Rust proofing 2003 Tacoma

Hi all,

What are the best ways of rust proofing my Tacoma’s frame? I think that I’m going to fluid film coat it. Are there any better methods for rustproofing the crap outta frame?

Matt

 

Ff the frame and everything else except the exhaust, brake calipers...do that 1-2x per year and you should be good

 

Be sure to wire brush and paint it before fluid filming. May as well clean up any rust thats already there first. You can protect your drums and calipers with some caliper paint too. I would invest in some crappy tarps to park the truck over, a good respirator, and some clothes you dont care about, or a painters suit. Fluid film is some nasty stuff. Expect some drips when your done too.

 

I agree with the wire brush if you have a really bad area. But I would not paint it, just ff right over the rust to prevent it from getting worse. Unless you are sandblasting 100% of the rust scale off and degreasing before painting you will create and air gap between the metal and paint which will continue to promote rust. Ff over fresh paint that is not properly applied will defeat the purpose.

Or using a rust converting primer might work, but I've still seen most rattlecan versions not work 100%.

Standard mask and goggles is all I use when applying, using a compressor and ff gun.

Good luck

 

yes, fluid film is a good option. Remeber to rustproof your frame both inside and out.

If you use spray cans, use this 360 wand to do the inside and hard to reach areas:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluid-Film...h=item4af273b12a:g:w-UAAOSwNRdX88Q-:rk:2:pf:0

 

When I first got my truck (2004 TRD) from South Carolina, I wire brushed and painted all the welds I could see that were a little rusted. Used eastwood rust converter. Then covered all those areas with Rust bullet (paint brush) then deposited 4 cans of eastwood green phosphate inside frame coating. After that was all dry, fluid film . Re apply each year in the fall.

Been pretty good so far in terms of not rusting.

 

Move to Arizona, lol

The "best" way is to do a frame off resto, and dip your frame.

But most people do what they can with the fluid film and hope for the best.

 

The key is to do it every year. Some (including Toyota "undercoating program") do one time treatment and call it done once for all. That it not how you fight the rust. It is a constant battle and there is no way of "undoing" the rust. Any time rust advances it never goes back. So the only way to not lose that war (there is no "win" here, the best you can do is "not losing") is to fight it and be alerted every year.

The way I do it is pressure wash the frame inside and outside with hot water and soap then lest it dry for a day. Then generously fluid film it inside and outside.

I pay special attention to the frame bend above the front shackle. When I stick pressure washer wand in there there is a lot of mud coming out. I pressure wash it till I get clean clear water from that spot. I think there is a design flaw in the frame over there. This bend is the lowest spot with no drain hole and tires are throwing a lot of dist and mud inside the frame through drain holes in front and opening above the rear tire. This is why these frames rust from the inside at that spot the most.

At the same time when I fluid film the frame I spray other parts like inside bumpers, body and bed mounting bolts, suspension parts, differentials propeller shafts etc. - basically any exposed bare metal gets a dose of fluid film.

Doing that I keep my fingers crossed that I will be able to keep my truck in the same shape as it came from Golden State.

 

I just started looking into this and ran across Krown protective spray. You can buy it by the can or depending on where you live shops offer a service to completely spay your vehicle. It's environmentally safe and contains no toxins. Costs around $150 for our size trucks if you have a shop spray it. @RysiuM is right is saying the key is to do it every year!

https://youtu.be/WgvL40QefZ0

 

Ouch, that would hurt. But after that no more little unwanted Tacomas

 

Any protective rust spray or liquid for oxidation on the paint?
Some areas of the roof on my truck's clear coat has faded and getting worse over time.
Some of the extreme areas even look like it's faded down to the metal causing surface rust

 

Had Krown done for $140 last year. This time I ordered several cans of Corrosion X & HD....did the whole truck heavy with 2 cans

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/

You can use a coupon code too and they have the best price

 

I don't think that's faded paint as much as worn paint. Paint isn't magical anti-everything. Sand and dirt in the air is constantly, well, sand blasting it. Waxing helps slow the fading but older paint is just gonna wear down over time on leading edges.

"I'm Earl Scheib, and I'll paint any car, any color for $19.95. No ups, no extras."

 

Maybe I'll just rub sunscreen on there that'll do it!

 

That stuff looks legit! i'm gonna get some

 

People always suggest fluid film because that’s what everyone else does. There are plenty of better products out there especially in aviation that would work a ton better.

 

I pulled my bed, ground out any rust and treated/painted everything from the cab back with the POR system. I used Eastwood spray on rust converter for any surface rust anywhere else and used the 360* spray Eastwood rust encapsulator inside the frame. I topped it all off with Fluid Film inside and out that I plan to respray every year. Turned out good and I feel good about no rust issues going forward. I just look over everything when I have it on the lift for service and touch up as needed. So far almost a year after doing the above it still looks great. Did the same thing to a friend's Tacoma after welding in 2 Saf-T-Cap patches and a new shock mount and results have been good.

 

What are they? I use Fluid Film not because other used, but based on what I read and how it is used (heavy marine applications): ocean water is quite close to winter chemicals used on roads. In aviation the rust problem is in aluminum parts, not steel and mostly because of aging, not chemical rains, but I am open to options. Have any suggestions?

 

Corrosion X was mentioned earlier and that worked extremely well for my father who is an A&P mechanic with 30+ years of experience. Although we used it on aluminum I’m not sure if that matters or not. Another one that I know works insanely well is black bear par-al-ketone. My father was a seaplane mechanic so he knew his stuff when it came to corrosion resistance. If you’re worried I would grind the frame down with meticulous prep work and por15 it. Then get a cavity sprayer like Eastwood for everything you can’t see. Then cover it with one of the above corrosion inhibitors and you won’t have any trouble at all if you wash it every few weeks or so. I just moved to Alaska from louisana so I’m about to do the same process myself.

 

This past summer I scraped, cleaned, etched and POR15 coated the exterior of my frame.