the road in Colorado for 20 more years and I doubt you'll match the corrosion and rust you see in just a few years on the eastern side of the states.
We use Mag Chloride on the major roads here but it's easier to spray off than salt and doesn't seem as corrosive othewise it's sand and while sand beats up vehicles I'd take that over salt anyday. Humidity also does a number just on alot of metal parts under tyhe hood also.

It's funny, I have read a bunch of claims that mag chloride is terrible for rust, mostly from truckers complaining that it destroys their rigs, but seeing pics like yours versus what I see here in New England, there is no chance that Mag Chloride is worse than salt, or even in the same league.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I also can't imagine spraying oil or grease on my undercarriage since think of the mess if you do any work underneath not to mention all the crap that sticks in the grease.
I'll stick to my drier climate.

Mag Chloride isn't great but since it is a liquid (and diluted down with other chemicals so it's not as corrosive) it doesn't get clumped up like salt does on parts plus within a few days after our snowfalls I take it to the car wash for a good spraydown including solid undercarriage soaking.

 

[Blanco]

My truck has been on the road since late '98 and it could be on the road in Colorado for 20 more years and I doubt you'll match the corrosion and rust you see in just a few years on the eastern side of the states.
We use Mag Chloride on the major roads here but it's easier to spray off than salt and doesn't seem as corrosive othewise it's sand and while sand beats up vehicles I'd take that over salt anyday. Humidity also does a number just on alot of metal parts under tyhe hood also.

No rust on anything major and the only visible orange I have is a little residue from the cheaper bolts or screws on the truck otherwise it's very clean underneath.

I am SO jealous of how clean the underside of your Runner is considering you live in a place where there is an actual 'Winter'! Nice : )

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Ok,just one more rub-in for the rustbelt residents. :hello:

 

[Nelsonmd]

Oh yeah? Well...

oh wait...

 

[SilverGs]

Hey Blanco, as a fellow Torontonian, I fully appreciate the crap we have to put our vehicles through.

I just got a 2005 SE V6 with 184K on it and as expected the majority of the undercarraige is orange.

I had it sprayed with por-15, or you can get an equivalent chemical formulation from Canadian Tire called Rust Killer that's essentially the same thing. Anyway it is a chemical that is sprayed on the undercarraige and it reacts with the rust and forms an inert layer on the metal. I then followed up with spraying a "wax" type of sealant on top.

I haven't taken pictures of it yet. I will as soon as spring rolls around so that you can see how it looks now.

I plan to keep this truck for a while, so I felt it was worth addressing this asap.

 

[Nelsonmd]

Hey Blanco, as a fellow Torontonian, I fully appreciate the crap we have to put our vehicles through.

I just got a 2005 SE V6 with 184K on it and as expected the majority of the undercarraige is orange.

I had it sprayed with por-15, or you can get an equivalent chemical formulation from Canadian Tire called Rust Killer that's essentially the same thing. Anyway it is a chemical that is sprayed on the undercarraige and it reacts with the rust and forms an inert layer on the metal. I then followed up with spraying a "wax" type of sealant on top.

I haven't taken pictures of it yet. I will as soon as spring rolls around so that you can see how it looks now.

I plan to keep this truck for a while, so I felt it was worth addressing this asap.

What do you mean you had it sprayed with POR-15? You would have to have it detail painted with POR-15 because you can't get it on any moving parts or fasteners that may ever need to be removed, and it requires some prep work, soa blanket coat wouldn't adhere.

And rust killer is very different than POR-15, rust killer is a rust converter, POR-15 is a paint that bonds to oxidation. They are both for treating rust, but they work differently. POR-15 seems to be better than rust converters.

 

[rickashay]

I live in an environment that uses salt on the roads in the winter, I believe the concentration isn't as high here in Southern Alberta as it is in Ontario but it still requires attention. I personally, could not go all winter without washing my vehicle, I'm OCD and would rather rinse, soap, and dry it to get rid of the salt on an overly regular basis. Also, on the warmer days when the snow and/or ice is melting I will let the truck get dirty. As soon as the weather front changes and heads below freezing again, I'll clean the truck. I can keep the truck relatively clean in the winter as long as I watch the forecast.

As per the undercarriage, I would HIGHLY recommend Fluid Film to anyone: Fluid Film® | Corrosion Preventative, Lubricant and Rust Inhibitor

It's primarily a processed wool-wax but also contains some petroleum products. I spray it on underneath at the start of winter and as long as I don't rinse the underside all winter, it will last for around 3-4 months. The good thing about this method is, it protects from rust in the winter but is mostly worn off come spring time, and then I have a non-greasy undercarriage to wrench on during wheeling season.

 

[HCurphy]

And the undercarriage, caked with oil and grease:

Those are my methods.....works for my 14 year old truck!

oh that makes me cringe. I understand why you do it...
I wish our runner and cars in general weren't cancerous to the environment.

 

[fightman80]

In a perfect world...I wouldn't have to do this...I actually would love to have a spotless undercarriage and engine bay....unfortunately, I can't! Not without parking the truck all winter....which I can't do right now!

My master plan....to buy a 2005 or Newer DCRB Taco, that I will mildly lift and throw some 33's on. Then, I'm graduating the 4Runner to Sunday Cruiser Status, and start the degreasing/restoring process on. I'm hoping to keep this rig, completely rebuild it and then pass it on one day....to my kids.

 

[Huskey]

Its been a while since I read this thread but loads of prgress....

On one I posted I use spry on cooking oil, this is only because its more viscouse (stickier) then most oils, and les messy then grease.

Also I'm super curious about what you guys mean by Mag chloride, I assume by this u mean magnesium chloride by this. As far as Vancouver BC is concerened, our rock salt is mostly calcium chloride, sodium chloride ,magnesium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, calcium bicarbonate and calcium sulphide (evaporated sea water). I'm not really too sure where my question is with this... but I'm unhappy you guys get pure "mag" chloride when we get the rest of the crap.