I have a single area of rust that is about 8" square, with a bolt in the middle of it that has / is rusting. So I'm guessing I should cut out a larger area, take a piece of 16 ga, bend a new section and weld it in. The thing is the bed is line-x'd so I'll have to grind some of the linex away around the repair, and then likely get the floor re-shot.... I know I can buy a patch panel, but suspect it would not be as strong, and I'd still have to provide for the bolt location, which is a flat in the middle of the raised part. Any body else run into this and repaired??? Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Make sure the rest of the bed is worth the repair. Give it a good once over, maybe probe a few spots to make sure it doesn't turn into a bunch of patches.

 

I agree with steel horse. If it's good enough to repair, see if you can find a bed at a junkyard with destroyed bed sides but good floor. They may let you cut out a section of the floor

 

I'm pretty sure this is one spot, it's been evident since I got the line x several years ago, so it's worth patching. You can buy new patches, so I guess that's also an option. They run 30 bucks + shipping from LMC, so probably $40 from advance - pick up. My concern is restoring the Line x when I get done with the patch.

 

IS it rust or Rot?

Also, how does rust start if the lineX was done correctly. I would be worried about other spots

 

The rust was there prior to the line -x. I originally had a duraliner. It just got worse after this winter and Maryland's brine onslaught. It is from underneath. I am going to pull the truck in the shop this weekend and try to see the extent. But I'm fairly certain that it is isolated.

 

Well, I looked under the truck today, and things are a bit worse than I first thought... The floor framing is going under the spot in question, surface rust is established in the middle of the floor. To wit, I will be ( in a few months )posting a build thread- I'm going to build a custom bed using new stock fenders, the original tailgate, and a couple of sheets of 3/16" 6061 diamond plate. The total weight of the aluminum will be less than 200 lbs, including the framing members. The inner walls will come to < 1/2" of the fenders, and foam will be injected between. The outer wheel wells will be diamond plate also, and there will be no place for water or dirt, salt etc to get in under the bed. All non painted surfaces will be line-x'd. There will be internal tool storage, etc, and if done right, the bed assembly should never rust again. I bought this truck new and am keeping it forever, so this will be a cool custom project.

 

Just a FYI. Bed Liner is NOT the best idea for under body PAINT.

 

Is this because of the road debris or another reason? Would something like POR work on the aluminum as well as the steel areas? I'm going for a bed with a very extended life, inside and out...

 

I'm assuming line-x is a hardened plastic coat? Why not just spray some rubberized undercoating instead? The rubber has some squish to it so rocks flying up wont chip it as easily, instead kinda act like a 'shock absorber'. I rubberized my previous trucks frame and underside properly and ive never had it chip, peel or crack.

 

You just hit the nail on the head ---- Duraliner or similar products are responsible for a large amount of rust (by trapping moisture under the liner)........go with spray on bed liner if possible........

 

Line-x is a 2 part polymer which is sprayed over an epoxy primer. The new bed is going to be made from all new parts, save the tailgate. My concept is to build the inside sides to within around 1/2" of the fender skins, and foam them together (plus epoxy seam sealer for the attachment) so even if the new skins are not as heavy as the originals, the resultant construction will be way stiffer. The whole inside will be welded into one piece, and there will be under wall dividers for tools and storage, so this will be ultra strong.

 

The problem with bed liner AND undercoat. it sticks better to itself, than the panel it applied to. Once there is any pinhole in the liner it will allow moisture in and trap it against the pano. I suggest PAINT. at least if moisture guts under it, it will flake off and you can see what is going on

 

There is a difference between commercially applied and self applied bedliner materials. The commercially applied material is a 2 part and is usually put on over a fresh epoxy primer, so adhesion is, though not perfect, pretty good. The minimum thickness is 1/16", so for on road / dirt road applications, (ie, no trails, hill climbs) I'm thinking the Line-x would be somewhat impervious to chipping, holes ect. The trick is how smooth the bottom is, and how clean the weld beads. As long as there are no undercuts or pinholes in the weld beads, and no pitting, the adhesion and protection should be rather indefinite. As you know, the first worst issue of rust on these trucks is due to the desigh of the inner reinforcement for the wheel wells. Since my design moves the inner walls to 1/2" of the outer walls, and then uses integral sidewall storage compartments / tool boxes for structural rigidity, and all are integrated into the floor framing members... well anyway the foam inbetween the inner and outer walls, and integrated d-plate wheel wells will help insure that there is no place that moisture or dirt can get in and rest. This also gives me the equivalent deck space of a drop in plus app. 6" wide tool boxes running along both sides, or about 12 cu ft of lockable storage...That's the plan. The primary reason I want the protection on the bottom is to keep the winter salt from attacking thew aluminum. I have this huge terrarium in my office with a steel frame painted in hammer tone, and in a couple of areas where it has been subjected to a lot of moisture and lizard poo, the paint has failed. This is why I want something more heavy duty.

 

And who says the terrarium was prepped right?