Finally Got a Tacoma And I Need Your Help!

What's a good grease to use? Or better yet, what properties should we look for in a good protective grease/oil?

 

Yeah, removing the bed makes it easier and allows you a better access to the frame, allowing you to to do a better job removing rust. The bed is not to hard to remove, just four bolts, thena few friends or neighbors to put it aside

Any grease that will not completely dry over time. If you want to do it yourself, Fluid film is a perfect candidate for this. It never dries and isn't sticky and messy after being applied. Use this with a 360° spray wand to do the inside of the frame and you're good to go. Of course, you must rustproof your truck every one or two years, depending on the treatment, to keep maximum protection against rust.

An oldshool trick is to use used engine oil (NO brake oil/fluid, as it attracts and absorbs moisture) or tractor grease.

But grease is a better choice because it will not drip off and is less messy

 

Welcome to TW!

Looks like your 2003 is nearly identical to my 2002 except for the year and mileage! As I am also from MN, my truck's frame looked even worse (meaning: not a speck of black paint was left that I could find) but I had it welded and it has since held up great! No body shop would do it due to insurance reasons, but my private guy was more than happy to assist! Check out my build, it has detailed pictures of where the frame was welded. I'm assuming your's was/is rusting in the same locations as mine.

 

Just found this stuff...

https://www.amazon.com/Corroseal-Water-Based-Rust-Converter/dp/B00RYRJGXO

Might be worth looking into if you're gonna tackle the job yourself.

 

Thanks everyone for your input!