Rust Prevention/Treatment Consolidation Thread

Just had my first winter with Fluid Film and it's held up well, just noticed that it did wear away around the wheel well areas. Guess it does come off easily.

 

if i can prove that CorrosionX HD sprayed in the high-splash areas in the wheel wells will not allow moisture/salt slop through and flash rust metal
from what i have going on currently in a test spot it looks to withstand some direct water blasts with the garden hose and even a bit at the diy powerwand wash
it would seem hardcore stuff to stick but on the difficult side to remove, so probably slightly hazardous

https://www.corrosionx.com/products/corrosionx-heavy-duty

 

do ANY of these numerous topic thread links contain internal frame pics on the 1st gen taco
i would like to compare the pics I am pulling out of mine to compare and see how bad or good it is and how to move forward with whats going on, ... trying to make some sense of it all
i tried the compressed air hose in there yesterday in one section with a camera to see whats loose and needs to come out of there

 

Found a local guy that sprays used motor oil/cut with a little kerosene so it thins out for spray gun. I asked him what he recommended he said come back two more times. Then it builds up a nice layer of film. Then monitor from there. Used oil is key. Side note there was a 98 s10 there pa all its life. Flawless frame, not one spec of rust. Wish I learned of this sooner. Cheers!

 

Sounds like a recipe for a Molotov-Taco.

 

I work as a Corrosion Control tech rep for Navy/Marine Corps aircraft. We use a lot of the materials that OP listed out here.
One key to preventing corrosion is understanding how it works. It's an electro-chemical process requiring 4 basic elements. An anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and a conductive path for electron flow.
Given our frames our an alloy, there is a mix of metals in there (anode and cathode). The electrolyte comes in the form of rinse water/wash solutions/rain and snow + salts on the road that pool up in places or are allowed to remain on the surface of the frame and hardware. Given the "painted" surface of the frame is thin and probably not very flexible, cracks in that coating are bound to happen.
I know the general public uses name brand items, but the MIL-SPECS in the attached manual can be translated into commercial off the shelf products that the everyday person can find and purchase. Just google the MIL-SPEC and a commercial product will most likely pop up. The manual (tables in section 8) gives characteristics for each MIL-SPEC. Some will last longer than others and all are dependent on environmental conditions your truck lives in. May help you make a more informed choice on what materials you choose to apply to your truck frame. ‍

PS The attached website links to an open source document so there is no issue with classification.

http://everyspec.com/USN/NAVAIR/NAVAIR_01-1A-509-2_CHG-1_31MAR2010_51497/

 

Try Flex Shield Spray, the water sealant. It sprays on easily and gives a good thick coat that is durable. On my 2017 Black Taco, I used it to cover spots of paint spillage or other discoloration. It held up to a metal toolbox sliding around on it so I know it is tough. Leaves a rubberized surface. If it will stop leaks it should seal underbody metal.

 

I have a 2 week old 2021 Tacoma. Should I take preventive measures and spray the underside, recommended product that you have experience with?

 

I would if you live in a rust state.

 

If you live in a state that has winter and "salts" the road, then I'd say you should.

Recommended to use a wax or oil based solution, NOT rubberized. Usually Fluid Film or a Woolwax coating is recommended, with touch ups at least once a year in the fall.

 

Absolutely and fluid film is Great but if you’re in Canada just go to a Krown shop and have it sprayed

 

This paragraph on page #112 sums up our Tacoma frame rust problems:"Studies conducted by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command show that the life cycle costs of rustproofing, rust damage, and repair are greater than the potential costs of designing a vehicle to avoid corrosion without supplementary rustproofing agents."

 

I guess all I have to do is read every article in Glen's bibliography. By the time I am done I will be 90 and my '21 TRD will still be high and dry in the garage without a spot of rust!

That looks like many man-hours of wisdom. Someone should get Gutenberg to print it

 

I just came out of my first winter on my new truck. I did Fluid Film pretty heavy back in early November before we had snow. I am pretty happy with the outcome, there is still a substantial coating in most places I sprayed, and no rust issues of note. I live in a salt-heavy state and we had a fairly hard winter.

I sprayed with a compressor from a 1 gallon can. I think I used a bit over 1/2 gallon total. I plan to hit it again this fall for extra protection.

 

Yep, do it every fall. I now use about 1/3 gal every fall

 

Do you offroad? How clean do you have to have the under carriage before reapplying?

 

Just use a pressure washer if you have a lot of dirt or mud, I have a cheap 1700psi washer and it works fine. Let it dry a few days.
If it’s not really dirty don’t bother.

 

x2 for Krown. I remove my spare when I take it in to get sprayed. Going forward, I will also be removing the splash guard under the engine when I take it in. Just makes it possible for them to get access to more spots to coat more metal.

 

This is an awesome thread. Thanks OP for all the work it took to compile all of that.

May I ask, before my '22 Tacoma arrives, is anyone aware of rust-related failure issues or "trouble spots" on body panels of the 3rd gen Tacoma?

The reason I ask that is, I live in South Dakota, where literally every car on the road has rust underneath. My trusty '11 Xterra that I bought new has surface rust all over the underside, which we view as no big deal here but someone living in LA might be horrified by it. I fully expect my truck to develop surface rust underneath, but if there are specific areas that could compromise the frame or body panels, I'd love to know which spots to look out for.

 

If you take the necessary steps, you won't get surface rust. I painted my underside when I got it new 11+ years ago and have had it sprayed each year by Krown. In between, theres been a little rust that I have cleaned up and repainted. Truck has spent its whole life in Canada. Don't know anything about 3rd Gens, but this approach isn't vehicle specific.