Rust Repair Help Please
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New User
Joined: Aug 2010
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Rust Repair Help Please
New to the forum...and Ford trucks. Actually this is the first truck Ive owned
Picked up a 04 f250 regular cab long bed with no options as a work truck. The truck has some extensive rust on it esp for an 04. My plans are to get the bed rhino lined then pull the bed off remove most of the rust on the frame and spray a rust seal sold by sherwin williams then put down a layer of under coating. Same for the cab foward, Ill just be laying on my back.
My question: Can the supports under the bed, between the bed and the frame, be replaced fairly easily? They dont appear to be welded to the bed or the frame, just sandwhiched btn the frame and the bed. Mine are rusted pretty bad and they appear too thin and rusted to repair. I suppose the worst case scenerio is me getting some stock tubing and making my own. Just wanted to see what the experts thought.
Sorry about the long post. Thanks to everyone in advance.
Picked up a 04 f250 regular cab long bed with no options as a work truck. The truck has some extensive rust on it esp for an 04. My plans are to get the bed rhino lined then pull the bed off remove most of the rust on the frame and spray a rust seal sold by sherwin williams then put down a layer of under coating. Same for the cab foward, Ill just be laying on my back.
My question: Can the supports under the bed, between the bed and the frame, be replaced fairly easily? They dont appear to be welded to the bed or the frame, just sandwhiched btn the frame and the bed. Mine are rusted pretty bad and they appear too thin and rusted to repair. I suppose the worst case scenerio is me getting some stock tubing and making my own. Just wanted to see what the experts thought.
Sorry about the long post. Thanks to everyone in advance.
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,624
Likes: 7
From: OR and UT
Let me guess, you live in the mid-west or northeast? 
Sorry about the rust issues, hopefully you got a killer buy on the truck. I think your plan is sound, but I agree with my brethren that you would probably way ahead money and time wise if you just found another bed to throw on there.
Oh, and welcome!!!!
Sorry about the rust issues, hopefully you got a killer buy on the truck. I think your plan is sound, but I agree with my brethren that you would probably way ahead money and time wise if you just found another bed to throw on there.
Oh, and welcome!!!!
Last edited by BigPigDaddy; Aug 2, 2010 at 07:28 PM. Reason: Just saw WV in your profile. Is the truck from rust belt?
Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,624
Likes: 7
From: OR and UT
Actually I feel for you guys. It would break my heart to see my truck with rust holes in it. I honestly can't fathom how it must feel to see your 4 year old truck (or younger) with cancer. Ugh!
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,202
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Well let me tell you, IT SUCKS!!! I just got my truck back from the body shop for this reason, and I spent alot of $$$ trying for a longer term solution. Ford could do a better job of prepping these trucks for the elements.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
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Since I bought my 02 new, let me tell you how they were delivered. First the dealer tried to upsell me their undercoating, and could not believe it when I passed. Got the truck home, bare shiny metal driveshaft, under the cab and box, grey primer, seam sealer ooozing from the seams. Undid the spare tire, and took it to Ziebart. Then when I got it back , went underneath and painted the driveshaft, and touched up where ever Ziebart missed. Years later , all is still perfect. Prevention is the key prior to rust forming.
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New User
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. In the back of the bed it has the most rust but it has not rusted through. I wanted to replace the rails the bed sits on because they are thin, and have extensive rust. Im confident that i can take a grinder with a wire brush to the frame and clean it nicely, however there will be little left of the bed supports (not sure what they are really called) after I do that to them because of how thin they are. I thought it would be better to just replace them, rather than fix them.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 52
From: Southern Colorado
You mentioned applying 'undercoating'. Please do not use any tar-based undercoating products on an already-rusted truck, no matter how good your prep work is. This will ultimately make things worse. There are many rustproofing recipes on the 'net, or use good-old axle grease and smear it on by hand or pump it in with a grease gun. Squirt 90wt into cavities and shut the doors on newspaper (after squirting them) to soak up the excess. Tar-based undercoating products will crack in time and trap water/salt/dirt behind them and make things worse. In your case, a replacement bed seems like a wise plan.
Senior User
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 146
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From: Black Hills
I have the same deal on my truck as well, body shop quoted $400 for the job plus another $400 for Linex on the bottom. If I road trip to the west coast I may just pick up a newer bed, save some cash on shipping (and just blow it on gas).
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