Rust prevention in non rust states

Not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here as clearly this is minor.

However, My truck saw rain maybe 5x, and has only spent 2 nights outside of my garage. Short of the Sahara it’s in just about the driest climate known to man (northern California away from water). It is 1 year old and has 8600 miles on it.

It seems like some of the hardware is starting to rust.

The bolt from the steering knuckle …
A arm bolt
Subframe mount
Rear shock mount/bolt

Any tips on what to apply here to prevent this from getting worse ?

 

rattle can of Fluid Film

 

Woolwax

 

Cosmoline

 

You need to use a giant industrial size barrel of Don't-Sweatzit.

 

Don't move to the Northeast if that amount of rust worries you!

 

Part it out it's done.

 

The part that troubles me is the fact that this thing is completely not exposed to the elements and yet here we are.

 

What do you mean "not exposed to the elements"? Of course it is. Rust gets such a bad rap and in your case it is actually a good thing. Rust is basically a protective oxide layer that prevents further corrosion underneath it. Your rust is on shit underneath your truck that is supposed to Rust.

 

Yeah I am glad they started making Tacomas out of COR-TEN, it was a shocking decision (if not an extreme response to the frame rust issues) - but really eases my mind about their long journey on the boat from their craftsmen in Japan.

 

Definitely not a big deal your making , it’s reasonable. I use stabil rust neutralizer/stopper

 

I used white vinegar … and wd 40. They both worked pretty decent to remove most of it.

 

I live in a pretty dry area and the vehicle is garaged 363/365 days of the year. It’s about as protected as it can be from things like this.
This is what the rest of the truck looks like… as it should. This seems to be specific to the metals used in those parts of the truck. They are clearly of inferior quality when it comes to rust resistance

 

I WOULD NOT worry about that rust! If it really bothers you that much you could do fluid film but it's probably a waste of money. Those parts pretty much rust regardless. It's not the frame but from what I remember are just cast iron parts

 

You do realize that the unpainted parts right? Surface rust happens on any unpainted iron surface wherever you may be in the world, nothing to worry about. Heck don't drive the truck a week and you'll have a little bit of surface rust on the rotors too.

 

Nice truck….I’d let that ride.

 

Look, your truck is exposed to the atmosphere 24/7 whether you choose to believe it or not. Unless you have this thing hermetically sealed and have never driven it, then it is exposed to the moisture in the air just like you are! Again, this rust is your freaking friend!

 

The stuff you are worried about is untreated, raw cast iron, and raw untreated steel... It is going to rust, no matter what. if you dont like it to look that way, you need to treat it with a corrosion protector. Ski

 

Like everyone else is saying the rust is just on exposed cast surfaces. That surface rust won’t do anything to the integrity of part. Any humidity in the air or if those parts get the first splash of rain water, then the surfaces start to rust. It’s not inferior metal. This happens for any make manufacturer for cast parts.

You can wire wheel or brush the rusted exposed threads on the bolts and use a little fluid film or similar if you want. It would probably make future removal a little easier.

 

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