Control arm mount rust

[dh1989]

Any tips or advice to clean this rusty crap up at the front end? I've been soaking the frame front to back with Fluid Film yearly but usually don't remove the wheels to do it, so this area has been missed. This is the worst part of the truck. The frame rails and channels are solid and soaked in the fluid film. FWIW I just bagged off the rotors and soaked these areas for now with a thick coating.

The only rot point I can see is the bump stop mount. I'm thinking wire wheel it all and see how it looks. Any easier way to get it down to bare metal?

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[454cid]

Wow that looks bad, and being in MI am quite used to seeing rust.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Coke and metal brush lol

 

[letitsnow]

I used a pick hammer to knock the scale off of mine. It is also a good way to tell if what you have left is actually solid...

 

[Hipster]

Any tips or advice to clean this rusty crap up at the front end? I've been soaking the frame front to back with Fluid Film yearly but usually don't remove the wheels to do it, so this area has been missed. This is the worst part of the truck. The frame rails and channels are solid and soaked in the fluid film. FWIW I just bagged off the rotors and soaked these areas for now with a thick coating.

The only rot point I can see is the bump stop mount. I'm thinking wire wheel it all and see how it looks. Any easier way to get it down to bare metal?

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Disassemble and sandblast.

Whenever you see rust in flakey layers like that the metal has been compromised.

 

[454cid]

Disassemble and sandblast.

Whenever you see rust in flakey layers like that the metal has been compromised.

I think I'd start out with a pressure washer, while assembled. That will remove a lot of rust, and will reveal just how bad the rust is.... if it's even worth going to sandblasting. I've never seen upper control arms flake like that..... that's just horrible. My big concern would be the frame. The rest is replaceable without tearing down the entire truck.

 

[letitsnow]

Mine looked like that when I first got the truck. It almost seemed like the oem tar(?) coating holds the rust together and then expands as the moisture makes the rust expand. After I chipped the crap off, it doesn't look bad really. It is still probably stronger than the new china steel haha.

 

[alpinecrick]

Holy Outhouse Mouse. That's the original upper, riveted, ball joint still on there no less. That's where the preloaded upper control arms come in handy--otherwise to get that ball joint off may require a stick or two of dynamite.

The lower c-arm and steering knuckle doesn't look as bad. As letitsnow says a pick or ball peen hammer to start with, then wire wheel. At some point in the near future all the steering parts and BJ's are going to need replaced, and probably the hub bearing assembly too.

And for crying out load at least put some new shocks on that poor thing..........