Second Opinion on Minor Body Rust

This is my first time doing anything with body paint and I think I'm certain of what I need to do, after I take the steps off. I have two spots on my body that I will use Por-15 on followed by clear coat, but first I will use a wire brush and sandpaper. Now is Por-15 recommended for the two spots or should I try PlastiKote Rust Converter that I've read about a few times on this site? Also is there any type of brush-on Clear Coat that I could just brush on vs having to buy plastic to cover up all but the two spots and spray the clear coat?

Spot 1

Spot 2

I also have a spot under my back window and I plan on just using the sandpaper on followed by touch-up paint. Is this the best action to take or should I use Por-15 also followed by touch-up?

Backwindow

If the first spot was bigger I might consider replacing the entire dog leg, but I'd much rather stop it right now then spend money unless it's the only way.

 

[MONMIX]

in the top two photos the rust is coming from the inside out.
POR 15 will do little more than slow things down.

I am confused by your question about brush on clear vs. covering it with plastic.

Any where ANY WHERE there is rust the best method is to remove all the rust completely. In the case of your rear window you might get lucky and grind all that out, but make sure you go at least two inches beyond the currently rusted area.

Rust never sleeps.

 

[Anime]

When you remove the steps you might be in for a big surprise. The rust on the rocker panels, especially the rear, can be really, really bad.

You will need to cut away the rusted metal, weld on new metal, and THEN you can either use POR-15 or do a paint and clear or both.

The spot under the window could just be sanded to bare metal, and then apply POR-15, or even just some touch-up and clear if all you want to do is keep it from getting any worse.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Agreed- if you pull the running boards off, most likely your rockers will look something like the ones posted above... POR-15 won't save them.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Agreed- if you pull the running boards off, most likely your rockers will look something like the ones posted above... POR-15 won't save them.

x2. your not going to want to go there if you have never done any type of bodywork. and no, fiberglass really isnt going to help if that will be your next question.

 

[zboarman]

Anime and Joe Dirt, that's my fear is when I actually pull that apart that it will be rusted past the point of repair and will need to be replaced. I've been quoted 800 dollars by a body shop to replace that entire dog leg if I find the dog leg from a junked explorer. Not sure why they couldn't use part #9 and off of this LMC Truck catalog page (It's a 98 Ford Explorer 4 Door)http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fex/full.aspx?Page=23. I would do it myself, but I do not feel confident in my ability to butt-weld without burning through the metal.

To Monmix, I was referring to is there clear coat that I can just apply with a brush? Or is the best way to apply it is to cover the area with plastic and cut a hole to only clear coat what's needed.

Also Anime, that's what I couldn't decide was if I should use POR-15 on the rear window spot or not. I'd rather spend the time and effort to do it right then only put touchup paint on and it come back sooner than if I used POR-15.

So would this POR-15 kit be good to use on the back window spot?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/POR-15-Super-Starter-Kit-SSKB-Rust-Preventive-Black-Gloss-/271235910358

 

[zboarman]

x2. your not going to want to go there if you have never done any type of bodywork. and no, fiberglass really isnt going to help if that will be your next question.

I wouldn't try to use fiberglass I've seen people in my family use it enough to know it will not stay bonded, just more work in the end to fix it right.

So for a person that hasn't done body work what limit should I set before I decide to go ahead and have a body shop do it? I hope when I go take it off that it's not rusted that bad but after reading several other posts I wouldn't be surprised as it's been there since I've bought it back in Spring of 2011. But being a college student I couldn't have fixed it back then as to now I have better pay so I can halfway get work done bit by bit.

 

[MONMIX]

no way in hell will you find a rust free junk yard explorer.

 

[Anime]

If you want to save money, you don't have to do much actual repair.

You really can just remove the step, cut away the rust, then just coat what's left with POR-15, or even just bedliner (Herculiner works), though I'd suggest giving it a few coats of some rust-preventative paint before bedlining it so the rust doesn't come back, with the bedliner over bare metal.

You also have the option to either cut away more of the bottom part of the rocker panels, or just cut most of them away entirely, except perhaps for the part with the holes so there is something for the step to click into for cosmetic purposes.

The 4-doors don't have any parts of the rocker that are open to the interior (like the 2 door Sports do), so you can cut away the whole rocker and not weld anything back in it's place if you want. Paint and coat with bedliner and tah-dah, you've taken care of the rust yourself and saved hundreds if not a thousand or more.

Replace the step, which will cover up the missing lower part of the rocker, mount it like it was, and you're done.

The only thing you might consider doing is adding on new mounting points for the step brackets if the rust took some of the ones closer to the rear of the vehicle away.


If you want to have it done "correctly", professionally, you can use the brand new dog leg and rocker panel aftermarket body pieces. I would not suggest getting used take-off body panels when new, non-rusted ones are available. Anything that needs repair that the dog leg/rocker pieces don't cover can be filled in with sheet metal.

Keep in mind though, that the same rust will eventually befall the brand new parts!

The rocker panels on Explorers have poor, poor drainage, and the holes that the plastic bodywork goes into gives water, salt, etc. a place to go and the rust festers inside unless you drilled holes in the bottom of them long ago.

I'd say it's better to either just cut away the rockers and leave what you need, or if you get new rocker panels, do away with the steps or any plastic bodywork at all and just get nerf bars.


As for the spot on the rear, find a color-matched can of spray paint, get can of auto primer, sand, prime, paint, clear, and there you go.

Plus you'll now be prepared for any other cosmetic touch-ups in the future.

 

[zboarman]

Anime, that's exactly what I was wanting to know was could I just remove the rust spots and cover them over with POR-15. But the nerf bars idea you mentioned does look appealing if the step mounting bracket is to far gone as I actually use those steps to access my roof and for daily use.

Of course if I do go the POR-15 route and remove the rust infected metal, what if in the future I have cash to burn and I want to fix it right?
How much more difficult would I have made it since I waited and covered it in POR-15? Or would it just be a matter of sanding the POR-15 off, removing a few inches more into the metal and doing what I would have done otherwise?

It would be sometime next year at the earliest before I would consider doing a proper fix as I'm at 206K miles and I'm planning on changing the timing belt as it's the original SOHC engine. Plus the tires are getting worn with about 50,000 miles on them. So would the POR-15 keep the rust from spreading any more for about 9 months to a year.

 

[Anime]

As mentioned, I doubt you'll just find rust "spots", you will likely at least find minor rust-through, as in holes in the side of the rocker, if not the entire rear piece rusted throughout. It may hold it's shape right now, but a few whacks with a hammer and it'll crumble like a rust cookie.

The downside to not doing anything now is letting the rust eat away more and more of the upper part of the rocker, meaning more fabrication from sheet metal if the replacement body panels can't replace all of the rusted metal.

If you want to cut off the rusted parts now, then possibly fix it some other way later on, I would just use rust preventative paint rather than bedliner, as bedliner is tough and messy stuff to grind/sand/wire wheel off. The Rust Preventative spray enamel they sell at wallyworld works good, as does good 'ol Rust Oleum, so just get whatever you want to use or can get.

If you want to keep the steps, I would say just cut the rust off the rockers and paint it, or if the rust turns out to be throughout the rockers, front to back, just cut them off below the holes, paint/bedliner the thing inside and out and be done with it. The only repair I'd do is welding on some sheet metal to add back the holes in the rear (without the bottom of the rocker anymore) so the plastic part of the step has something to go into, if it indeed pops into the holes on the side there like the plastic body cladding.

If for some reason you want to repair the rockers back to factory, I would only do it without the holes, otherwise it's a waste of money.


If you decide to cut the rockers and go with nerf bars, you can cut/weld the nerf bar brackets so the nerf bars go up a few inches higher, since they no longer need to clear the factory rocker panel, just whatever metal is left under the doors. This is a good option since it takes care of the rust, you just buy nerf bars, and you still save money versus paying for body work.