How to identify frame rust? (1 Viewer)

[FJ55partsBoise]

I have heard several of the regulars mention frame rust. I would think it would be obvious to see frame rust? Is it not obvious?

It would seem that if I live in the Western U.S. (Washington and Idaho) and have never seen frame rust... is it a salt issue or a East coast issue mainly?

My FJ40 is from Eastern Washington since new and has zero rust anywhere. Just trying to learn about where the frame rust usually appears?

Thanks. I am trying to help a friend find one back east.

 

[cajunfj40]

My cruiser came from Canada. The frame is rusted a little in the rear triangle cross braces. I went around the frame with a ballpeen hammer. I just tapped all around it looking for soft spots. I diddnt find anymore, just surface rust.

 

[yooper]

It's pretty obvious when you see bad frame rust. The steel actually starts to blister and flake off. You want to check for structural soundness. I use a screwdriver and hammer and just tap all over. I once put a screwdriver all the way through a rusty frame member of an FJ62 here in Upper Michigan. Didn't buy that one...

 

[lowtideride]

yulp def a east coast thing... my cruiser spent it s whole life in PA and it did one hell of a number on the frame and the body...while banging the hell out of a spring pin part of the frame fell out over the spring hanger... further away from the engine the worse it gets..so i have some work ahead of me cutting out the rust and welding new metal in...its kinda weird the begining of the frame looks perfect and the end looks like hell.. i guess its all the oil the engine throws around... anyway id check above the spring hangers.. thats the worst spots on my frame...good luck
-al

 

[brian]

[quote author=lowtideride link=board=1;threadid=13437;start=msg124425#msg124425 date=1079828831]
yulp def a east coast thing... my cruiser spent it s whole life in PA and it did one hell of a number on the frame and the body...
[/quote]

yeap, here in PA we spare no salt. they even salt when it rains....in the summer. even our creeks are salt water fisheries....

 

[IDave]

I remember staying in the Chicago suburbs one December a couple of years ago. We woke up one bright morning to see (what appeared to be from the 6th floor of our hotel) a fine white blanket covering the roads. "A skiff of snow!" we thought. Until we realized it was only on the roads. It was all salt, up to a 1/2 inch deep in the gutters. Forecasters had predicted snow, but neither had it materialized, nor had it even clouded up. Nonetheless, the salters were out in force all night. Wow, I say. We took pictures, we were so amazed!

 

[FJ55partsBoise]

Wow you have to be kidding. Salt on dry roads? WTF?