Rust advice

Hey y’all- I just purchased a 2010 Taco- double cab , long bed, 4x4. It’s the SR5 package. It’s got a great engine very strong with only 180,000 miles on it and has got a new frame on there installed by Toyota. However it does have some very critical rust spots. I’ll be driving to the mid west from California for Work and will be a resident there for about 3yrs. Anywho - check out these pictures. I need advice on treating rust on my vehicle because I must make it last me about 8-9 years- god willing. She was an east coast truck before I bought her in California. The salt did some damage. Rear axle was previously coated.

 

Spray it with CRC, FluidFilm , or any of the like.
Then fix it as it leaks or breaks.

I live in Tennessee. Pictures like that scare me.
Other guys wouldn’t think twice about it.

 

The rear axle looks like someone just spray painted over top of the rust.. If it were mine I would clean it off the best I could (pressure washer) and wire brush all the loose stuff you can, and then rattle can everything you got cleaned.

 

O Boy! She’s got some rust alright.

 

That looks on a scale of 1-10, a dead 1. That’s bad stuff regardless of a new frame. Now granted some of it is on some thick cast parts but the blistering of some of the fluid lines and whatever that crusty mess is on what looks to be a body panel, would worry me. Like take it back to the dealer if they offer a return period level of worry. There isn’t a reason to own a rusty pos in California where there are rust free vehicles. If your stuck with it then your stuck with it. But it’s not going to last you 10 years unless you do some damn serious remediation asap.

Like is this your floor pan/underbody?


what I’m guessing happened is prior owner either traded in and Toyota replaced frame and called it good just to get it back out the door, or prior owner was a cheap ass who just wanted frame replaced and none of the other parts, then later traded it in.

 

No that’s actually under the rear door panel right at the edge as you step in to sit down. Yep- it is bad case. I have to get it prepared to roll out. Rear axle is solid- knocked on it with a ball peen hammer. I realize this is going to take some work.

 

Thank for the help and knowledge. I’ll post up day pics if I need anymore help.

 

It's pretty bad in places for sure.

A wire wheel (or 4), a torch, some good paint, and a lot of patience will fix this to be in great condition. I would drop the front diff, pull the rear axle, give them both a good wire wheeling or sand blasting, and some good paint. For the body stuff, just wire wheel it down and paint. When the holes come, cut the area out and weld in some plate. For the brakes, I would just replace the calipers. They might be siezed anyway. Pull the spindles and give them a good wheel and paint. Some of the brackets and stuff, I'd just wait until they eventually break off and fix them then. Done a few on my truck.

The biggest pain is just going to be any bolts that are siezed and break off. If you can weld nuts on to the broken ones, that helps. But if you have a proper torch (like oxy acetylene) and get them proper hot before you break them, they will usually come out eventually with some patience. Luckily you have a new frame, so a lot of the main bolts will be newer.

I've dealt with my fair share of rust on my own truck, and some customer's trucks.

Sucks to do, but once it's all got a nice coat of paint, it feels pretty good!

Edit: never siezed EVERYTHING. Every bolt you take out unless it need loctite. Take out all the main bolts you can and never siezed them too. But especially any little bolts you get out. They break so easy. I have a lot of zapstraps in places there used to be a small bracket cuz I haven't fixed them yet

 

I just did my entire frame with Eastwood’s Platinum rust encapsulator paint then I coated with Woolwax. Scrape /Wire wheel as much rust as you can then use Eastwood’s Paint Prep, wipe off then paint.

 

↑ That's some serious fucking determination