I'm planning on keeping my truck forever... or as long as I have left on this planet. I'm good with the mechanical maintainance stuff, bypass filtration, etc. What I'd like to know is how do I keep the frame and undercarriage from rotting away? It's an 05' but there's already some spots of rust here or there on the frame. Any suggestions will be appreciated...

 

rust on the frame? im sure its just surface rust and thats nothing to be worried about on the frame. You can sand it down and paint if if it bothers you though....

 

have almost everything rhino lined.
Dont cover your oil pan, transmission pan, and differentials. sprayed polyurethane liners add insulation and will keep more heat in your oils.

Rhino liner was originally developed for northern salty climent as an undercarriage protection.

 

I like the Rhino idea... probably $$$

It is just surface rust, but it drives me

 

Pull the body and have the frame and underside of the body sprayed.
if you dont live where they salt daily every winter, you might consider just having the body sprayed and keep the frame painted.

The frame is heavy enough steel that it will get a surface rust and that will be as far as it rusts.

 

Look for a green liquid called OSPHO (may also have other names) You can get it at home depot or lowes. It is a spray on or brush on rust converter, wire brush the loose stuff off, spray this on the spots. DO NOT get it on any painted area, (it eats paint) and let sit sit overnight.

It makes the rust inactive, brush off the residue and paint or undercoat it. I used it on the inside fenderwell where the battery leaked acid on the metal, then primed and painted, so far so good no rust popping through in 6 months.

 

they also sell a hard coating that you brush off the loose stuff and brush paint it over the top of whats left. It will kill the rust so it doesn't spread and dry's black. We use it on water tanks at work. I have also seen them use it to paint old frames on that show TRUCKS

 

I think the stuff CSA is refering to goes by the trade name POR (Paint Over Rust)

 

The stuff that dslpower is referring to is an acid, and for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. Works GREAT, we used it on a pig cooker in ag class and it sealed all the rust and we painted right over it with high temp paint. I also used it on a few spots on my old truck, and it did a good job of keeping the rust from coming back. AND, it should be less than $10 or so for a good-sized bottle.

 

I have rust on my frame with nearly 300,000 miles... The problem I have is with the brake lines and the body. Fenders especially. I wouldn't worry so much about the frame itself as much as the brake lines, gas lines, tranny coolant lines if it's an automatic, and the floor pans. The frame was built to be exposed to the most punishment out of any other part of your vehicle..... It'll last a long time before rotting all the way through.

Or you could strip everything off and have it all acid dipped... grease, rust, oil, paint, primer, filler... EVERYTHING but steel is reduced to gunk. All you have left is bare steel and holes wherever rust has eaten all the way through the metal. Then you can prime and coat the frame with whatever you want... But something tells me you don't want to do that....

 

Thanks for all the info guys...

I've used POR on my chevelles frame long ago. Worked real well. Don't get that stuff on your hands btw.... it doesn't come off...
It's kinda expensive. I just did part of the rear end with some Rustoleum. The "professional" grade stuff. So far it looks pretty good. I'll see how it holds this next winter, then I'll do something major next spring. Has more solids/epoxy in this "Pro" stuff.... We shall see... Anythings gotta be better than what the factory used...

 

Unless you have to cover most of the frame, POR-15 will work great and still be inexpensive... I used it on my '65 GTO, and a little goes a long way.
It chemically reacts with the iron oxide and actually forms a ceramic compound that is a very durable sealer (I think it's actually ferrous carbide or something like that)