Rust Prevention

Been looking around for while for how I should go about preventing rust in my clean 140k mile 99 taco. The rust is minimal to none, I know it can get bad fast though with these trucks but I live in Idaho where we don’t have salty roads. I do plan to keep this thing for a long time though and I’m doing an axle swap as well as a fuel pump and gas tank swap before I put a Go Fast style camper on my rig. Figured it would be a good idea to hit the frame while I’m in there and I know people plate it up and stuff I just don’t know what completely that entails. Would I just use some primer and por15 after grinding it down to bare metal or would I even need all that since mines not bad? Thank you any help is appreciated

 

Sand, rust converter, light paint, Fluid film, LPS3 or woolwax. NO asphalt type undercoating.

 

I would not do Por15 on an aged frame. Unless you strip the frame bare, which is impossible attached to the truck, the crap will just crack and flake and trap moisture. It is a brittle paint, in the end. I used it on my '00. Pretreated just like they say and then a year later found it was cracking and holding moisture. Took 2 days to strip all that junk off.

Wayoyl is the best product I've used. I've put it on my truck for 8 years after buying from west coast (I'm new england). Frame is still like new. I treat everything underneath except exhaust and trans.

https://www.waxoyl-usa.com/

They have DIY kits for aerosol and for air compressors. I use my compressor. Make sure to use both products for outside frame and inside. They have an aerosol with a long 360 wand for inside frame rails.

When I go to the car wash water beads of the entire undercarriage.

I also hear good things about fluid film, but have never used it.

 

Just coat the frame in a lanolin based oil product like fluid film or wool wax. No value in sanding and painting. The oil is what keeps the water and salt out.

 

POR-15

 

Thanks for the help I appreciate it. With those oil based coating I will have to reapply tho, does that mean I have to clean it all of too? Also does dust and dirt stick to it like crazy because I do a lot of off-roading and need something that will make mud and dirt fall off the frame easier. Thanks again

 

That a good idea thanks, so do wash it all of and resorts it each year? Also does it help w dirt sticking to the frame too?

 

Yes eventually everything gets covered in a thin layer of dust/silt. If you want your frame to look clean, this will not help. You should reapply and most do prior to each winter. No need to wash it off prior to another application. Just keep building up the layers over the years lol.

But if you live in an area where you rarely see road salting or the ocean it’s not necessary to undercoat.

 

With Waxoyl, they say do touch ups ever couple years. I just recoat everything after 3 years. I should do it more often. No need to take it off---just respray over top. I don't do mudding, but I do drive a lot of gravel and dirt roads. I do not have crud sticking to it. I drive through fields often, and I do find the front skid plates and rear diff areas rub off after a year from brushing the underside.

When applied it's tacky for a couple weeks, but cures dry and flat black. It's sort of soft -- you can scrape it off with a finger nail. They say if you want to remove it, just hit it with a steamer and it will run off. The product for inside frame is clear/yellow-ish.

Pic included shows where I took off step bars a couple months ago. Surface rust under the step bar mount plate, but beyond that is coated. Very little dust or grime stuck to it. That's probably 2 years since last application. You'll see I've done the underside of the cab as well.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TRsD-fgt6h0&pp=ygUTI3ZpcmFqYXV0b3NlcnZpY2VzXw==

 

eric O changed to woolWax a bit later on for his personal Tundra IIRC

 

Thanks a lot man this light be what I’m looking for, my frame is damn clean so it’s not a huge issue but I know what happens to these trucks and if I’m going to have my bed off then why not. I go muddying sometimes, im always going down dusty roads, and I’m also always working on my truck, so a solution like fluid film is too wet and makes my frame too dirty

 

Best thing 2 do is rinse out the inner channels of the frame, keep the puny drain holes unobstructed, even enlarge the drain holes if u dare.


On the occasions I have encountered sketchy frames at the boneyard or other, I have stuck the finger in the access holes and wow there has been layers of packed dirt inside with nowhere to really drain out!

 

Sounds like this might be a better job for the summer, who knows maybe I’ll wait to pull the bed when I have more time because this is one of like five jobs I should be getting done while I’m in there. Thanks for the help!

 

Update.. still haven’t don’t much because other projects took place and now I’m going to box my frame up with some plates from KP off-road that I’ve some of you guys told me about on here recently. Now for the frame it does have minimal rust, but I know how bad it can get so I’m trying to figure out the best technique to make it last as long as possible when I’m done. I will include pictures of my frame, should I just be using a phosphorus solution to remove the rust or tear up the original paint and all bringing it to bare metal? What brands do you guys recommend for frame paint, heard good things about Eastwood and rust bullet. Was thinking about doing rust bullet metal prep and black shell before coating it all in Waxoyl at the end which I used in my rear axle a few months back and it’s held up great. Just don’t want to screw this up and I want to make sure I am removing all the rust for good. Any and all help I’d greatly appreciated

 

What would you replace the factory paint with? It’s better than most coatings available to the average person with a small budget.

 

Have you watched?

https://youtu.be/TABWPHutk-A?si=KzuhTWeo1HoSC8Sx


I wish to try
Have yet to try
Hard to get this product, always seems on backorder delayed because of that geek video done a bit over a year ago

https://nomorerust.com/store/home/14-mastercoat-super-special-chassis-kit.html

 

Looking a heck of a lot better than my '02. Mine has been a west coast truck from day 1 (even assembled here), but just being parked outside within a couple miles of the ocean has taken its toll.

 

fellow potato from Meridian, fluid film. its easy, cheap, and you get most dust and debris come without removing it completely. I just did my truck. couldn't feel better about my decision. just let it settle for 2 weeks or so and it wont pick up too much.

 

Sand/ wire wheel any surface rust. Paint. Fluid film inside and out once a year.