I've just got my 3rd Aerostar - a 95 with 150,000 mi. My 97 died(197,000)when I hit a deer in Iowa. This Aerostar came from Arizona and is RUST FREE. Since I live in Iowa (rust belt), is there something I can do to prevent or slow down the future rust? The underside is very clean.

 

Rust usually start from where you can't see it; inside body panels where moisture collect. Most common places are lower door edges and rocker panels. You can try protecting hose areas first; make sure the drain holes are clear of dirt. You can go further by pulling off the inner panels and clean them out from within, then applying additional protection, like Rustoleum primer diluted with mineral spirits so it flows into cracks and crevices. Getting to the inside of the rocker panels will be difficult, because you will have to take out the inner panels.

Or for something more serious than Rustoleum, you can try cosmoline, like this stuff:

Cosmoline - Industrial Grade Long-Term Rust Preventive | Cosmoline Direct

It has a really strong smell that hangs around for months.

 

Yea. When tire work needs to be done, take the tires off yourself and then take them in to the tire shop to be worked on. Because no matter how many times you tell the foreman NOT to put a jack on the rocker panel, some idiot will do it anyway, buckle it in and it won't drain out the moisture afterwards.
Off topic: You are a member for almost ten years and only 7 posts? I thought I was bad.

 

I see round plastic/rubber plugs on the inside on the lower rocker panels - under the van. Are these to access the inside of the rocker panels? If so, I see I could spray that down with a rust preventative product you mentioned.

Kruse, I guess I am pretty skimpy on the posts! I didn't realize I've been here that long. Your 926 posts looks good to me. BTW I did not know the bent rocker panel edges contributed to drainage issues. I did notice they looked good on this van, except in 4 places where I straighten them out.

Thanks for the info.

Jim

 

I'm in IA too, the salts as bad here as anywhere. Looked online and seems that in Canada and some northern spots in the states there are companies that spray a coating on the undersides of vehicles that will last the winter. Sounded like you do it yearly, kind of oil/wax type substance. Wish we had that locally and my driver Taurus's owner would have done it. I have no rockers or wheel arches left. Check online about it. Suffering from CRS right now.

 

You could try an outfit like Ziebart

It might help give it a little extra time. Best thing would to to keep it off the road as much as possible when the roads are covered with salt.

 

Seems the drivers side floor and the bottom of door jams is a serious rust issue on Aerostars. Mine came from California, so I applied a bunch of WAXOYL and keep it garaged.

 

The biggest area of trouble is water trapped in the rocker panels, as has been mentioned. If the rocker panels are undamaged now, then just do some rust treatment inside as has been discussed. If the panels are already damaged, as most of these vans are, then you need to drill some drainage holes prior to the rust treatment.

 

I'm now using fluid film inside rockers and inside the bottom of doors... No more rust.

 

in the past I have printed four 8½ X 11 papers and taped them to each corner of the rocker panels as a warning to the mechanic, among other warnings I made to the Service writer:

"DO NOT PLACE LIFT ARMS UNDER ROCKER PANELS, USE THE JACKING POINT BEHIND
THE ROCKER PANELS".