Cancer Cure?
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Joined: Sep 2013
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Cancer Cure?
First off, I would like to thank everyone here for the wealth of knowledge you has brought together here, as a former Chebby truck owner I can tell you there is no equivalent in the Chevy world to FTE.
I am the proud new owner of a 95 supercab, 4x4, 5spd, six banger, 114,xxx miles. She is in really good shape considering her age, but is starting to get a little cancer in the rear wheel wells and on the bottom of the extended cab. I have read here about several different fixes and preventatives, but I haven't received a real consensus on whats best.
Whats is yall's opinion? Nothing seems to be rusted through, just what seems to be paint chipping with some rust showing. Can I clean it up and coat and paint it or does it need to be cut out and new metal welded in?
After fixing her, what is the best treatment to keep her cancer free for years to come?
Thanks again for shedding some wisdom on a proud new Ford owner!
I am the proud new owner of a 95 supercab, 4x4, 5spd, six banger, 114,xxx miles. She is in really good shape considering her age, but is starting to get a little cancer in the rear wheel wells and on the bottom of the extended cab. I have read here about several different fixes and preventatives, but I haven't received a real consensus on whats best.
Whats is yall's opinion? Nothing seems to be rusted through, just what seems to be paint chipping with some rust showing. Can I clean it up and coat and paint it or does it need to be cut out and new metal welded in?
After fixing her, what is the best treatment to keep her cancer free for years to come?
Thanks again for shedding some wisdom on a proud new Ford owner!
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,555
Likes: 1
if it was mine,, i would let is rust but wash it to keeping it from rusting more, rust adds character, and my truck isnt a show Bit** or a garage queen so its a sign of pride for me and a symbol of the truck gettin worked hard (harder than a half ton should get worked)
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,744
Likes: 5
From: Earth
Im kinda with blue on this,I would personially clean the rust off so its not eaten through the metal parts, but a small tiny bit would be left (and controled) to retain the character, my truck may be considered a garage queen or a show...B-you know what...but im not afraid to work it hard when needed!!!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,823
Likes: 43
From: New York
The rear wheel lip is notorious for rusting - it's a result of the fender design which captures moisture, grit and road salts, and then they do their thing. There are a couple approaches you can take, depending on how "pretty" you want the truck to look.
My fenders were just starting to show some rust-through and my low-buck approach was this: Get moderately aggressive with the grinder and cut out all the effected metal. Doing so will open up access forward and rearward to the pinch-weld seam. Power-wash everything out, forward and backward, as best you can. Treat with phosphoric acid and then treat with some sort of rusty metal primer. Top-coat with whatever you want, if that matters to you. Alternatively, get some plastic arches to hide the sins underneath, but make them easily removable so that you can power-wash everything out at least once a year.
I didn't bother with the arches. In fact, as you can see, I didn't even bother with any sort of top-coat. This is a work-truck for me, so I just want to keep it sound, not too worried about pretty.
My fenders were just starting to show some rust-through and my low-buck approach was this: Get moderately aggressive with the grinder and cut out all the effected metal. Doing so will open up access forward and rearward to the pinch-weld seam. Power-wash everything out, forward and backward, as best you can. Treat with phosphoric acid and then treat with some sort of rusty metal primer. Top-coat with whatever you want, if that matters to you. Alternatively, get some plastic arches to hide the sins underneath, but make them easily removable so that you can power-wash everything out at least once a year.
I didn't bother with the arches. In fact, as you can see, I didn't even bother with any sort of top-coat. This is a work-truck for me, so I just want to keep it sound, not too worried about pretty.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,403
Likes: 4
From: Charlestown, RI
First off, I would like to thank everyone here for the wealth of knowledge you has brought together here, as a former Chebby truck owner I can tell you there is no equivalent in the Chevy world to FTE.
I am the proud new owner of a 95 supercab, 4x4, 5spd, six banger, 114,xxx miles. She is in really good shape considering her age, but is starting to get a little cancer in the rear wheel wells and on the bottom of the extended cab. I have read here about several different fixes and preventatives, but I haven't received a real consensus on whats best.
Whats is yall's opinion? Nothing seems to be rusted through, just what seems to be paint chipping with some rust showing. Can I clean it up and coat and paint it or does it need to be cut out and new metal welded in?
After fixing her, what is the best treatment to keep her cancer free for years to come?
Thanks again for shedding some wisdom on a proud new Ford owner!
I am the proud new owner of a 95 supercab, 4x4, 5spd, six banger, 114,xxx miles. She is in really good shape considering her age, but is starting to get a little cancer in the rear wheel wells and on the bottom of the extended cab. I have read here about several different fixes and preventatives, but I haven't received a real consensus on whats best.
Whats is yall's opinion? Nothing seems to be rusted through, just what seems to be paint chipping with some rust showing. Can I clean it up and coat and paint it or does it need to be cut out and new metal welded in?
After fixing her, what is the best treatment to keep her cancer free for years to come?
Thanks again for shedding some wisdom on a proud new Ford owner!
Generally, the only way to repair rust is to cut it out and weld new sheetmetal in. In the case of the rear wheel arches, as mentioned, it's the poor design of the inner wheelhouse that causes rust from the inside. What you see on the surface may be worse on the inside.
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Welcome aboard and congrats on purchasing a Ford!!
As a proud member and fan of the restored and customized truck community I'm going to say fix it, and fix it right. Buy some patch panels and install them. Once rust is there, it doesn't go away. It will only get worse. And I don't think that it adds character either. I think of it more as a sign of laziness and lack of pride by the owner.
But obviously it is your truck so you can do with it what you like. And as you might find out soon enough, my opinions are seldom hailed among the majority.
As a proud member and fan of the restored and customized truck community I'm going to say fix it, and fix it right. Buy some patch panels and install them. Once rust is there, it doesn't go away. It will only get worse. And I don't think that it adds character either. I think of it more as a sign of laziness and lack of pride by the owner.
But obviously it is your truck so you can do with it what you like. And as you might find out soon enough, my opinions are seldom hailed among the majority.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,555
Likes: 1
to each his own, i used to think like that, till i spent big dollars getting the rust fixed professionally only to have it happen a year or two later, also, if you wash it and wax the vehicle the rust doesnt get worse, i have had rust on mine in the exact same spot for 5 years or so now, hasnt got worse. if it wasnt a work truck i would fix the rust but i use it for work, and besides if i fixed the rust i would have to fix all the dents and dings in the bed, looks like a mess back there cuase of all the dings from wood gettin thrown in, but you do have a valid point,
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 9
From: Acworth, GA
Just because anything is done professionally doesn't mean it is done properly or correctly. Just sayin.
Here's a good read.
Perfect Paint Job
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
From: Virginia
Just because anything is done professionally doesn't mean it is done properly or correctly. Just sayin.
Here's a good read.
Perfect Paint Job
Here's a good read.
Perfect Paint Job
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,555
Likes: 1
it was done by the best body shop around, i think they cheaped out on replacement panels my self, so after that i just let em rust. if people dont wanna look at they can close their eyes cause it looks just fine to me. once again its me using my truck, i laugh when people buy a new truck and get mad cuase they got a dent in the bed when they threw something in there, its like so what, trucks were made to have that happen, i also hate show trucks so that is why mine stay rusty
The Southernmost Mod
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 6,902
Likes: 20
From: Caracas, Venezuela
To each his own, but the OP didn't ask for any of your opinions on how his truck should look, he asked how to fix the rust in his truck, so let's not derail this one further please.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,006
Likes: 72
From: Roseville, MN
Many years ago I took my '85 F-250 to a local body shop that specialized in restorations. They cut out the rusted metal above my rear fenders and in the cab corners and replaced it with new metal. About 2 years later I was rusting through again around the outside of the patches. The new metal was holding up, but the old metal closest to the original rust holes was going.
I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe the restoration shop didn't do a very good job of removing all of the rust. Maybe they didn't do a very good job of finishing it afterward (I doubt they used POR-15, not even sure if that was available back in '90).
What I do know is that it's very hard to completely get rid of rust and not have it come back (especially on a daily driver here in the rust belt). For a while I pretty much gave up and figured that if I stayed in 5-15 year old trucks I'd be OK with a tolerable amount of rust. But now that I've decided that I'm going to be in '97 and older trucks for the foreseeable future I'm hoping there's a better answer too.
I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe the restoration shop didn't do a very good job of removing all of the rust. Maybe they didn't do a very good job of finishing it afterward (I doubt they used POR-15, not even sure if that was available back in '90).
What I do know is that it's very hard to completely get rid of rust and not have it come back (especially on a daily driver here in the rust belt). For a while I pretty much gave up and figured that if I stayed in 5-15 year old trucks I'd be OK with a tolerable amount of rust. But now that I've decided that I'm going to be in '97 and older trucks for the foreseeable future I'm hoping there's a better answer too.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 292
From: Laramie, WY
With the bed sides, the rust eats the metal from the backside. So by the time you see the rust coming through, there is substantial damage already done. There is hope! https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ameswap-8.html
That method seems to be the best way to keep the arches from rotting out again.
I'm not sure of the best method for the cab. Diesel_Brad or Puddy (or many others) probably have a good idea.
I personally have no intent to fix the rot on my truck, but I have an aversion to body work (read: lazy). I can appreciate a nicely kept rig for sure. Mine looks like a bush truck these days though.
That method seems to be the best way to keep the arches from rotting out again.
I'm not sure of the best method for the cab. Diesel_Brad or Puddy (or many others) probably have a good idea.
I personally have no intent to fix the rot on my truck, but I have an aversion to body work (read: lazy). I can appreciate a nicely kept rig for sure. Mine looks like a bush truck these days though.