Front Clip Rust Spot...Bad or Not So Bad (1 Viewer)

[Orange Hat]

Ok 80 lovers, I'm hoping I don't have an issue here. I just recently pulled the rear axle out from under the truck and did a full rebuild (bearings, brakes, bushings, springs, shocks, etc) which included a good clean up, Corroseal, and paint. Most of what was cleaned up was surface rust on the axle, frame, and bumper, nothing bad or cancerous looking. Thinking the front would look just as good or better, I wasn't expecting to see this when I pulled the front bumper off...

I'm gonna go ahead and pull the control arms to get new OEM bushings installed before new springs and shocks go in but this spot continues to stare at me...do I have a structural problem here that needs to be addressed??? As an FYI, I am going to install an ARB winch bumper so this spot makes me all the more nervous.

 

[Heckraiser]

That spot has nothing to do with your ARB bumper, so no worries there.

It's the radiator support frame, which is not really structural, but by the looks of it, it will get worse over time. It's a bolt-in body part, so you can source a new one from a junkyard or part out and replace the whole thing if you wish.

 

[Kernal]

Seems like more rust than one would expect to find on a vehicle from Texas. Do you know where the vehicle spent most of it's life; rust-belt US, close to salt water, or??

 

[Grandlooser]

Mine was completely gone in that exact spot. I do fabrication all the time and once I cut all the s*** out of the way it was a real headscratcher to figure a way to repair it in a way that was sufficient. I ended up asking in classifieds here for a new radiator support and a great member got one off to me within a day for a good price. Really glad I didn't bother trying to fix it. However doing the replacement will put you in a major "while I'm in there" position.

I can tell you however that if you could see the internal structure, yours is in no way weakened by that rust. I had a hole and crust 6 inches to either side and it was still very structural. There is like 5 layers of steel in there. I just wanted to know that I could remove the bolt in the future if need be. I all but guarantee your bolt will not come out.

 

[Orange Hat]

Thanks for the support guys (no pun intended)! Ok, I'm feeling better about this now. As for now, I'll get the front end finished up and enjoy it for a bit while I hunt down the radiator support frame...anyone have one available for sale or know a good source??

It has spent most of its life down south with the previous owners but it did spend a little bit of time up north in Chicago. I knew that going into it and after more than 4 yrs of ownership, I've only broke one bolt (rear sway bar) so it hasn't been all that bad...that's what surprised me about this spot. Something that really scratches my itch though is taking things apart, cleaning/painting, and putting back together with new hardware so for me, another thing to add to the list.