Fighting Rust

Coming up on a year of ownership on my 2021 OR, and some rust seems to have started spring up, more in the rear than the front. (Photos from front to back.)

Plan: remove (wire wheel & brush), treat with rust neutralizer, and finally jump on the fluid film or wool wax train.

Anything I’m missing? Better ideas?

 

Yes, Black Fluid film after you wire brush and spray paint.

 

Nope that’s a solid plan just stay on top of it each spring and fall.

 

Pay attention to where the AC condenser drains onto the frame. I spray that a few times a year. I should do the hose clamp mod…. But it’s just easier to spray it every oil change.

 

That was actually one of the things I was scoping out while crawling underneath. May do it tonight…just need to grab some hose.

 

Use the straw on the fluid film to get inside the frame rails, you'll need to remove the rubber plugs to do this. Also do the same with the little holes in your wheel arches. Fellow '21 OR living in alberta chiming in, 4 winters so far and its looking good. I find cosmoline works well on external metal as its thicker & stays on longer, FF for the inside/tough to reach spots as its thinner and "creeps" better.


Also buy a cheap painters coverall with a hood and some eye protection.... ask me how I know.

 

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Maybe it's just that I am getting older and stuff just does not bother me like it used to. But I would not sweat that level of rust at all personally. And a good bit of it is on exposed surfaces that are kind of supposed to rust. But I guess there is no harm in spending the money and effort to keep it looking factory fresh down there.

 

How bad was the mess? Is this a "park on a tarp in the garage" kind of job, or a "do this in the driveway" kind of job?

 

Its just surface rust, you can sandpaper it or wire brush it then prepare it and paint it over but do not use any rubberized paint.

Or, you can get fluid film/woolwax and spray that, it will slow down rust

 

Rust Mort, brush away.

 

Not as bad as I thought, I had some cardboard down which worked well. Driveway & cardboard will work well.

 

I do FF every fall on my 2019 and I have no rust.