Save Your Doors from Rust

[Sbyrne97]

So after nearly 200,000 miles of life I started to notice the bottom edge of my doors were developing some rust. Not wanting to buy new doors I decided to do some preventive maintenance. First I picked up a wire brush kit from Harbor Freight to grind off the rust, I used the small 1/2 inch brush to grind off initial rust, then the flap wheel to finish off any small spots. Cleaned it up with water, soap, alcohol and allowed to dry. Then used Dupli-Color adhesion promoter for assurance. Not having POR 15 (college kid) I used dupli-color truck bed liner spray with I used on my rockers and had good success. Came out good!

 

[DanaM]

Nice, I got a project coming up like that.

D a n a

 

[Sbyrne97]

one day i want to take the doors off and paint the whole inside...but don't have the time nor money

 

[kohizer95]

Wow, nice job cleaning it up! Way to get to bare metal

I've had a lot of success with good old RustOleum on rust repair, I found that (non line-x) bedliners can chip and peel over time

 

[volver]

Mine were rusted threw. I attacked them with a screw driver to knock off the rust. Used a rust neutralizer. Then painted them. After the paint was dry i bonboed them, sanded and repainted. They haven't rusted yet this winter hope they are not rusting from the inside out.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Nice write up! Looks good especially for DIY. Used Dupli Color liner on my side steps, so far holding up well. Dont drive the Ex in the winter much.

 

[Electrohacker]

in my experience the bed liner is rather poor, I recommend using a rustoleum primer under it, this seems to help it last.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

I agree, I didnt actually paint them myself. They were sandblasted, a 2 part rust inhibitor was used, primered, and them dupli bed liner.

 

[#1blackexploder]

now for the true step in rust proofing your door..... take off the door panel and clean the rust out at the bottom of the door at the seam and either spray some bedliner in there or put some new paint and some silicon.... the reason for this is that water comes in from the window and runs down to the bottom of the door and starts to rust out the seam..... if you fix the out side it will only be temporary as the rust is coming from the inside out.......

 

[gijoecam]

The hem flange on every Ford made before 2001is all but guaranteed to rust through. By the time you see it on the surface, it's already unstoppable. I work with the corrosion engineer that helped fix the problem. Even he said that they all will do it. The way that hem flange is designed, the they got poor e-coat penetrationinto the hem flange itself compared to the newer open hem design. The old design also prevents any moisture that does find its way in there from drying quickly. Sooner or later they're all going to rust there.