How to deal with Rust

[ttuseth2]

I have so many questions...

Just got my 1982 CJ7 2 weeks ago... it has been a Texas jeep it's whole life so there are not many concerns in the rust department as there are with the jeeps from up north

However there are small places where there has been rubbing or wear that has lead to some rust and I want to inquire about the best way to treat or get rid of it, if not that then what should be done to minimize it's long term effects.

I know that the way to do things properly would be to sandblast it all away and repaint but in absence of that what can be done.
Are there any chemicals or cleaners that are known to properly address such problems and won't hurt or harm the other area's when applied, if so what are they.

I don't have my detailed pictures of what I am talking about but I can upload them next week. But a short list of what I am talking about would be the door hanger brackets, they show some surface rust but nothing that has eaten through.

How should these minor imperfections be handled or treated?

The frame I have is solid, but I have found 2 small area's where the coating has worn and there is a patch of surface rust (maybe a total of 3 in in diameter), how should that be treated and cared for?

I know I am barking up the wrong tree with asking how to deal with minimal rust issues but the PO of my jeep left it sitting (under cover at least) for the last 10 years and I want to try and address things like this right away so that it doesn't effect me for years to come

this will be my lifelong jeep that I will never get rid of and always be tinkering with.

 

[Neuner]

Mine had surface rust in most typical locations. Nothing severe. Only way is to remove it and then immediately protect that area with paint, etc. Anything major and you have to cut it out and weld in a new piece.

I'm not doing a full frame off resto so I just did what I could when I could. Luckily, my frame is in great shape. I wire brushed and sanded all of the exterior and re-painted during our week of winter several years ago. The following year, did the same for the interior but put a bedliner on instead. Don't go about it taking short cuts. Make sure you inspect and treat hidden areas. I took apart, inspected and treated all of the components including hinges, windshield, under the rollbar, tailgate, hold-downs, etc.

As I've been working on different components, after I remove them, I do the same in those areas that are newly accessible. When I swapped out tranny's, I did the tunnel while it was out, etc.

 

[ttuseth2]

Thanks for chiming in

I have neither the time nor money to do a frame off restoration - I have seen some things on here already about products to use in terms of getting loose stuck bolts and base frame paint but it is such a rush of info...

What is the brand of paint that should be used for frame, for any body spots that are very small and don't need to be cut out how should I treat them and what product / paint / should be used

The interior of mine is already rhino lined so I am happy there - would have done it myself anyways.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Your going to get a wide variety of answers on rust treatment, everybody has a different solution. Mine is to use Eastwood products when I'm not cutting it out and replacing it with new. I really like the ceramic urethanes. They come in everything from engine paint to body paint, to chassis paint. You can get a spray can, a quart, or a gallon. Just don't rely on a chemical solution to resolve all your problems. Things like rust encapsulation work as long as the encapsulation is intact. My complete solution is to remove as much physically as possible (I like the scotch pads for that), then use phosphoric acid, encapsulate, prime, and paint. Whatever you do, anything is better than nothing. Rod

 

[Bent]

I've been having good results with sanding, spraying with the high zink (cold galvanizing) primer, and then paint. I also spray lots of oil down the frame rails. Oh, and never let your wife clean the tub with bleach, no matter how bad it smells. Chlorine is a strong oxidizer and is like pouring salt on it.

 

[dschwab]

I use POR 15 to cure any rust that I may encounter. Stuff is a gloss black finish and tough as nails. Works great on frames because they are not exposed to direct sunlight (it will fade). Once painted on never worry about rust again.

 

[Neuner]

Works great on frames because they are not exposed to direct sunlight (it will fade). Once painted on never worry about rust again.

Yes, please do not use POR on the interior of the tub like my PO did. 2 years and it looked terrible with rust starting all over.