The Everpresent Battle Against Rust
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5th Wheeling
Joined: Nov 2024
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The Everpresent Battle Against Rust
Afternoon.
It has been raining for 3 days now locally. I mention this because for the first time since the early 80's, the F700 I am working on has cleared and exposed chassis rails. No body on top. Which means this is the first time the weather has been on it in this way. I can't even fathom how many times it was driven in rain and spray was washing everywhere underneath...I noticed that the rear bump stops -my words for them-for the rear leafs, are riveted to the rails, as are the forward pair, but there is no way for moisture to not get trapped inside that forging. I only noticed as I put it in the garage today it was holding water, hopefully for the first time. (yeah, right) My OCD causes me to wonder: Over the last 43 years, how much crap has been collecting in those things and holding moisture. Before I construct a flat bed and hide everything again, I was going to do my best to clean the rails up and add some kind of protection...I can't help but to want to.
Has anyone ever considered grinding off those rivets, treating the steel underneath accordingly, and then bolting them back on with some grade 8's?
It bugs me that there is a rot-farm going on inside there.
Landon
It has been raining for 3 days now locally. I mention this because for the first time since the early 80's, the F700 I am working on has cleared and exposed chassis rails. No body on top. Which means this is the first time the weather has been on it in this way. I can't even fathom how many times it was driven in rain and spray was washing everywhere underneath...I noticed that the rear bump stops -my words for them-for the rear leafs, are riveted to the rails, as are the forward pair, but there is no way for moisture to not get trapped inside that forging. I only noticed as I put it in the garage today it was holding water, hopefully for the first time. (yeah, right) My OCD causes me to wonder: Over the last 43 years, how much crap has been collecting in those things and holding moisture. Before I construct a flat bed and hide everything again, I was going to do my best to clean the rails up and add some kind of protection...I can't help but to want to.
Has anyone ever considered grinding off those rivets, treating the steel underneath accordingly, and then bolting them back on with some grade 8's?
It bugs me that there is a rot-farm going on inside there.
Landon
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 2,543
Likes: 322
From: Harned, Ky
Sounds like your talking about the bump stops for the overload springs, yes that’s a bad design that was never changed
If you cut out the rivets to clean the rails use flange head bolts and nut when reinstalling, regular bolts and washers with wallow out the holes over time and not stay tight
If you cut out the rivets to clean the rails use flange head bolts and nut when reinstalling, regular bolts and washers with wallow out the holes over time and not stay tight
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