I need to be education on rust and how to protect against it.

Hello all.

I have a 2000 Tacoma that had one owner before me, and when I purchased it 2 years ago it had seemingly lived more of its life in a garage than my previous 2000. However I only have street parking, and even more unfortunately have to drive on Utah winter roads with all the salt.

I'm trying to invest in keeping the truck on the road for many more years. And keeping rust down seems like it may be a priority in that, and I could use some help and ideas. Any information on how to best protect against rust moving forward and what to look out for will be greatly appreciated.

A few of the questions I have to start:

1. Should I take some time to get under the truck and sand away any of the current rust and/or flaky corrosive spots? Where can/should I do this, and where should I not?

2. What sort of sprays and/or treatments should I use to help inhibit rust? Where can/should I do this, and where should I not?

3. How can I protect the body from corrosion, especially the picture corner of the tailgate below? I don't necessarily need to repair it now, but I'd like to keep it

4. Looking at the pictures, is there anything that stands out as bad? Is there any area of the truck youd like to see to get a better idea of the condition?

5. Is the rust on the pictured shock mount something to worry about? Are these known to ever break?

Thanks a bunch for the help

 

Super pressure wash the frame, let it dry. Fluid Film or equivalent.

 

Those shock mounts and leaf spring hangars look worrisome to me...but I don't have any experience with rust so take my opinion with a grain of salt (don't let it touch your truck though).

It looks like it's been painted over? Or previously coated a long time ago?

 

Here is the textbook for your education

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rust-prevention-treatment-consolidation-thread.355928/

 

Thanks. Frame only, or can I do mounts and other non moving parts?

Thats what I was worried about. I'm going to clean the frame and post some more pics. Any more input on those mounts from others would be great!

 

Oooh, thanks a bunch. I'll get reading that

 

If it were me I'd want a trusted/reputable shop to look at those areas, you might be able to get them reinforced before they rot away any further and it becomes more of a replacement conversation.

 

For replacement pieces and reinforcement parts, AutoRust.com sells them for our trucks

https://www.autorust.com/product-category/toyota/tacoma-xtracab-4wd/

 

If your having some one look your paying make sure they have worked on Tacoma`s or for the most it is wasted money

 

Use that rustoleum spray. That good good. Worked for me

 

I was planning on posting about rust as well, I have some surface rust and thinking I need to treat it. Sounds like fluid film is good for prevention but whats good for treating rust already there?

I saw this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rust-prevention-treatment-consolidation-thread.355928/
but there is just so much info to sort through, without really knowing what has been good for people too

 

what part of the country are you located?

some are liking the POR-15 product

 

Right now I'm in san diego, but I do drive to the mountains a handful of times a year for snowboarding and of course some snow wheeling. I think I only went twice last year and started seeing that rust.

I will be moving north eventually so I do want to know how to prep the truck and nip this rust in the bud if I can right away.

Thanks GG7227, are people putting that on the frame then? So use POR-15 instead of fluid film all together? Looks like mostly people are using it on body stuff. It isn't UV resistant so do you need to paint over it too?

A bit pricey but totally worth it if it does what people are claiming. How much of each ingredient is needed, gallon of each if doing all the metal parts? i.e. frame rails, cross member, any exposed metal I can get to with the brush?

 

i do think POR-15 requires a top coat to block UV radiation, there are possibly other products out there that do not need a topcoat, there are so many products!
I wasn't aware that CA has a big rust issue unless the frame paint had been damaged and/or peeled off already

is this the only spot in your pics you have isolated to have a problem?

 

this looks like it had/still has the thin rubbery undercoat like mine had when new
was this truck parked in a heated garage before you got it?

 

Yea I got my truck in arizona a few years ago so there's really no rust on it, and I've always heard people talking about rust being a problem on these trucks so I keep an eye on it.

It's up in the mountain resorts like big bear or mammoth where they salt the roads that I probably picked it up. At least being under the truck, hopefully won't get hit by a lot of UV but those side frame rails above my rear tires are exposed.

There are a couple other small spots underneath the truck with minimal rusting. I just noticed it started recently so I really want to treat this ASAP before it gets worse. I like you can brush this stuff on (I don't have a sprayer), I'm now thinking I'll get this stuff, unbolt the bed, do the whole frame then.

Bump for anyone else with good results with this stuff?

 

the worse problem area i have found so far on mine was by the cat where it stays hot and cooks it during the winter
if yours isnt real bad and just mild surface stuff it can probably be removed fairly easily with a wire brush , i have used the eastwood afterblast zinc phosphate acid wash to make sure the metal is all clean of contaminants before priming but have noticed the stuff affects any good surrounding paint by discoloring it, turns it silvery

 

I used "etching primer" on a corner of the body near one of the taillights the guy at the auto store said was amazing to prevent rust because I was getting a little bit. I sanded it down to the metal, cleaned and applied the primer but now that spot is rusting through too so more paranoid about what people consider to be "good".

Seems like good reviews and feedback on that POR15, definitely have to just top coat it on the spots that get exposed to sun (like the spots of rust on my frame near the tire). Think I'm gonna get the kit, just have to figure out quantity, gonna call'em on monday. Thanks!

 

Rust Bullet.

$54 RUST BULLET Automotive - Metallic Gray - 1 Quart - Rust Inhibitor & Protective Coating for Cars, Trucks, & Metal Surfaces, UV Resistant, No Topcoat Needed

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Bullet-Automotive-Inhibitor-Metallic/dp/B0002P3IJ8