How to protect against rust in the shock mounts bracket areas

Check your rear shock bracket POCKETS for rust by removing the spare tire before it’s too late.


So I’m one of those owners who has had little to no rust on my truck, frame.

A few days ago I decided to do a good frame cleaning.

I lowered the spare tire to get up and personal with the shock areas.

Well low and behold the passenger shock bracket and area was full of surface rust.

Oddly enough it was just this one section. Drivers side was clean.

So I studied as why.

Well after inspecting it closely I see what’s going on.

The shock mounting bracket is welded to the frame on 3 of the 4 sides and
on the downhill slope.

So what we have is a large pocket that is created that has NO drainage, no draining holes.

So essentially water can full this section up, dirt, sand also that will turn into mud.
Bingo you get rust no matter where you live.

Now I know why 90 percent of the rust starts here in the passenger rear frame section.

I wire brushed all the rust off except inside the shock bracket pocket, because you can’t get in there.

I used the Eastman rust encapsulating spray and the Eastman black paint to seal everything up.

But how is everyone addressing the inside of the shock pocket that’s impossible to sand or get to?

I did spay as much encapsulating spray as possible and paint too.

But I know it probably didn’t get everything and who knows how much dirt or mud is in there.

I guess I will use the por15 with a 360 spay for now and do that every 6 months.

Any other ideas besides just filling the pocket up with axle grease?

 

Fluid film once a year.

 

I was thinking of that, is it an oil base product?
Were it will settle into the dirt or mud or whatever is in that pocket?

 

did you have to remove the shock(s) to get to that (you have a small leveling kit installed?), I am trying to picture this so I know where to check, I am needing to get some stuff sand blasted and powdercoated back there if I can remove them easily ongoing project

do you spray/hose this area down relentlessly during the winters?

 

Its essentially hair grease from sheep, so yes its oil based. It will creep down through mud and paint to the base metal. Apply liberally at least once a year.

 

how easy does that stuff wash off with hosing down in the winters?
i have not ever tried that stuff but will see for myself this coming winter!
... i am a madman at the subfreezing car wash and go crazy until my knuckles are frostbit
do you have to remove the bed once a year to get to certain spots? i just hose it off where I can but some spots are quite hard (or impossible) to reach

 

It’s easier to lower the spare tire to see these locations.
The problem areas are the shock mount areas on either side but definitely
the passenger side because there is a large pocket with no drain hole that slopes down and that’s where the problem starts.
Neither side has a drain hole for these pockets.

I usually use the car wash with the under frame wash but the spare tire blocks the back frame section from getting total rinsed

 

I wouldnt see any issue with drilling a small 3/16" or so hole to act as a drain, it will also serve as a place to spray fluid film up into the area from.

 

x2
That actually was my next step

 

i was just out checking that before the darkness falls, i have no idea how you get up under back there easily to do much of anything (without bed removal), do you get your truck up on a lift to get to those hard to reach spots?

 

You can do it easily if you remove the spare tire and jack the back end up

 

Is the 360 spray head reusable or it needs to be cleaned some how after use?