Movin' east- truck considerations? (1 Viewer)

[ridgerunner]

This is perhaps a strange question, but next month I'm headed out to Vermont for school for a couple years.

Being a fairly low rust truck, are there any rust issues I should be aware of moving from Wyoming out east? The tailgate has a bit of rust, but otherwise I'm kinda paranoid about driving around in the northeast for two winters and watching the thing fall apart.

Truck's a 94 with about 200K on it.

Thanks!

 

[KLF]

I'm convinced there are only 2 ways you can keep it from rusting:

Method #1 (the best): don't drive it. In fact, don't even bring it here.

Method #2 (what I do): keep the underside of the truck liberally coated with cheap (but new) 90W gear oil.

I am in the process of a frame-off on my '87. I spent 2 days last week cleaning the frame which is now completely stripped. It took forever to pressure wash, oven cleaner, and SuperClean & scrub the oil goo off the frame. But on a majority of the frame, the factory paint is still shiny. I should take some pics, I was pretty surprised.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Look a the thread in Chit Chat section about the east coast 2000 4Runner with a completely rotted out frame. KLF's 1st suggestion sounds like the winner. Ride a bike, take the bus, buy a beater, but don't take your truck there if you envision using it for many years back in Wyoming.

 

[ridgerunner]

Yeesh. Not encouraging. One thing I love about my truck is that the underside is NOT covered in grease/oil. And that there's not much rust. Petroleum products are the devil.

Is this a year round issue? Is it just winter road salt? At best, the truck might be used for weekend trips but otherwise driven fairly seldom. Could cleaning the #$%^& out of the under body and giving it a coat of paint keep rust at bay for two winters of the rare Sunday drive? Is all lost?




(If I wanted an oily underside and rust, I'd just drive a FJ55. )

Thanks!

 

[Wayneraintree]

One suggestion: take a little bit O'$$$ and buy a local beater once you get there. A few years in PA and all of our cars have the cancer for life it seems

 

[6th Gear]

look into Fluid Film® | Corrosion Preventative, Lubricant and Rust Inhibitor
I got mine coated and this is good stuff. smells for the first week though.

 

[cjgoode]

Get wax oil mixture, many places sell it. Eastwood has one they call heavy duty anti rust.

Heavy Duty Anti Rust Quarts Black

You can get it in quart cans as well as spray cans, best thing is they have one that dries black. I got the quarts and a spray gun from them that also has some tubes to fish inside the frame and other places.

They use to sell the gun in this kit separately for pretty cheap.

Rustproofing and Undercoating System - Undercoating Frames - Rocker Panel Undercoating - Eastwood

It goes on like a thick oil, and dries like super hard wax with no smell. It works great on leaf springs since it is flexible.

 

[Weedhopper]

If you are going to drive it that little you should be ok. JUST DON'T DRIVE IT ON SLUSHY JUST PLOWED ROADS. CT and VT use basically the same chemicals to keep ice from sticking to the road. The plow guys spray the roads before a storm, especially bridges, and they spray during the storm while plowing. The next day the roads are plowed and the chemical is dry, leaving a white dry coating on the road that blows away with traffic.

My 01 Xterra hasbarely been out in a storm, 252K, but I drive it all Winter when the roads are dry. ZERO rust. My 78 Cruiser as well.

Walk, bumm a ride or stay home till the roads are dry and you will be fine.

 

[Bogo]

I spent 2 days last week cleaning the frame which is now completely stripped. It took forever to pressure wash, oven cleaner, and SuperClean & scrub the oil goo off the frame.

Dow scrubbing bubbles, let 'em work for you.

 

[Bogo]

They put the deicer down at the merest hint that it may be showy or icy. The chemicals must have been developed by the auto industry as they are massively harder on steel than plain salt is.

 

[cruiser88]

gear oil works.........dad did it for decades on his cruisers and I have been doing it for almost as long.