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[jenren81]

What did you end up doing about your rusted rockers? I pulled plastic tupperware trim last night to discover some awesome rust rot on both sides, driver side way worse... I got lazy and didn't take them off the last two winters to clean up the salt and junk. I'm planning to cut out what I can, most of my trim holes are still intact. Did you just cut out and use the rust treatment on them and put the trim back on? Or did you put new sheetmetal in too? I'd like to lose the trim but looks like I'm going to have to keep it on to hide the ugliness!

Looks like I might need to learn how to weld also! Gotta keep the rust cancer at bay... seeing the rust made me think of your thread right away.

 

[Mike's brother]

Jenren, thanks for the note. I haven't been here in a while. Some family issues derailed my spring/summer upgrade plans, and I'm always too ashamed to come around when I'm behind on my own work.

You're right about those rockers. When they start to go, they go fast. I pulled all the plastic and, like you, was lucky enough that the metal that anchors the top of the tupperware was in OK shape. All I did was cut away everything that was pure rust, ground the rest clean, them primed and undercoated the heck out of it. It's about 14 months or so, and at least that part looks likes it holding its ground. Can't say the same for the front fender (right above the seam with the plastic nose) and the rear quarters over the wheelwells. They're just rotting like mad. I'm either going to have to learn to weld and paint, or I may end up as one of those Sports that's nothing but bedliner from the body line above the fenders on down.

Still on the lookout for this fender flares (they'd cover my rear rust nicely), so if I see any I'll let you know. Are you still stuck at 2?

Trying to decide now if I should pick up with the work in July, or just spend the time and money wheeling and get back to the upgrade/repair work when the lousy weather returns (which in Upstate New York, ain't long). Hope you're getting out and enjoying some trails.

 

[jenren81]

Jenren, thanks for the note. I haven't been here in a while. Some family issues derailed my spring/summer upgrade plans, and I'm always too ashamed to come around when I'm behind on my own work.

You're right about those rockers. When they start to go, they go fast. I pulled all the plastic and, like you, was lucky enough that the metal that anchors the top of the tupperware was in OK shape. All I did was cut away everything that was pure rust, ground the rest clean, them primed and undercoated the heck out of it. It's about 14 months or so, and at least that part looks likes it holding its ground. Can't say the same for the front fender (right above the seam with the plastic nose) and the rear quarters over the wheelwells. They're just rotting like mad. I'm either going to have to learn to weld and paint, or I may end up as one of those Sports that's nothing but bedliner from the body line above the fenders on down.

Still on the lookout for this fender flares (they'd cover my rear rust nicely), so if I see any I'll let you know. Are you still stuck at 2?

Trying to decide now if I should pick up with the work in July, or just spend the time and money wheeling and get back to the upgrade/repair work when the lousy weather returns (which in Upstate New York, ain't long). Hope you're getting out and enjoying some trails.

Thanks for the update! Still only have 2 flares, I might just throw them on the rear because my driver side wheel well lip is starting to rust too. I think I'll just take off what I can and use those to cover up my inevitably awesome paint job to cover up the rust

Looks like my holes are all intact too for the front piece of trim, the rear piece in front of the wheel is the worst part. I think I will do the same as you. However might be a good project to learn to weld on since it'll be covered up with trim anyway! Glad to hear yours has seemed to hold up.

Sorry to hear about issues with the fam, I've also had too much going on to get much done. After I at least put a bandaid on this rust situation I will enjoy the summer, you should do the same! Winter is a great time to work on projects

 

[Mike's brother]

OK folks, I think I'm back.

Between some family issues and a new job that locked me into 80-hour weeks and tons of travel, I missed a complete year or tooling and wheeling. Just rereading this, and it's clear I've got some work to do to be half as good as my BS ... but I'm heading out to the garage in an hour or so to start making a royal mess once again.

The good thing about the new gig is I got plenty of late-night hotel time, and being far too old and tired to do what smarter people do with late-night hotel time, I instead had hours to reread all my favorite upgrade threads here and start ordering some stuff online. My wife piled it all into the corner of our garage. Nice sight to come home to (the pile and the wife).

One added note ... just fired up the Ex for the first time in a while so I could roll it into the garage, and picked up an odd aroma. Turns out, it was burning chipmunk. Actually, I think he escaped, but his house is a wreck.

That's what I get for letting the rig sit idle for too many months. Now I'm off to go tear off my entire front suspension and give it the Gmanpaint overhaul. Here's hoping fortune favors the foolish.

:exp:

 

[Sogsnakebite]

Good to see your still working on the old gal love these trucks, yup always an ongoing rust fight .

I believe I actually got the last four flares they had so sorry guys but man they are tough

 

[rathrbcruisin]

wish i had that much ambition with mine. looks great!

 

[gmanpaint]

Nice!

I also have a pile of new parts to install this month in prep for a wheeling trip in May. I don't know about you, but a bunch of new parts boxes sitting in waiting, gives me slight anxiety. lol

 

[Mike's brother]

OK, knuckles are bloody and I smacked my head into the butt end of my front axle when a saw blade snapped (dog thought I was down for the count), but the nose is stripped. Plastic, metal and stuff off the front for access, to install the winch and for dealing with way more rust than I expected (is it possible they rust more when they're parked rather than on the road and trails?).

I also stripped all the front suspension parts off. Once again, rust sucks. I had to cut two of the lower control arm bolts out (passenger side). Those things are hard, and they ate about a dozen recip-saw blades before giving up. Did some digging around here and found a part number, and hopefully they're on there way from Silver State Ford by now. Here's just the wreckage from tearing out the lower arms.

The lower balls were Moog, and one (the leaky one) was still fairly fresh. The other, ripped out of the driver's side, looked clean but is absolutely frozen in one spot. No movement. Had to drill out all the rubber bushing stuff (man, that's a fine aroma) which had deformed pretty badly. Center bolts were way off center. It's all getting replaced with an Energy Suspension kit, and trust me, after these rust wars, I will be lubing and anti-seizing the hell out of everything. Raybestos pro grade balls will go back in. Lower arms are now on the strip-and-paint pile.

The most fun came once the uppers were out. Both sides are getting Raybestos pro grade upgrades (with the inner half on the passenger side getting new Energy Suspension bushings as well). The old ones, which seem like stock, either had a hard early life or they did not love having steel rims and 33s on there. They were trashed. The boots were ripped away from the arm, the socket was dry and I can get a solid 1/4-inch of play by hand pulling the post in and out. No wonder 70 mph on the interstate made me nervous. I had been blaming the guy who balances the tires. I might need to recant a few curses there.

The rest of the front end is pretty much along Gmanpaint's time-tested playbook, including new pro grade inner and outer ties rods. I didn't pull the trigger on swapping to coil-overs, although it would be darn easy will everything stripped down and cleaned. Need to save something for the next garage teardown, I guess.

Ready to paint and rebuild ...

:exp:

 

[Mike's brother]

Thanks for the update! Still only have 2 flares, I might just throw them on the rear because my driver side wheel well lip is starting to rust too. I think I'll just take off what I can and use those to cover up my inevitably awesome paint job to cover up the rust

Looks like my holes are all intact too for the front piece of trim, the rear piece in front of the wheel is the worst part. I think I will do the same as you. However might be a good project to learn to weld on since it'll be covered up with trim anyway! Glad to hear yours has seemed to hold up.

Sorry to hear about issues with the fam, I've also had too much going on to get much done. After I at least put a bandaid on this rust situation I will enjoy the summer, you should do the same! Winter is a great time to work on projects

Jen ... I just tore off the lower plastic on my rig and it's a total mess down there. I probably put 2,000 miles on the truck in the past 18 months, and the rust seems worse than when I drive over the salt and dirt every day. It I wasn't adding rock sliders, I'd be worried about having anything to remount that plastic to.

I'll post a few pics when I get to that stage. In the meantime, I'll be searching for the hardest of hard core rust treatments anyone can recommend. A few more inches up and my driver's seat will need to bolt to the transfer case to keep from hitting the road.

:exp:

 

[Mike's brother]

Good to see your still working on the old gal love these trucks, yup always an ongoing rust fight .

I believe I actually got the last four flares they had so sorry guys but man they are tough

Thanks dude, and no worries on the flares. The least we can do for our Canadian brethren.

I'll just keep my eye out for someone offering up a used set. With all the Ex's out there, time has to be on my side.

And your rig looks great. Love the snorkel.

 

[Mike's brother]

wish i had that much ambition with mine. looks great!

Thanks man. Keep reading around this forum and the bug will hit you.

:exp:

 

[Mike's brother]

Nice!

I also have a pile of new parts to install this month in prep for a wheeling trip in May. I don't know about you, but a bunch of new parts boxes sitting in waiting, gives me slight anxiety. lol

Thumbs up from you means a lot. Thanks. Hope you get your rig set up for Moab. I was hoping to make it out there -- never been, and there's a whole lot of folks from here I owe a beer for all the great advice -- but there no way my pile (and my work, and my wife) are going to give in and let me go.

:exp:

 

[Sogsnakebite]

I just recently replaced all my Moog parts, free because of warranty but man they don't seem to be the same quality they used to be

Just about to teR into my rust again, mines a daily over 150 km per day in back roads coated in salt, the freshly painted frame is covered in rust going to be a busy spring lol .

Keep up the good work bro love that truck of yours

 

[gmanpaint]

Someone had a fun day of tearing down the front end. lol What a mess! After it's all back together, the alignment will either make it seem worth it, or not. Reason I say that, is a bad alignment done, will take away from all you just did. Try to find a tech/shop that is more custom minded over production minded. One that can problem solve, not just read the stock specs off a computer screen. Hopefully you have the large 4* or 4.5* adjustment cams going back on.

I have become a huge fan of the POR15 paints, and that's all I am using on my rigs anymore. There are others out there that are popular. Eastwood makes great products for rust treatments & prevention I am told.

Decades ago, companies like "Ziebart" were all the rage for undercoatings. Sticky nasty tar like substances that got in the way of working on anything, and might have even caught fire. Sure worked tho! lol

 

[Sogsnakebite]

Those coatings are the reason my old gal was put to rest, the mud and water got between the coating and frame just killed her

 

[bats]

Those nasty undercoatings are the only thing holding my 72' Volvo together. They were good so long as they stayed sealed.