Is This Too Rusty to Be Saved? (1 Viewer)

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Richmond
I've had this truck for about four months now, and was wondering if my rear axle is still able to be saved. The front axle and frame rails are significantly less rusty, however the rear has me worried. I've been planning to take it up to Iron Pig and have them do an under carriage treatment, but I'm still in the process of saving up
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. Any help or advice is appreciated!
 
Definitely salvageable! That’s not too bad. A weekend to pull the axle out, wire wheel it, hit it with rust converter, then rust paint, and then coat with fluid film is what I would do.
 
That looks ugly but not structural, to my eye. It's just going to be work to get it squared away so the cancer stops. But it will look real nice when you are done. Carry on, sir.
 
I've had this truck for about four months now, and was wondering if my rear axle is still able to be saved. The front axle and frame rails are significantly less rusty, however the rear has me worried. I've been planning to take it up to Iron Pig and have them do an under carriage treatment, but I'm still in the process of saving upView attachment 2792377View attachment 2792378View attachment 2792379View attachment 2792380View attachment 2792381. Any help or advice is appreciated!
I've seen worse.

The folks on the left coast are going to tell you to run away.

You can do as @JunkCrzr89 says above, or you can pick up a spare housing/assembly from a part-out, rework it at your leisure, then swap it out when you can. Plan for a few broken bolts, but do as much as you can before you tear into it.
 
Lance is great, and advised me when I talked to him about doing my 100 that if I was able to get under there and wire wheel it all and clean it up myself, it'd save a good bit of money.
 
Plan for a few broken bolts
^^ This. I'm regretting not using heat on every single bolt due to the rust. Couple rounds of PB soaking for days and then 20-30 seconds of MAP gas on every bolt and I would have avoided most, if not all, breaks that I am now dealing with.

I also agree the rust is manageable. You'll be surprised how solid everything is once you start chipping away the flakes and wire-wheeling/sanding.

A cheap needle-scaler from Harbor Freight is also well worth the investment for the initial round of de-scaling.
 
Needle scaler than spray it hard with fluid film Wool wax or bar and chain oil etc. I now prefer wool wax but you can get a million opinions on what works best. Don't use anything rubberized and stick with the stuff that shows you aren't concealing things in case you ever want to sell.

That truck is cleaner than most that are on the road in the northeast.

Or you can just spray the Sh$t out of it with fluid film and wool wax and probably get the same result of rust prevention without the needle scaler. Just make sure to get good spray an volume within the boxed frame. Probably not as ideal but if you are pressed for time before winter I bet you can get away with it. Just make sure to make applications annually and you will pretty much suspend any rust progression

Good luck
John
 
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Thanks everyone for the quick help!

Definitely salvageable! That’s not too bad. A weekend to pull the axle out, wire wheel it, hit it with rust converter, then rust paint, and then coat with fluid film is what I would do.

^^ This. I'm regretting not using heat on every single bolt due to the rust. Couple rounds of PB soaking for days and then 20-30 seconds of MAP gas on every bolt and I would have avoided most, if not all, breaks that I am now dealing with.

I also agree the rust is manageable. You'll be surprised how solid everything is once you start chipping away the flakes and wire-wheeling/sanding.

A cheap needle-scaler from Harbor Freight is also well worth the investment for the initial round of de-scaling.

Needle scaler than spray it hard with fluid film Wool wax or bar and chain oil etc. I now prefer wool wax but you can get a million opinions on what works best. Don't use anything rubberized and stick with the stuff that shows you aren't concealing things in case you ever want to sell.

That truck is cleaner than most that are on the road in the northeast.

Or you can just spray the Sh$t out of it with fluid film and wool wax and probably get the same result of rust prevention without the needle scaler. Just make sure to get good spray an volume within the boxed frame. Probably not as ideal but if you are pressed for time before winter I bet you can get away with it. Just make sure to make applications annually and you will pretty much suspend any rust progression

Good luck
John

Unfortunately, I don't have access to an air compressor so I can't use a needle scaler. I go to college in another city than where I originally live, and I'll be doing this job in a friend's garage. How difficult would it be to remove the axle housing from underneath? Can I remove the brake lines, sway bar, panhard, etc and work at it that way?

Thanks again!
 
don’t touch it
spend 5 bucks at a wand car wash
let it dry
buy a can of fluid film


if your asking if this axle “can be saved”

i’ll add that you should not spray the fluid film on or into your brakes

or run with scissors
 
Not like expected when I read the post title. Minor rust would be a good description and can be addressed with work. Several Saturdays should get it done.
 
This is what I had sent to my kids dorm to touch up the cruisers undercarriage glaze. Don’t need a compressor. Have you applied it yet @Skipics4237 ?

https://www.woolwaxusa.com/Woolwax®-Spray-Can-Undercoating-Kits-Strawclear-or-Black-You-choose-4-can-6-can-or-12-can-_p_33.html

Probably not as important in Bozeman as Maine
(IH8MUD is a discount code on that site)
 
Second the needle scaler and Woolwax. If you spray Woolwax directly over rust that could be flaked off, the rust can still creep underneath. You really need to get it to a surface that has no room for air between that and the Woolwax.
 
Not like expected when I read the post title. Minor rust would be a good description and can be addressed with work. Several Saturdays should get it done.

Agreed. Definitely not bad at all in some locales. In the rust belt that would be considered 'pristine'. I am a 'rust snob' living in Texas where we pretty much have to import rust if you want any....but even I don't see any trouble at all addressing that axle and undercarriage.
 
It well clean up. Just need to put in the time.
I would agree removing the axle and associated parts for a repaint would be the best approach.
 
seen way worse. definitely should be able to save
 
That looks about like mine was. I hit the axle with the sandblaster and repainted with no problem. I have those same rust areas on mine and I'm pretty sure mine lived in VA it's whole life. My quarters were rusted out and I fixed those but like most said that's not terrible.
 
I would call that a 3.5 out of 10 on the rust-o-meter. Not too bad.

If looks matter to you, you'll want to pull the axle, swaybar, suspension arms, etc. Physically remove the scale and surface rust and re-paint.

If looks don't matter to you and you just want to keep the thing serviceable and on the road into the future, you can just fluid film/woolwax/chainsaw lube/ATF ( lol) every autumn from here on out.
 

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