Cleaning Up Light Truck-frame Rust Fast and Easy (Video)

By Cameron Vanderhorst - March 18, 2020

Cleaning up your frame doesn’t have to be difficult — or expensive.

Here at Ford Truck Enthusiasts, we love a good frame-off restoration of a classic pickup truck. However, for most of us, giving our beloved Ford pickups that same level of attention is simply not feasible.

This YouTube video from 4DIYers shows us how to repair surface rust on a Ranger frame without removing the body. Since most of us can’t afford to have our trucks down for that long, this method of cleaning up rust is a lot more practical, and it’s something we can do at home.

First off, the host recommends pressure washing and degreasing the area you plan to work on. This will knock off dirt and loose scale. Give it a few days to dry, then go to work removing nearby suspension components.

From there, a ball peen hammer can be used to break up flaky rust on the frame. As the host explains, “Lightly hit the surface — enough to break up the scale, but not hard enough where it may damage the surface of the frame.”

Obviously, if you find serious rust here, welding is necessary. Assuming it’s just surface rust, though, you can move on to the next step once the flaky rust is knocked off.

An air-powered surface sander makes quick work of the rust, exposing clean metal underneath. You’ll be kicking up a lot of dust here, so wear a face mask and safety glasses.

The host gradually works his way up to higher grits of sandpaper as he preps the surface. The host advises, “A majority of the rust must be cleaned off, otherwise it will come back and not allow the paint to adhere properly.”

It’s almost impossible to get all of the rust off. That’s where a spray-on rust converter treatment helps out. Once the treatment dries, the rust is transformed into a black primer finish that can be painted over.

The paint used on the frame at this stage isn’t particularly high-tech. “For my choice, and what I’ve had great results with in harsh environments, is farm equipment implement paint.”

On a cool day, the paint can be brushed on. A soft brush won’t last as long, but will result in a smoother finish. The paint covers well, so two coats should be plenty. If possible, let the paint cure for a few days before re-assembling everything.

As you can see, it’s easy to improve the look of your truck while protecting your frame. We can’t wait until spring, when we can try this out for ourselves on our favorite old Ford truck!