Truck Roof/Window Rust

For pics 1-3, what is the proper inexpensive care for this or is it something you wouldn't worry about?

For pics 4-5, how do I get this installed correctly? I purchased this truck missing the front right so I replaced it with the same parts (even took of the front left to compare) but can't get it to fit snug against the vehicle like the other 3.

 

the rust in your pictures is serious and looks to be coming from the inside out so the correct way is to pull the windshield and gasket and sand it to bare metal removing as much rust as you can and cut out and replace any sections that are rusted through completely.

short answer let the body shop do it for about $1000 and they will keep it about a week. its not a DIY job but it can be if you have a place to do it out of the weather and you have the tools and ability to do it right and know what you are doing, then repaint the roof of the truck yourself. if you just sand it and repaint it or slap body filler over the rust, it will look like that or more likely much worse again in a year.

if the body shop tells you the windshield doesn't need to come out, then find another body shop, because they do half assed work if they don't think that windshield needs to come out. you have to pull the windshield to see how far the rust goes behind what you cant see and get all of it fixed, not just what you see. if they just fix what you can see, then you will have rust holes leaking water inside the truck in a year or two because they never bothered to fix it right the first time.

the fender molding just needs to have another screw put in to hold it in place, the other screw might be aligned wrong or the hole is too big allowing it to look like that. the body shop will fix that for you for free while they fix you rust issues.

 

You could fix it yourself. First you will need to see how bad the rust is. Surface rust? Not to bad of a fix. All the way through, you will need a professional. Unless you have the tools like a welder, air tools, HVLP sprayer. You can watch some youtube videos on rust repair and decide whether or not you want to tackle the job.

 

Went to a body shop today and they said they would have to take the window out and they wouldn't know the extent of the damage until doing so. They also said the window could crack when pulling it out, and that is more money I'd have to pay if that happens since they won't cover it. Talking to them they said it is something to fix much sooner than later due to the problems that could arise and the environment I live in (Utah). The estimate is $450-500 for 4 days...after already putting just over around $1700 of repairs in the last 3-4 months so far (I bought it last September) replacing an O2 sensor, front struts and back shocks, catalytic converter, rack and pinon/lower tire rod ends and the rack and pinion pressure hose I'm wondering if this is worth doing? I want to keep this truck for as long as I can and this rust issue is the only thing that needs worked on (expect for a minor oil pan leak) that I'm aware of.

What do you guys think? Would you have this work done for the vehicle age or let it be and see how long it holds up?

 

I had the same issue. I was told that ususally happens because the windshield has been replaced. The window company scratches through the paint when the cut the window out and don't reseal it properly.

The bodyshop I went to pulled the windshield out(successfully didn't break it), sanded it down, removed all the rust, filled the holes and repainted it. Any other fix is just a temporary bandaid that won't stop it from rusting. It was just under $1000 bucks.

 

brs127s did you get it done then because it's something that needs to be or were you having issues while rusting? Is it a high priority fix? I was quoted 450-500 where I went so I guess I'm getting a pretty good deal

 

I got it done because I wanted to stop it from getting any worse. To me it was a high priority, because while it is now small, it can be easily fixed. The larger the rust areas get, the harder they will be to fix without major work.

 

That's where I'm with it as well to keep it from getting worse. Do you think waiting 4 months to get it done is too long? It will be before the cold winter months and I'm not sure if rust spreads more during the wet cold season compared to the dry warm season.

 

I'm just finishing up doing this repair myself. The glass shop is installing a new windshield tomorrow morning (they broke the old one removing it).

Will it get worse? Yes. I'd recommend getting on it right away because the rust may not have made any holes yet. If there are holes, welding will be involved for a proper repair.

The hardest part of the job is the root canal you'll be doing on the windshield pinchweld area. I used a dremel type tool with 80 grit flap sanding wheels to get the urethane gasket off, then sanded down to bare metal. In the rusty areas, I used a series of pointed diamond burrs to get all the loose and caked rust out. There were no holes. I then used rust converter to address the remaining rust. After that, it's a paint job.

It took about a week total, working a few hours a day.

 

I'll bite the bullet and get it done. I got it scheduled to get repaired in two weeks. I hope they are able to keep the windshield in one piece to avoid that cost...thank you all for the help!

 

Got the truck back today and it looks great! They did crack the windshield pulling it out. But for the job and windshield it was $596 out the door, so I'm happy with that. Thanks for all the help.

 

you did the right thing, now you can relax and enjoy your truck