Rusty lc100- (23 Viewers)

[Kabanstva]

Without cleaning and neutralizing the oxidation, you will be wasting your time and money. Do a little internet searching for the rust kill product that will work best for your budget and work area. Any type with an acid base will clean the metal, any "converter" type will stop the oxidation and neutralize the chemical reaction that causes the destruction. But... YOU NEED TO CLEAN and PREP the metal before anything else... Without seeing the rest of the truck, no one here can offer an opion that is worth the time to type. Only YOU can decide if the truck is worth putting in the effort to correct what has already occurred. Based on just the very limited picture of what you have presented, (IF THE ROCKERS, FLOOR, FRAME RAILS and LOWER QUARTER PANELS are not rotted away! Image 5 and 7 give me pause for concern) my first inspection would be to hit the frame with a pointed body hammer to see if it breaks through the frame. If the frame falls apart, no need to read further! I believe I see in image 5, a piece of flat stock has already been welded to facilitate some type of repair previously... image 7 appears to show a perforation of the side of the frame rail.

I would strip the underside of the truck entirely... exhaust, suspension, driveshaft, cross members, bumper covers and anything attached to the underside of the vehicle, (about 4 hours) needle gun the frame, vacuum out the frame rails after, air-blow the frame inner and outer, grind/sand the exposed oxidation (36 to 80 grit discs) spray the rust kill/converter of your choice (garden sprayer), brush it into the hard to reach places, let it set per product specifications, scuff pad, prime and paint. I would then Woolwax the complete inner frame and all exposed areas underneath to include the rockers and floor boards. BUT...

This is a great way to do it but unless it’s some special vehicle or has sentimental value to the owner it makes no sense to do this much work. I would just cut my losses, drive it as is or sell it and get a clean rust free vehicle. You CANT reverse 20-30 years of NJ salt damage by wire wheeling and spraying chemicals here and there. 100s are not that hard to find and the high mileage cars are not even expensive.

 

[haghyk]

This is a great way to do it but unless it’s some special vehicle or has sentimental value to the owner it makes no sense to do this much work. I would just cut my losses, drive it as is or sell it and get a clean rust free vehicle. You CANT reverse 20-30 years of NJ salt damage by wire wheeling and spraying chemicals here and there. 100s are not that hard to find and the high mileage cars are not even expensive.

Technically 4-5 years NJ then Georgia then Idaho and then ca since 2018

 

[Kabanstva]

Technically 4-5 years NJ then Georgia then Idaho and then ca since 2018

Regardless, based on what I’m seeing it’s a mess down there. Looks like a typical Chicago car that a dealer or someone else sprayed black crap all over the rust just to hide it before selling it to the next guy. See this stuff at every used car lot around here.

 

[whitec13]

I’ll be honest in one of your pics there is a very boxy looking portion of the frame, that is not typically there. Having had the same issues as this one appears to have, I’ve been down many of the roads you’re looking down. Also having welded in a section on mine, it looks like someone has done this in that boxier region of the frame. If this has had some welding done to the frame I would strongly haggle prices. Depending on the price and what you plan to do, I wouldn’t care much about it, but I do all of my own work and I am very versed in rusty Toyotas. My rusty cruiser was just a bit less rust than this when I bought it with 240k for $4500 8 years ago. She’s still on the road and over 300k and sees 100-200 miles of mild/easy trails annually.

 

[haghyk]

I’ll be honest in one of your pics there is a very boxy looking portion of the frame, that is not typically there. Having had the same issues as this one appears to have, I’ve been down many of the roads you’re looking down. Also having welded in a section on mine, it looks like someone has done this in that boxier region of the frame. If this has had some welding done to the frame I would strongly haggle prices. Depending on the price and what you plan to do, I wouldn’t care much about it, but I do all of my own work and I am very versed in rusty Toyotas. My rusty cruiser was just a bit less rust than this when I bought it with 240k for $4500 8 years ago. She’s still on the road and over 300k and sees 100-200 miles of mild/easy trails annually.

What treatment did you do to it?

 

[whitec13]

What treatment did you do to it?

I used a grinder to clean up and then Correseal. Worked well for a while, now on to fluid film. Had to cut a chunk out and weld in a new piece. I pick and choose battles and places that will get OEM vs aftermarket. After 8 years of daily driving and off-road use, I have fully gotten my monies worth of her. Now it’s just a waiting game of how bad a fix is as to if I move on. Steering rack is rearing its head on me now. Not too stoked but might go for it. The steering shaft scares me on a rusty beast. As @Kabanstva said, you are going to be fighting fasteners forever, so consider that as well. Making rust prolong is one job, fasteners coming loose without breaking is another. PB blaster, a torch, and anti-seize are your best allies in this battle.

 

[haghyk]

I used a grinder to clean up and then Correseal. Worked well for a while, now on to fluid film. Had to cut a chunk out and weld in a new piece. I pick and choose battles and places that will get OEM vs aftermarket. After 8 years of daily driving and off-road use, I have fully gotten my monies worth of her. Now it’s just a waiting game of how bad a fix is as to if I move on. Steering rack is rearing its head on me now. Not too stoked but might go for it. The steering shaft scares me on a rusty beast. As @Kabanstva said, you are going to be fighting fasteners forever, so consider that as well. Making rust prolong is one job, fasteners coming loose without breaking is another. PB blaster, a torch, and anti-seize are your best allies in this battle.

Would jumping over the grinder to ff be your suggestion? Or worth paying someone to grind and sand

 

[whitec13]

It’s up to you and your purchase price. If you don’t have much into it, go for it. It’s not needed for use with FF but it doesn’t exactly hurt either.

 

[delz05]

Would jumping over the grinder to ff be your suggestion? Or worth paying someone to grind and sand

To me... it sounds like you do not want to get your hands into this clean up, so bring it to a shop that does more than just spray fluid all over everything. There is no simple solution or remedy...

 

[haghyk]

To me... it sounds like you do not want to get your hands into this clean up, so bring it to a shop that does more than just spray fluid all over everything. There is no simple solution or remedy...

I'll try to find a lift to get under - but just worried I may grind stuff into broken