Rust Pitting on Body Metal (1 Viewer)

[allfoden]

I have several areas on my truck body that have rust pitting but not to the point that the metal is rotted. Is it sufficient to clean these areas well and apply a rust killer, primer and light body filler or do I have to so further? Thanks

 

[Southeast Overland]

Depends on what you want your final work to look like. Is your truck only going to be a trail truck or showroom resto?

My Pig is a trail truck. Where I had light rust pitting I wire wheeled it all out, treated with an acid etch (rust killer) then a rust paint like POR15 and called it good. There was an irregular surface left but the trees and rocks will do worse.

 

[sls019]

My rear bed floor has some pitting also. would sanding and then covering with a spray-in bedliner material give good results for feeling in the pits? Or at least hiding them from view?

 

[DanS HJ-45]

I'd wire wheel them, THEN decide that they don't need replacement. If you've got pitting, I'd consider the metal gone, but that's me. Try to weld to it just once and you'll see why I say that. There's just not much strength left in it if it's pitted.

I also had some floor pans that were just pitted--until I wire wheeled them, and I discovered just how rusted out they actually were.

Just sayin....

If I wire wheeled it and it was OK though, I'd pretty much just do the acid etch and POR and call it good though.

Dan

 

[Michael Hanson]

Probably the back is worse. Mike

 

[Dieseler]

Generally you can get away with clean and fill on thicker meatl like the frame and bumper but thin gauge metal should be cut out and replaced unless this is a bush rig then go ahead and do it.