Rust problem: Can I get to the inside of the rear fender?

[2kv8]

I have some rust thats seems to coming from the inside and getting pretty bad on my right rear fender/ quarter panel of my 00 Explorer.:fire: I noticed that there is glue of some sort holding the quarter panel to the wheel arch. Is it possible to cut out the glue to gain access to the rust from the inside and apply POR 15 to help stop it? I plan on grinding it down on the outside and applying the POR 15, filling, priming and painting. I am planning on keep the Explorer as long as I can so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[koda2000]

the best you can do to access the rear inner fender is to remove the cargo area interior panels and that will not get you great access (remove the jack compartment cover for a quick preview). the rear quarter panel is either glued or welded to the inner wheel arch. to make a good repair you really need to cut out the rusty part of the quarter panel, grind down the place where it was attached to the wheel arch and install a repair panel. if the wheel arch isn't too rusted you can neutralize the rust and use a product like POR15 to keep it from rusting any further. most likely the quarter is spot welded to the wheel arch and the glue you think you see is a seam sealant. the best way is to drill out spot welds and pry off the remaining metal. there's a special drill bit for doing this. trying to do this repair any other way will not hold for very long before the rust reappears. this area tends to rust because there are multiple layers of metal. moister/road salt eventually seep in between the layers where there is poor/no ventilation and you get rust.

 

[Alaskakid87]

the best you can do to access the rear inner fender is to remove the cargo area interior panels and that will not get you great access (remove the jack compartment cover for a quick preview). the rear quarter panel is either glued or welded to the inner wheel arch. to make a good repair you really need to cut out the rusty part of the quarter panel, grind down the place where it was attached to the wheel arch and install a repair panel. if the wheel arch isn't too rusted you can neutralize the rust and use a product like POR15 to keep it from rusting any further. most likely the quarter is spot welded to the wheel arch and the glue you think you see is a seam sealant. the best way is to drill out spot welds and pry off the remaining metal. there's a special drill bit for doing this. trying to do this repair any other way will not hold for very long before the rust reappears. this area tends to rust because there are multiple layers of metal. moister/road salt eventually seep in between the layers where there is poor/no ventilation and you get rust.

I second this reply!! I do just wanna say that if you feel its too much to tackle don't do it unless you are equipped with everything needed for the repair.

 

[J_C]

Yeah, having a body shop fix this with welded in panels was the only major expense I've ever had on my X... I've never even bought tires for it, got the 2nd set as a replacement after the Firestone recall fiasco and then won the 3rd set in a lottery.

Anyone know of a way to pull rust stains out of the clear coat on the running boards? I thought about trying clay or some type of acid but it's barely even noticeable unless you're looking for it. Maybe I should try some acid in an inconspicuous little spot.