RUST treatment, repair, converter, inhibitor

Alright guys i'm up in Ohio with all these salty roads.

Give me your go-to rust inhibitors, treatments, chems, converters.

So far my standard practice is surface prep (wire brush/sand) Ospho phosphoric acid to convert and neutralize the oxide reaction, and LPS no.3 inhibitor for mechanical components or paint for surface metal. (those pipe clamps where caked when i pulled them off and i was amazed at how much core metal was still left)

I have seen a bunch of what look like gimmick spray coatings that (stop rust and seal metal) but i really dont feel like coating rust is a real solution. I also cannot dip my whole truck in acid sooo......

 

I vouch for the ospho as well. Sometimes you need to apply multiple coats if everything doesn't turn black.

 

Ive seen people straight up just start painting the frame and such with ospho to stop the progression. Im wary of the acid screwing up plastics, rubbers, paint etc. Its so thin is just runs, i wonder if there's a thicker version.

 

Corroseal is a similar product that I quite like.

 

I have been looking into this product for a spell now
It's hard to get... Always seems to be out of stock

https://nomorerust.com/store/metal-...ts/10-mastercoat-metal-prep-rust-remover.html

I believe it just goes on and does not readily drip
Adheres to vertical surfaces

 

Ok ive started to see some stuff come up like this

$43 Custom Shop Barrier Bond - No-Drip Undercoating, 1 Gallon, Premium Rust Inhibitor, Rust Prevention Coating, Undercoating for Vehicles

https://www.amazon.com/Barrier-Bond...&keywords=rust+coating&qid=1726368032&sr=8-36

And i do recall seeing it irl, it looks like you sprayed everything down with WD40 but it stays for awhile. Im kind of leaning into it for a last resort pre-winter PM.

 

Naval Jelly is thick, contains phosphoric acid.

 

I recommend hitting the entire undercarriage with Fluid Film, even inside the frame. keep it away from the brakes and any part of the exhaust system that gets excessively hot.

 

Fluid film?

 

yup, lanolin based penetrative rust inhibitor. Great product.

 

I am in South Dakota and we also have mag water, salt on the roads in the winter. All things that eat a Tacoma alive. This is what I do: I make sure my weep holes in the frame are not blocked up with stuff. I make sure the inside of the frame isn't full of dirt, mud, leaves or whatever that can hold moisture in. I have a borescope so I can look into the frame. I fashioned a small diameter tube to my shop vac (home made attachment) and clean out the inside of the frame of all the loose crap. Every year I spray the inside of the frame with fluid film. I use Eastwood rust converter on the outside of the frame. Knock down all loose stuff, wire wheel it if I have to and put a generous coating of that stuff on. Has worked fantastic over the last 11 years I have owned my Tacoma and driven in the bad weather.

 

I like Fluid film as well but its too thick sometimes and hard to get into tight spots. Also if I need to work on an area I've "filmed" its pretty disgusting to get all over you. I wash down my undercarriage with wd40 couple times a year. The wd40 collects road dust and creates a similar kind of film that not quite as snotty as Fluid film. I'm in Virginia though and we don't use so much salt here.

 

New Englander, here, who's had 2 first gens and a P/U rot out... On one of my early Tacos I sprayed WD40 underneath each year with a gallon sprayer. I rattlecanned rustoleum on the frame with every oil change. Still rotted.

For 8 years I've had a my '03 I treated with Waxoyl every third year. The truck was west coast so was perfect. Under the waxoyl its still perfect. It's an amazing product. It goes on messy but dries after a month or two and does it's job. I recently took off the nerf step bars and the location on the frame where they mounted had surface rust, but no place else. There was no waxoyl in that location. You spray inside the frame rails with one product (they supply the correct wand) and do everything else else with a the hardwax product.

Here it is:

https://www.roversnorth.com/category/1820_waxoyl_corrosion_protection

 

Very cool, I may give it a try. Sounds like tough stuff.

 

Some awesome recommendations, ill update when i try some out. Before this winter im going to do some kind of undercoat.

 

Just be sure to not wait too long to start a treatment plan. Had to sell my 04 due to this. Sold it to a steel fabricator, who I showed the problem to and also where to get the repair plates.

 

Oh damn, I have a replaced frame thats is great condition but everything else is about that level of disintegrating.

 

I vouch for Ospho. I use it on my boat trailer and paint right over it.

 

Oh damn. My frame that has been in the PNW it's while life still has all the factory stickers everywhere on the frame, that is bonkers.

 

Theres so much salt here in Cleveland that the road turns white and you get buckshot rocks if someone's in front of you. Im from an island and the salt kills things here faster than pacific ocean spray.