Opinion on tackling this surface rust

I finally bought a 2003 Doublecab 4x4 after looking for months to find the one I wanted. This will be my fourth Toyota truck (91 xtra cab 4x4, 85 pickup, 97 xtra cab tacoma). I live in central New York and bought this truck in Georgia. I will be picking it up from my parents house in January and then driving it back up. I want to give it some protection against/take care of any existing rust before I bring it back up to here. The frame is solid, but there is some surface rust in places.

I read the wonderfully compiled list of all the rust threads this morning and have decided to follow these instruction: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/application-of-fluid-film.229505/

My main question is how to tackle the surface rust on the rear axle and any other spots? It seems pretty simple: wire brush, paint, protect.

The fuel tank skid plate is also rusted in half and I am having a hard time finding an OEM replacement.

And because I'm sure people are wondering: 1 previous owner, 115K miles, new timing belt and water pump.

Thanks!

 

Welcome and congrats on the nice truck!
You are very wise in going ahead and addressing the rust that often plagues these trucks, especially before you take it up north. And just like you said, wire brush it and painting it is really the best thing you can do for the rust. A lot of people love POR-15 and it may be a great candidate for that axle as it already has some rust pitting for the paint to adhere to. I dont yet have any experience with it (maybe somebody more experienced can chime in) but it seems great and is recommended for rusty surfaces.

On a side note, do you know how the frame was previously treated? I find it incredible how good it looks compared to the gas tank cover. You also may want to check the inside of your frame rails because the if only the outside was treated then it can still be rusting from the inside out and you'll never know until its too late.

 

Yeah, I'll be meticulously inspecting the inner frame and treating it no matter what I find. I have looked at so many 2003 double cabs in the past while searching for the right truck and while they look great inside the cab, they have so much rust its sad. I looked at one that seemed perfect until I discovered the hole behind the gas pedal the seller was trying to hide.

 

Fluid Film is a great spray-on product for yearly application (aka, not a one time thing). Many people both POR and Fluid Film. no amount of protection is too much.

 

I hope that this is my only winter in NY. I have had my 97 for ten years and hope to get 10 years of of this one. I plan to fluid film/spray off the undercarriage this winter and then treat again in the spring once we are done with snow. It looks like this truck might have had the factory service done to the frame during the recall years, but I'm still waiting to hear back from Toyota about that. It's the cleanest one I've found, and I almost hate to bring it up here, but so is life.

 

Does this mean frame was replaced (look at 5/23/12)?

 

yeah looks like it. previous entries indicate a perforation was found. and given how nice your current frame looks (especially compared to the gas tank cover) i'd say you're on frame #2

 

Answered my own question and now I have zero regrets for buying this truck. Anyone in central New York want a 97 xtracab 4x4 with 160K miles?

 

Nice. New frame gets lots of new parts too.

You could drop the axle and sandblash it

 

I was already happy with the truck, but new frame brought this to a whole different level.

 

Wire brush and fluid film that bitch. Oh and awesome find

 

I'd take the opportunity to put an aftermarket skid plate on the fuel tank. I gotta think it would cost competitive with a new OEM and probably less rusty then junk yard ones.

 

I'm going to order the fluid film kit, and then brush, protect, and paint the rear diff, and fluid film the whole thing when I'm down south, and then every spring and fall forever. I need to find a new skid plate for the gas tank. I would like OEM but i'm not having much luck. I'll go ahead and fix it while I'm in Georgia as well.

 

I ised por15, love the stuff!

 

For the rear diff? Can you tell me about the process. I will only be in Georgia for a couple days and then driving back up north.

 

You won't find OEM skid plates (at least not new-ish). Occasionally, you can find one on eBay, but they are usually pretty rough. Might have some luck with a salvage yard, but expect more rust.

I looked around for aftermarket and most of them out there have goofy logos and names laser cut into them. Few folks sell the basic coverage. If you find one without some kid's idea of a "cool" company name cut into them, let me know!

Hit that rear axle quick - rotary wire brush / anti rust sauce / repeat. Then prime with a rust reformer and paint with chassis paint.

Also, get a power washer nozzle inside the inspection ports of your frame and get out any accumulated interior oxidation. Then hit with the sauce.

 

Hit it very gently with a wire wheel, the metal is very thin then puu several layers of por15 and then a top coat. May need a garage to let it dry

 

Great looking truck; the new frame is a solid bonus. The shocks must have been replaced too. Those blue shocks are not stock on that TRD model.

 

Bilstein's apparently, I can only guess done when the frame was replaced. The truck wasn't built for off road, nor was it modified at all. I knew it was a good truck when I saw the ad, but when I ran the VIN on the Toyota site I realized it was even nicer than expected.

 

A POR 15 alternative is available at monstaliner.com.

But either one (both are rust encapsulators) are what you want for the diff and the brake backing plates.

Agree with others on Fluid film for frame and an aftermarket skid for the tank.

Looks like a great find!