How to Clean up Frame Rust on a Budget

How to clean up a rusty frame on a budget. Unfortunately the fender areas on this truck, both the front and rear seems to have the majority of rust with minimal frame paint left. Being that this truck was used in the country, the previous owner drove down quite a few gravel roads, which can basically sandblast any paint or finish off the existing metal components. Currently this truck also gets driven down gravel roads doing to the dump, so again it’s not really helping out this situation. Considering we live in a climate which has high humidity and we also experience winter, this type of environment promotes rust. #oemtools #rustrepair #autobody

Tools/Supplies Needed:
-wax and grease remover
-clean rags
-tape
-paper
-farm equipment implement paint
-paint brush
-wire brush
-scraper
-air powered surface sander
-air compressor
-sanding pads and discs
-oil spray rust preventative
-spray on rust converter

Procedure:
-remove any parts which will allow you to get easier access to rusty components
-wash the area using a degreaser to help remove any contaminants
-using a ball-peen hammer, lightly hit the surface of the frame to remove any scaling
-a mix between a wire brush and scraper can also be used to remove any rust scaling as well
-next grinding down the surface to remove the rest of the rust, here I am using a small portable air surface sander to remove the surface rust
-first starting out with an 80 to 120 grit abrasive pad
-a mask should also be used as this process can get quite dusty
-once satisfied, a majority of the rust should have been removed and then you can switch up to a 220 grit sanding disc
-switch up to 320 grit sandpaper as a final abrasive
-considering there is still rust pitting, this can be hard to clean so this will be chemically treated instead
-blow off the area using the air compressor to remove a majority of the dust from sanding
-give the area a wipe down using a wax and grease remover
-apply paper and tape to the areas you do not want painted and protected from overspray
-give the area another wipe down using a wax and grease remover
-using a spray on rust converter, follow the instructions as all products have different application processes and apply it to the frame
-allow the rust converter to dry
-apply a paint of your choice
-for this I was using a farm equipment implement paint which can be brushed or sprayed onto the frame
-if you can, it’s best to apply this on a cooler day
-if you have a softer brush, you’ll get a smoother finish but due to the rougher surface, the brush may not last as long
-I do not recommend using a tar or rubberized coating as they can trap moisture which can cause rusting
-the next day I was able to reassemble the suspension as the paint was hard enough
-allow the paint to cure for a couple weeks and try to keep it responsibly clean
-once that paint has cured, as an added step I have applied a rust protective coating
-rust protective coatings can be either an oil or wax spray which helps repel water and moisture
-spray the coating inside the frame if possible and on the outside
-cardboard, plastic, or a tarp can be used to prevent any oil drips on your driveway
-do not apply an excessive amount where it can run off the frame
-after dust sticks to the coating, additional layers can be applied

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© 4DIYers 2013
All Rights Reserved
No part of this video or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author.

[janvanhaas]

Ah is so good to find good videos like this one, without good or bad music distracting you and really well explained. Thank you!

[clerdman]

Or you can just do what I do, let your engine leak from every sealing surface so when you drive the entire underside of you vehicle is covered with oil. This pro tip keeps my 99 ram looking mint

[stever.]

Very informative. Work described as you did it without music to disrupt me from gettin' my learn on. Lol. Thanks

[ncooty]

You missed your calling as a flight attendant. :)

[j-man]

vid- "lightly hit the surface, enough to break up the scale"
me- lightly knocks hole into frame..
vid- "not hard enough to damage the frame"
me- welds hammer onto hole, calls it a day lol

[echangwang]

Rust removal is the most satisfying car work you can do in my opinion. It's not _too_ difficult, if you can weld, but the finished product looks amazing. Excellent work!

[SuperRPfan]

no animals no children no wife no crazy music or life story just informative instruction SOMEONE HAS BEEN LISTERNING

[mycatisromeo]

I live in Iowa and have an old 1997 Montero sport. It's been a fantastic vehicle and has only 122k miles. The frame is getting quite rusty and I want to restore it as I honestly think I can get many many more years out of this great truck.

[ka]

After several years of restoration work on a 30 year old car that had a lot of underbody rust, I've found that the hardest kind of rust to remove is pitted rust, because it's spotty and most removal methods either don't get it out, like wire or abrasive wheels because they can't get to the tiny pits, or cause other problems like taking off too much surrounding metal (sanding wheels) or potentially corroding the metal (muriatic acid unless you neutralize it quickly and thoroughly).

Blasting is considered to be the optimal way to get rid of it, but that requires special equipment that I and many people don't have. So the next best solution, admittedly imperfect, is using small grinding bits and burrs on a rotary tool or die grinder to just grind them out one at a time. This is painstaking and takes forever, plus it removes some good metal along with the rust, and it leaves a pitted surface that isn't visually appealing even when painted over. But there are ways of fixing that.

Does anyone know if pitted rust, the kind that's sort of glazed over and hardened, causes further rust even if treated with rust converter and painted over with impermeable paint? Or is it sort of self-encapsulating and if left undisturbed won't cause further rust if properly painted over, as 4DIYers did?

[experimentalvideoprojects]

Thank you! Now I am enthusiastic about cleaning of my 1994 Ranger frame before taking it to a frame welder for some repairs and then to someone to install new shocks in the front. It won't be so embarrassing when I say I want new shocks if it looks like I have made an effort to preserve the frame.

[mikewagenblast]

Helpful indeed - thank you for letting us all in on this and learn from someone actually doing the work. Thanks again.

[TheRareCriticalThinker]

Perfect video. Just what I needed to restore my ‘67 Mustang. Thanks!

[-wu]

I had an older 1992 Toyota pickup and I sanded it with a wire dremol like tool and I just put rustoleum black.... Rustoleum is VERY underrated. It stayed nice and black and "SOLID" too as of right now in 2024 (the year I am making this comment) ... So I mean it is lasting long !!!!

[snrakmas]

Good video for someone looking to do basic frame maintenance vs full restoration.

[jimmyschmidt]

Rolling restoration like this is the way to go. Frame up resto can leave most people with an abandoned vehicle. Wiping the surface with a prep and etch acid will remove the need for a rust converter.

[ebobbyclaire]

I basically did the same restore on my Toyota frame . For inside the tubing I used and air compressor with a wand to blow out scale inside of frame tubing . There are existing holes in the tubing where the debris was able to come out .Felt good to do this . Took my time and got an education real quick . Then I used a rust reformer with the red tube spray attachment to spray inside the tubing .After that I used a hi heat expanding foam and the tube spray attachment to shoot the foam inside the frame tubing until it started to poop out the frame holes the furthest from where I was injecting the foam . Wow, next day I took a look and the foam had expanded to fill the entire frame tubing until it was coming out of all the holes in the frame . Took four cans . That was a considerable time ago and has preformed very well . Just thought I would pass this on .

[cge]

GREAT VIDEO. I LIKE TO USE A 4 INCH ROLLER TO SPREAD THE PAINT AND USE A BRUSH TO GET INTO THE CORNERS THAT THE ROLLER CANT REACH. WORKS REALLY WELL WHEN PAINTING TRAILER FRAMES

[TheSicWolfGaming]

I have used FDC Rust Converter Ultra and it works wonders on rust. It turns any rusty area purple then black. Converts all rust to a primed paintable surface

[BruceLyeg]

Nice job! That should help it live awhile longer in our Canadian weather.

[codycoyote]

I have to change my control arm bushing on a '04 dodge and saw how rusty she was and this by far gives a newbie like me inspiration to just clean up the frame this nice 😅