Rust?

I fixed for you.

You can threat any area you can get to that is true. But you can not treat one area that you can not get to with truck assembled. Thats the problem.
And last time I checked frames come painted, its a crappy paint, sorry ass excuse for paint job but its there.
Brushing with grease on the outside does not protect inside the frame , inside the welds (which is were frame rusts) thats the problem. Toyota developed some crazy wand that sprays inside the frame to combat that it it still does not work.

 

If you live in an area with rough winters and lots of salt, you really should undercoat all of your vehicles.

 

no Dana doesn't make anything for Tacoma or Tundra

frames are made by
Metalsa, SA de CV

 

Having grown up in the northeast (road salt/ treatment country) with frequent trips to the coastal areas (wife's family is from obx) and being stationed along the ocean while in the Nacy, here's my 2 cents.
Ya simply cannot stop rust, you can only hope to slow the process down. After 16 years of trying different techniques and products here is what I have determined works best for me.
1) buy a vehicle with ample time to perform the following prior to the first exposure to a rust trigger (e.g. winter road saltings or beach trip)
2) Remove the skid plate bolts and replace with the class 10.9/ grade 8 hardened SS bolts (applying a light coat of anti-seize so the skids can all be easily removed when needed later in life). I also remove all the pot metal mud flap, and front and rear bumper cover screws and coat with anti-seize and reapply)
3) spray the entire frame interior with eastwood internal frame coating (messy but this is critical to preventing the frame from rotting from the inside out in my opinion)
4) put two coats of POR-15 rust preventative coating on all welds of the entire frame exterior (this product finish is nearly identical to the factory dipped E-Coat). POR-15 the entire inside surface of all fenders (remove the fender liners on the vehicle and reinstall when done). This isn't needed on vehicles whos fenders are aluminum or plastic obviously since these materials do not rust)
5) Re-Apply POR-15 as needed to trouble areas as soon as they become (infrequent if done when first buying vehicle)
5a) remove the windshield garnish and POR-15 this entire trough area (water typically sits in here for extended periods of time and most vehicles are welded/ stamped together in this area, often time rust is here on a vehicle, it's just not visible until it creeps and eats through something that is and by that time it's too late. stop that before it starts.
5b) I remove the tailgate, or hatch interior cover and POR-15 anything internal that could rust (welded seams etc) that aren't used drainage paths. I typically rub a light coat of fluid film on the entire surface before reinstalling the cover).
5c) on pick up truck with metal bumpers I fluid film or POR-15 the underside/inside of them to keep them from rusting from the inside out (if made of steel)
6) Once a year before winter, rinse off the undercarriage real good,let air dry, then apply a thin coat of fluid film to all underbody connections, bolts, nuts, exposed threads, alignment bolts, UCA bolts, kdss 5mm allen wrench equilizing bolts) to prevent rust seizure and allow easy maintenance/ disassembly later in vehicle life. I've also learned on toyotas the spare tire carrier mechanish is a good thing to coat with fluid flim aerosol when new). (I also remove the spare and put clear plastidip on it to protect it from the elements while being stored under the vehicle year round)
7) Throughout the winter months (anytime the weather is going to be above freezing for 2-3 days I spray the entire undercarriage off (not with high pressure as I want to minimize washing away the fluid film) or upon return from any trip where I'm actually camping or driving on the sand near the ocean.
8) Lastly, I've learned to look at the hardlines for the transmission and power steering. Sometimes these are low on the vehicle and have a tendancy to rust away (espcially connection points like one below the radiator on the 4Runner for the transmission cooler lines to the radiator). This assessment needs performed on a per vehicle basis. I have also learned that when I have skids off for the bolt replacement, I POR-15 those black when new. this prevents rust from forming in the first place. I also coat any surfaces with black POR-15 I can see while walking around the vehicle from a distance (like the LCA's, rear shock mounts, rear diff/ axle housing etc...) because I hate looking at rust even if the exterior paint is perfect.
9) My next vehicle I will also remove all the wheels and apply some POR-15 caliper paint to the rotor center portions (to prevent rust seizure to the wheel flange surface or hub surface). When I have the rotors off, I also coat up the caliper piston seals with some rubber grease to prevent piston seizure (this is typically only common if the vehicle is allowed to sit for an extended period of time after being driven in a salty environment).

I hope this helps some people. It's certainly some time investment up front (typically a weekend) when ya first take delivery of a vehicle, but after that it's not too bad... really takes 2-3 hours twice a year thereafter to maintain it outside of normal washing and rinsing off.

Good luck to everyone.

 

Amazing post. Thank you! Any suggestions on step Bars that hold up in salt areas?

 

Everything you say is true. Paint works in areas it can be repaired but under the car it gets abused and almost never noticed until it is too late. The idea is to use an insulator with the same flow characteristics as water for areas you can't get to with grease..or nearly. That's not fluid film. I know there are different levels of expectations and I have relatives in Mass and NH.....but it is nothing like the area we live as the snow melts by noon most of the time. It freezes here all the time and salt is applied at a much more alarming rate. I can only tell you this my good man. It works better then any known method but is owner dependent ..it is as close to fool proof as you can get because oil and grease are such good insulators.

 

Well...I have to disagree. You can stop rust for decades, any area you can apply oil or grease they are such good insulators.....it has to be done yearly because by their very nature, they wash away eventually. But, that's what gives oil it's great flow characteristics. In an area with dirt, like water, it will migrate to areas of lesser concentration and flow somewhat better. Now don't expect it to coat the whole car, but it gives you a distinct advantage in very tight areas. CARS DONOT have to rust !!,!

 

with all due respect, I can appreciate the work you put into your trucks and this dissertation but.....
Sounds like a lot of unnecessary work using expensive commercially made products that can be easily duplicated with grease and biodegradable oils. Non of what you use has the flow characteristics of motor oil so none will penetrate crevices as well. Water amd salt water must be displaced......Oh, what you do will work but not because of POR or FF but becasue of the workmanship you so well describe. For example, Floor board rust is caused by salt water off boots from the interior. You can only arrest that with a thin layer of painted on grease covered with wax paper. Rust actually starts at the bottom through water and salt infiltration from the tops of structures. You attack it the same way. These are non electrolytes that work.

The engineer and car restoration and antique car owners who showed me how rust starts know how to attack it, can rust prevent some of their cars with a simple oil can....because the location of prime areas are known so well in some unibody cars.

Trucks do require much more work.....but it is no where near as tedious or expensive to get 20 rust free years out of a truck in central Maine......rust haven of the world.

 

i installed this on my 2014. time will tell. http://www.ruststop.net/electronic-rust-protection/

 

Have read about these devices and theoretically....it should work. Body people still recommend the usual methods. I would not just assume it works without regular inspections though. If one reads the entire advertisement, it rightfully states that it works best with traditional methods employed as well. So, if one is depending on this apparatus to do all the rust prevention, they might take note.

 

Welcome to a Toyota frame truck they rust.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-strength_low-alloy_steel

So, here is an article on high strength steel which Toyota has touted as being integral in the frame and body panels. It seems, that high strength steel has mechanical properties that make it more Corosion resistant. We know that there are components in a car whose fasteners are often made of hardened steel for added strength, especially around the steering, suspension and braking system and these fasteners found in automotive parts stores tend to last longer then the softer steel nuts and bolts found in hardware stores. So it seems to me, Toyota is addressing the corrosion problem in both the frame and body panels. High strength steel frames should last a few weeks longer.

 

Lol a few weeks longer that's it.

 

I spray old motor oil on frames1-2 times a year. it's free and it works just as good if not better then any of the off the shelf stuff.

 

How do you spray old motor oil? With a conventional hand pump or pressurized setup?

 

I've done it with a cheap hand pump from Home Depot. I use a compressor and gun now, much better spray.

 

I do that to plus wd40

 

Used motor oil has been used for maybe as far back as 60 years according to anecdotal posts in other forums that I've read.

 

It's just available to the snow belt line or way northern states nothing around here.

 

Never mind I think you said we can get it at Home Depot or Lowes and do it yourself.