Rust removal

This is a northern truck. I don't need 50 people from out west telling me their 20 year old truck looks show room. Please.

Traded in on a 2015 access cab that didn't look bad at all on the frame when doing the swap. Truck passed inspection with flying colors at my mechanic. I asked him for his honest opiniom on it as well. He said to address the scale forming between the frame sections.

No sign of rot or rust next to the sections near the catalytic converts. Used a camera, and hammer and checked, no peeling or rust to be seen. Solid. So like my mechanic said, I've been doing some clean up of rust here and there before I do fluid film treatment. I'll probably be using this truck for work for a few years before I upgrade it to a Tundra.

Just trying to gather some ideas for getting in between the frame sections. I have rust remover called Must for Rust and a bottle of Rust Kutter recommended by repair geek. Both have been excellent on removing the surface rust on the welds and the rear axle. Thinking of spraying this between the frame sections like 4 or so coats.

Any idea how to get in there with abrasion? Wire brush?

Thanks for the help

Few photos for the idea. One with the red circle is the rust I'm referring to.

 

Flood it with something like “Fluid Film” and call it a day.

 

Clean it with a wire brush

use Corroseal to convert the rust

wool wax every year to keep the frame protected / move south or west

 

Moved to Florida last year. Over crowded and no work. Wish it would have worked out

 

Good advice above. Fluid film will convert some rust but not all. It will though stop all oxidation for months. Corraseal works excellent. I’ve used it on bulldozers. Needle gun works wonders for removing any loose crap but they’re spendy. I got this cheapo Harbor Freight sand blaster bucket with a sprayer and nozzles for quick work on paint bubbles and what not.
They got mediums there too. I use this one
Depending on your air setup, it does a decent job. Wear goggles and a mask. That shit blows everywhere

 

Harbor Freight sells a workable air needle scaler, and that plus a wire brush will get it as clean as it's gonna get. I did a ton of work on my frame a few years back, including dealing with the same issue you have here.

After using said needle scaler and a lot of wire wheel, I zinc etched, rinsed it out, and let it dry before hosing as much Amsoil HDMP into the crevices as I could. HDMP goes on thin and creeps, then dries to a fairly tough waxy surface. A couple days of letting the HDMP dry and I applied WoolWax to the whole frame, taking special care to fill up the frame folds.

Three years later in the worst Salt Hell in the CONUS and the corrosion is firmly under control with yearly touch ups on the WW.

 

I honestly would not worry about that. Wash it down to clean out any loose rust or dirt from the laminated area, let it dry, and hose it down with Fluid Film.

Biggest thing is to keep up with FF applications at least once a year

 

Speaking as one who has lived in the heart of the rust belt for my whole life, that frame looks awesome for a 2015! I'll agree with others that have said to remove the surface rust by various means before applying something to stop future corrosion. I will offer one modifier to the process though. Do not remove any more paint from the frame than you absolutely have to. As bad as the factory finish is, it's generally better than anything you'll apply in a driveway.

Once you do remove the loose corrosion, follow it up with a liquid rust neutralizer, then let everything fully dry. Follow this up with one of the many oil-based corrosion inhibitors like Fluid Film, Woolwax, etc. What you want is a product that creeps into the laminated sections of the frame to prevent corrosion. After that, it's just maintenance of whatever coating you applied.

 

@Kbar's approach is the most thorough one, IMO.

If you do go to that extreme, make sure to seal off holes and cavities where you don't want the blasting media to go. It goes EVERYWHERE, and you don't want to fill up any frame members with any of it. You will get bare metal, with a satin finish, and no trace of rust if you persevere. Then you will have the perfect starting point to applying primer, topcoat, and a choice of any of the FF type of products.

That will easily get you all the way to your planned Tundra and also get you better sale price when you are ready to make the switch.

Good luck!

 

I can tell you that its in amazing shape, any rust proofing is a good idea. But 100% you dont have to worry about any of the rust.

The recall addressed all the seams that have rust build up with a wax that abosbs moisture, but it wasnt completed in time for your truck.