Always keep the rear fender openings hidden inner lip clear of roaddirt buildup.

Always keep the bedsides stabilized(when tailgate is removed they can loosen up and rust will form in the metal-joints)

Anyone have a tip for preventing the bottom of the doors or other areas from rusting away?

 

Dont get them dirty?

My .02

 

For what it is worth, I always check the rear portion of the cab, where the roof seam joins the body of the cab. The seam sealer will often crack and allow water in. Then the roof and body of the cab tend to rust from the inside out. If you do not intend on painting your truck, you could use a clear silcone sealer and with a little time, you can get it into the seam without gobs of the stuff hanging outside. If you are going to paint your truck, you can remove all the old sealer and use 3M seam sealer, sand and paint.Another area is the top of the windshield. I've noticed a lot of cabs with the top part of the windshield rusted out from the inside. I'm guessing this is simply a weather stripping issue.

 

The '77-79 pickups had plastic liners in the front fenders. This keeps the mud from collecting in the rear part of the fender and rusting. I have some to put into my '73 to keep the mud out.

My '73 has running boards, they keep most of the mud off the cab. They are very neccessary, since I live on a gravel road, easier for others to get in too (even though I don't use them).

Marty

 

Move to Arizona

 

Try heating some engine oil and pouring into the door, the thin viscosity will get into places it otherwise wouldn't.
A third generation rustproffer did this to my 92" B-4 applying a bees wax consistency undercoating 7 yrs ago. No rust yet, in Michigan too. The salt capital.
Later, HoBo

 

an old autobody friend of mine said he will spray the inside of the cowl ,fenders ect with tranny fluid. he put it in one of those pesticide sprayers. was really good at getting in the tight spots. he said he would do it once every month for a year ir two and then leave it. with road dust buildup and oil saturation he had no rust problems.



yay post 200

 

I have some spare brake rotors sitting in my garage, I coated the braking surfaces with tranny fluid to prevent them rusting and pitting, after two years I re-coated them as the box had been chewed by "rodents" and I noticed a liitle rust starting to form when I cleaned out that corner of the garage

 

You can also buy various oil based rust inhibitors specially formulated for that. I use fluid film myself.. I live in BC canada where there's lots of road salt. I hose down my trucks in fluid film every fall and it does a great job of keeping the rust away. Gets into all the nooks and crannies and seals out moisture.

 

Find a wand car wash that has a FREE under-carriage spray to get rid of road grime ...as you leave....Like they have in Calgary

 

This might be a little extreme, But - I'm doing a frame off Restoration on my 79. The body was flawless in terms and rust and dents. There were no patches and less than a Pint of filler in the whole body. I dug out all of the original filler in every seam and removed the factory paint down to bare metal. It was resealed with a Urethane seam sealer after etching primer. Then base coated black and clear coated. We then coated the bottom of the cab and the inside floor from the firewall top seam to the seam 4-5" under the rear window with Speed-Liner bed liner material. My bodyshop buddy says that I shouldn't worry at all about winter in Michigan. But after the labor hours I am not counting I doubt it'll see rain. I plan to have for 30 more years.

 

Keep your vehicle clean and know where the common rust spots are on these trucks. Most common spots are:

Rear area of front fenders: keep them washed, get the splash guards if you don't have them (expensive if buy new).

Bottom of Doors: open your doors when washing and make sure you get the bottom clean. just washing the outside with doors closed will not get it all.

Rear Wheel Arches: Really have to get down and dirty with those. Take a garden hose and stick it down the holes in the top of the bed and let it run a while to get the top of the inner fender arch. Don't assume you got everything when the water turns clear. Move the hose back and run it along the inside on top of the inner fender arch and then back to the top hole in the bed. You'd be surprised on how much more dirt you'll get out.

Rear of the bed behind the bumper: Again just keep it clean. Good place for mudd to set up.

Lay down on a creeper from time to time with your truck up on some ramps and get your garden hose or power washer out. Your going to get dirty, but really take a look at the underside and wash it. I would say anything that can and could be undercoated, do it. Just make sure dirt and grime are gone. You don't want to undercoat or paint over hidden dirt and grime.

 

Can you elaborate on washing the inner fenders of the bed? Am I to stick a hose in every hole until it turns clear? Where will the water go?

 

Yeah stick the hose in the stake holes for the bed. There are drain holes where the outside fender meets the litle inner fender on the bed. They get plugged up and thats why the wheel arches rust out. You will be amazed at what washes out especially the rear holes. Washing out the rear holes will get behind the tail lights and all the way down to the bottom rear corner of the bed. Pay attention to where the water comes out then spray up into the drain hole to make sure you get everything. Also wash the square rails under the bed that rest on the frame. You should be able to see all the way across them. And make sure the drain holes in the doors are clear so they can to their job.

 

Sorry, I should have elaborated more on washing out the stake holes and what not.