Steel wool on frame ... good or bad idea?

I was a bit bored today and I'm already super paranoid about rust on my 99 Tacoma, so I wondered if applying some fine steel wool to the frame to get rid of surface gunk and super minor rust might be a good idea ... or bad idea. I like it because it forces you to look around all the bits of the frame, but it might be a bad idea to disturb the frame?

I tried poking around this site but didn't see thoughts of using steel wool on the car frame.

Thanks!

 

What ever gets the rust off, do it. If you fear that rubbing steel wool on your frame will "disturb" it, you shouldn't be driving that truck! lol

Does where you live warrant your paranoia? State that still salt the roads in the winter are where it's the worst, although coastal salt air isn't great for frames, either.

But honestly, the rust that is most worrisome is the stuff you can't see. They typically rust (the worst cases) from the inside out, and you can't get steel wool in where the frame is boxed.

A lot of people have good success just being meticulous about routinely washing road salts off, and treating it with stuff like fluid film.

 

Yes, I live in Colorado

 

I just used sand paper on mine to get little surface rust spots off after some beach camping/driving, then hit those spots with some flat black Rustoleum paint

Word of caution, use a face mask or something to keep from breathing in the dust

 

Pressure washer then fluid film. If you really want to get into it grinder, wire wheel and paint (POR15, rustoleum etc).

 

Also good eye protection is a must! Never fails that my truck will teach me that lesson over and over again lol.

 

If you plan to paint and you use steel wool, clean the area with a degreaser or denatured alcohol to remove oils as steel wool often has oil in it.

 

I've heard that painting just masks the rust that comes from within, no?

 

If it's rusted inside the frame then yeah, but we're just talking about surface rust on the outside of the frame. If you sand it off or use steel wool, it's going to reveal the bare metal of the steel frame underneath...you definitely don't want to leave bare steel showing or that rust will come back fast.

Even with fine grit sandpaper I was able to scratch the original black paint off the frame with just a few scrubs...it's very thin. Probably partly why these trucks' frames rust so easily. I see no problem with applying another coat of paint over it as long as you're doing it as part of the solution and aren't doing it to cover up a problem.

 

if you expose the metal on the frame, id recommend hitting it with cold galvanizing spray before applying your bedliner coat or paint coat.

 

It's generally a pretty bad idea to use bed liner type stuff on your frame, unless you can be 100% sure you get the frame completely coated. Being a boxed frame, I don't think that's really possible. Plus, the texture kind of mimics the texture of a rotting frame, so it'd be harder to notice bad spots coming through.

But yeah, painting doesn't really do much good unless you've actually removed the rust.

 

This will work

 

Sandblast that whole bish!! Scream and cry and kick the door when you get home. I’m gonna do it and post how bald I got on the way home with the trailer, if bad, if mine is perfect it’s getting a gloss black powdercoat on the whole frame and axle. I’ll post pics when I’m getting it done. If I’m f’d Im making a whole tubular rear end out of chromoly, but I bet I’m good, no seriously bad rust yet on mine. You never know till you know.

 

Colorado don't have rusty frames must be from out of state

 

i recently read in the past several months on TW of a CO resident that had frame fail inspection (I think it was a 2nd gen though )

i have some brass wool that is recommended to clean and polish the new exhaust tip, may or may not be better on frame for scratching it?, but it sure does cost much more than steel wool does

 

Apply some naval jelly and let it sit. Come back, wipe it off, prime/paint call it a day. Stuff works wonders and will leave your metal sparkly clean.

If you have thicker rust build up, a wire brush works way better than steel wool. To get the majority of it off. Then use the naval jelly.

 

Colorado market is paying a premium for the tacomas so dealers are bringing them in from out of state as with a bunch of people moving here. If you find a life long CO truck it'll be clean. I know what rust is I grew up in Ohio. It took me forever to find this one for my son and about gave up but its a single owner family CO. Every bolt breaks loose without WD40. If you are going to get on your frame you will need more than steel wool, wire wheel yes.

 

that sounds interesting! ... i do prefer NOT having to sandblast or sodablast
will it also remove the original frame paint and prior undercoating material?

which brand is best that you recommend?


https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/...atments/loctite_naval_jellyrustdissolver.html

 

All the brands of naval jelly are pretty much the same, loctite is fine. It will damage your paint. You should prep the area before use.

It is acidic, and most of the liquid rust remover products like it will aggressively remove rust, following it underneath paint if it's there. I don't like this since I can't see what it's working on. Which is why prepping the area is necessary.

Sirjellliston's method is good. I haven't used epoxy as a sealer, but those nylon brush heads are awesome for removing paint during prep without taking any metal away.

A final note, properly removing rust, even spot removal, will always start with removing a little of the surrounding paint/primer to make sure you got the entire rust spot exposed to work on. So there's really no avoiding removal of at least some of the original paint if you're going to do it correctly.

 

by prepping the area do you mean something like spraying with WD40 and wiping off dirt and road tar,etc.? or just a good soap and water hose down?