Fender Rust
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: NJ
Fender Rust
Hi,
I have some really annoying rust over the driver's rear wheel. It started out as some really small bubbles a few months ago, but it has grown to an area about as big as my hand, and the middle is cracked open. There are a few smaller bubbles along the fender and a few small ones on the passenger's side. I was thinking that once it warms up, I would grind it out and see how bad it really is. Then, I would bondo as best I can, if I can, and paint. I probably can't get it to look good though, I'm a really bad painter. So, I guess I would just cover it with a set of fender flares painted to match my truck, even though I'm not crazy about how they look, and they're expensive. Are there any better options? Any suggestions on how to go about fixing this?
Thanks
I have some really annoying rust over the driver's rear wheel. It started out as some really small bubbles a few months ago, but it has grown to an area about as big as my hand, and the middle is cracked open. There are a few smaller bubbles along the fender and a few small ones on the passenger's side. I was thinking that once it warms up, I would grind it out and see how bad it really is. Then, I would bondo as best I can, if I can, and paint. I probably can't get it to look good though, I'm a really bad painter. So, I guess I would just cover it with a set of fender flares painted to match my truck, even though I'm not crazy about how they look, and they're expensive. Are there any better options? Any suggestions on how to go about fixing this?
Thanks
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
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If you are going to repair it ,,you need to cut out anything that is rusty on the inside ,,keep cutting until the steel is clean on the back side . I do it a little at a time ,so I don't go any farther than I have to . Fit a patch of 22 guage steel ,a 1/2 inch or so larger than the hole ,,& weld it in (with a wire welder & a stich technique ) or a spot welder if you have one ,,cooling with air every 5-10 seconds ,then filler ..
Bondo won't last without patching it first ...
More than likely ,some one sells pre formed patch panels for the Veh...
Bondo won't last without patching it first ...
More than likely ,some one sells pre formed patch panels for the Veh...
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: NJ
I got a quote from a body shop. Ready for this... Drumroll please.... $1600. Yes, sixteen hundred US dollars. I don't want it to look like crap, and it's getting rapidly bigger. I would rather pay the dealer/shop $400 to do whatever Ben's shop would do then do it myself and just have to cover it up with some flares that I don't even like hand would end up spending about $400 on. Ben, what did your shop say they were going to do?
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From: Wayne, PA
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Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Wayne, PA
I was also (still am ) thinking about grinding it out myself and using a primer then cover it with fender flares. Another idea I had was to remove the bed, sell it on ebay and get a flat bed for it. Problem with the flat bed is this is not a beat up work truck. Still my daily driver.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: NJ
I also had similar thoughts, but a flatbed would be impractical for me. I think I'll check my local dealers. It doesn't need to be perfect, I just don't want it to keep spreading. It looks like my truck has some terrible disease.
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Elder User
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From: NJ
I had a thought. My bed really is worse than I like to think. The passenger's side had been bondoed before, and it is starting to peel up. The rust on the driver's side is so bad that if I press had from the inside of the wheelwell, I could probably put my had through it. It is rusting from the inside out. Also, the previous owner didn't have a bedliner, so the bed surface looks like heck. Is it insane to contemplate getting another bed entirely? If I just happened to find one at a salvage yard with front end collision that was painted my color (obnoxious red), how much would it cost? COuld I sell my current one for anything?
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I just picked up a bed side from the local pull & pay for $75 ... so you might think about just doing the bed sides 1 at a time as you find good ones. It seems that a good complete bed runs between $500-$700, but fairly hard to find .... atleast around here.
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From: Hampstead, NC