Rust Repair and overall restoration

[tloc2290]

Hey guys. This is a bit of a broad question, but I’m looking for some advice. I am the second owner of my 97 extended cab 4x4. Had it since I was 15, and still runs strong. It’s still my daily driver, and while she runs strong, stuff is just starting to wear out. I have 2 young kids now, and I’d love to be able to pass it down to them. The main rust culprits are there: rockers, cab corners, tailgate, and fenders on the bed. In some of your expert opinions, what should your first step be in making sure the rust is stopped, and then what order of importance should stuff be repaired in? I don’t have a big shop or anything, but have access to most tools and stuff. Not a mechanic, but I’ve done most repairs on her over the years myself. Have yet to experiment with body and frame work

 

[Canadian Rust Bucket]

Good job keeping the old truck alive!
Here's my $.02 on rust repairs, hope it helps.
#1 top of the importance checklist is the frame. If your frame is Swiss cheese, nothing attached to it matters.
Check your frame, paying special attention to the points at which components attach to the frame and collect water/salt; i.e. your rear cross-members, rear bumper attachment point, leaf spring perches, cab mounts, the steering gearbox, sway bars, and the transitions from boxed frame to c-channel.

Methods of stopping the rust vary depending on the severity. If it's a light surface rust, you might be ok with a thorough cleaning and wire brushing before putting your choice of rust inhibiting primer on.
For more serious rust, treat it like a tumour and cut it out. Depending on your confidence with a welder / how long the vehicle can be up on blocks for, you might have to enlist outside help. I know you are using it as a DD, so hopefully it doesn't need anything this extensive.
For more middling rust damage, where you see flaking rust scale and pitting of the metal, you need to remove all the scale, chips, anything that's not clean-as-a-baby's-butt steel. Physical removal with an air chisel, needle scaler, wire wheel grinders, etc. followed by muriatic acid, either in a bath or brushed on. Repeat until the rust is completely gone. Then, rust primer before it has a chance to flash-rust from humidity.

Something important to note with rust, it's like an iceberg; for the bit you see, there's quite a lot more you don't. If your outer rockers are toast, chances are you have to replace the inner piece too. Same with the cab corners, they have sound deadening material in there that retains moisture and rots the corner from the inside out.

Lastly, if the body panel is rusted beyond saving, you can get new pieces relatively cheaply, but with a reduction in quality. Repaired OEM is almost definitely more robust than aftermarket.

Cheers, and good luck with your project!

 

[Salty K1500]

I'll add in that if you buy aftermarket replacement panels, I've been using Raybuck Auto Parts patch panels for my truck and I'm impressed with them thus far. They are the same thickness as the OEM metal and feel quite sturdy. Fitment has been relatively good too, although I'm not going for a perfect restoration so that part doesn't matter to me. I've only bought the cab corners/rocker panel pieces, so I won't speak to the quality of their fenders/doors. For those I intend to buy salvaged OEM panels from down South.

 

[Oldman69]

Did not see in replies, but anybody else using Rust Mort after cleaning?

 

[Hipster]

Did not see in replies, but anybody else using Rust Mort after cleaning?

I've used it. Phosphoric acid based but you can use Kleen-Strip prep and etch from the hardware store with a less fancy price tag, also phosphoric acid. Ospho is also phosphoric acid based. I'm not a tremendous fan of any of these products other than it's better than using nothing.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

My best advice is to spend a good amount of time assessing each aspect of the truck to decide if it’s better to do one of the following:

1. Remove surface rust and refurbish
2. Cut out sections and replace with new metal
3. Replace with a whole new or used component or section

The level of restoration needs to be determined. Some of the trucks on here have been restored to a much higher standard than new. Other trucks have spray foam in the cab corners and spray painted. The fact is that most of us find ourselves in the middle ground where we are working hard to remove rust and preserve the truck….. let’s be honest most of us aren’t spending $10,000-$15,000 on rust repair and bodywork on our $4000 trucks.

It’s a slippery slope, consider your use for the truck and be realistic about the amount of time and $ you are willing to invest. Often times for example finding a rust free box for $1000 may be cheaper in the end than trying to cut out rust and weld in new panels.

Personally, I’m fixing up my truck to be respectable looking and slowing the rust as much as possible within reason. Im welding in new cab corners, removing the box to do a 1-2 day resto on the rear frame and components, removing the dents as best I can and then painting it myself. I will clean, detail, and paint small sections at a time as I go.

No frame off resto here, they normally end up on Jack stands for years being realistic. Price out a pro paint job these days? Even just the supplies to paint a truck properly is a pretty penny.

By the way I’m looking into this low cost option to remove and stop rust:

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[Hipster]

I forget exactly what the Kleen strip is, thinking 47.5% I have diluted it 1:1 Was kind of hoping he got into the use of the hand sanitizer, Alcohol and acid might be some type chemical reaction that helps it out?? Paint materials like other stuff has gone through the roof, most paint co's have 2 or 3rd tier products, most paints require a sealer of some sort. etc. Not hard to get to a couple three grand.

 

[Caman96]

I'm not a tremendous fan of any of these products other than it's better than using nothing.

What don’t you like about it? I only used it on my frame and not body panels.

 

[Hipster]

What don’t you like about it? I only used it on my frame and not body panels.

For all intents and purposing blasting is the better fix. Not always an available option and always cost effective.Ssome of these products turn the rust into iron oxide coating, I have sanded it off into un-converted rust. Diluted with water makes a thinner consistency that tends to stay wet longer with the side effect of not working as quickly but with seemingly better penetration into pitting and difficult to access areas. I normally wet with acid wash, don gloves and scrub with red scotch brite, degrease with a paint type prep solvent , and hit again. Rust is sneaky it can hide and breed under coatings. A frame rail can comepletely rot out under undercoatings/truck bed liner etc. The acid washes are a step that be taken but not really a cure all. Epoxy primer is about the only product the completely seals out both moisture and air. Sealing it is a big factor in stopping corrosion. 99% of urethane primes can actually wick moisture down to the metal because 99% of them contain some talc as a filler so they can't get the job done.

 

[Caman96]

For all intents and purposing blasting is the better fix. Not always an available option and always cost effective.Ssome of these products turn the rust into iron oxide coating, I have sanded it off into un-converted rust. Diluted with water makes a thinner consistency that tends to stay wet longer with the side effect of not working as quickly but with seemingly better penetration into pitting and difficult to access areas. I normally wet with acid wash, don gloves and scrub with red scotch brite, degrease with a paint type prep solvent , and hit again. Rust is sneaky it can hide and breed under coatings. A frame rail can comepletely rot out under undercoatings/truck bed liner etc. The acid washes are a step that be taken but not really a cure all. Epoxy primer is about the only product the completely seals out both moisture and air. Sealing it is a big factor in stopping corrosion. 99% of urethane primes can actually wick moisture down to the metal because 99% of them contain some talc as a filler so they can't get the job done.

Would’ve loved to have blasted it, just wasn’t in the cards. Just gonna have to roll with it being treated with Klean Strip Metal Prep and Rustoleum Rust Reformer. Goal is to not drive in winter anymore. So, other than it’s not as good as sandblasting, the Klean Strip wasn’t a bad idea…right?