Should i be worried about rust starting on the hitch?

It's not too bad yet so I'm wondering if it's worth me stripping down what rust is forming and spraying it with something. The inner support looks fine but where it bolts to the bumper is a little iffy. Is this typical of our hitches?

I'm bringing it in to the dealership next week to have the frame undercoated per the warranty, i wonder if i took the hitch down to the bare metal if they would spray that too

 

i would hit that with a wire wheel and if the dealer doesn't paint over it, just grab a can of undercoat from home depot and do it yourself. i touch mine up every year

 

Thats what i was thinking. Do you prime it first or is the undercoat meant for bare metal

 

honestly i never prime it, i did it once and the paint came off a lot easier. i got the best results by wire brushing it nicely and then cleaning the metal with brake cleaner, dont use carb cleaner or anything that has a oily film. then just apply a thin coat of the spray, wait 5-15 min depending how hot it is in your area, second coat, let it dry and give it a final 3rd coat. also try to do it on a hot day with a day or two of hot days ahead so the paint can fully cure without rain hitting it. and then every year or so just do touch ups because the rocks from the road will chip away the paint and you will get small rust spots. thats how i keep my truck rust free.

 

I used a 3M wheel on a cordless drill, it looks like tough plastic sponge, it eats rust and flaky paint like crazy ... then I used brake cleaner, then flat black rust paint... a couple coats. Then hit it with Fluid Film a few days later when the paint has cured.

 

Wire wheel and prime with an etching primer. Then coat.

 

Anyone ever use POR-15? Im wondering how that holds up in terms of preventing rust from returning

 

POR-15 works great until sunlight hits it, then paint over it to protect it

I know many that have used it on mower decks

 

I noticed some starting to form on my 3 year old '15. Caught it before it became a mess.

Couple of coats of Rustoleum Rust Reformer followed by a couple of coats of Rustoleum gloss.

 

Does it need to be covered with any particular type of paint or can i just shoot some rustoleum on it

 

Looks sharp as hell. Did u sand down and scuff up the whole hitch before painting or just the rusted part

 

You may want to check the re-enforcement bar inside the bumper. Mine was completely eaten away.

 

Just the rusty parts. Really wasn't that much either. Mainly under the area around the safety chain loops.

Hitches have a tendency to rust. So I knew where it was headed. I made a preemptive strike before it got bad

 

I would recommend some sort of rust converter....like POR-15 or the Rustoleum Rust Reformer that I used. Then follow that with some high gloss enamel for better protection

 

Geez, thats totally corroded through

 

yeah, I just replaced the bar, and all the hardware as well. The hitch itself wasnt this bad, but it definitely had some areas that let go of some pretty large rust flakes. I dont currently have plans for towing anything, so im not too worried about it. Should i ever need to tow something, i will probably replace the whole receiver.

 

I also add that I put a layer of antiseize on the surfaces between the hitch and the bumper supports help prevent corrosion in addition to the paint. Plus it will make any future hitch removal easier.

The area behind the surface in the picture.



And while I had all the bolts out I applied antiseize to them as well.

 

Hows the paint job holding up now?

 

Looks great. Only been about 3 or 4 months though

 

I've used POR15 on two Tacomas now with good results. I just hit it with a wire wheel on my cordless drill or a 4" grinder for bigger jobs, degrease and brushed on the POR15.