Rust never sleeps

[AltTransBikes]

Been cutting out a couple rusty spots and hopefully soon will be welding in new rocker panel sections. Big job for me, glad I have a retired geezer friend with a welder who is helping. Rebuilt the side rollout battery box, it actually rolls out now.

While crawling under this beast (2003 Dodge 1 ton van) I see more rust like flaking rust on leaf spring shackles and some other areas of rust getting started.

What would you guys do with that? Any treatments, products, procedures or tips you'd care to pass on? Thanks

 

[SternWake]

Get a grease gun and go a little nutty on the steering components flushing them out. with what is purged, wipe it with a rag, then go wipe the grease into the rust.

naval jelly works good to dissolve rust, wire brush, apply, wait wire brush, wait. You could repeat this till you see bare steel.

Ospho, usually sold in Ace hardware stores, is meant to be applied to rust, dry 24 hours, have any powder brushed off and painted.
this is the best rust type product I have used.

It can also be used like the naval jelly to more remove rust than just convert it to a paintable surface. It really seems to prep bare metal well for painting, and can get onto most painted surfaces and not damage them, and prep them for another layer of paint as long as it is wiped off and dry before painting. A hair dryer can speed the process of rust conversion with phosphoric acid based products.

 

[AltTransBikes]

Thanks much SW, I'll check out the Ospho. That's the kind of make-ready-for-paint type product I'm looking for. Years ago I used something a buddy had given me, an acid etch, after you ground out the rust it would turn the remaining steel black.

 

[SternWake]

Kleen Strip 'prep and etch' is similar to Oshpo and less expensive. Good for submerging rusted parts in a bin with a lid, and letting time do the work.

All phosphoric acid based products turns rust black. Ospho is as thin as water so it can really penetrate deeply. Permatex rust converter is as thick as paint, and in my opinion does not work as well.

 

[AltTransBikes]

Picked up a gallon of Ospho today, $25 at an Ace hardware, kind of hard to find as only one in four in my area had it. Will begin the treatment tomorrow.

From the looks of it, most aren't too concerned what's happening underneath their rig, trying to make them last, which to me is surprising considering the age of some of the older vehicles I see being discussed here. I guess if you don't see it, it isn't there, lol.