I recently found rust on the rear axle beam, on both sides near the strut/shock absorber bolts. They are actually bubbling and the original black paints are peeling off. I brought it in to a dealer for inspection today, but they said it's only surface rust. Does this look like it? I owned the car for 18 months but it did not look like this 6 months ago.
That's about right. Front end will be worse. Do you do an under the case rinse? So sad......so easy to mitigate this.
that looks like possible a safety issue. i would open a file with nitsa. sometimes toyota baffles me.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. You live on Longuylan. That's right next to the Atlantic Ocean, and they salt the roads in the Winter. The answer is to wire brush off the loose rust, treat it with a phosphate rust converter, prime and paint it with black paint. Spray cans are just fine. My favorite. The MSDS says it is 47% phosphoric acid.
Heavy structural members are expected to get rusty during their life. That said, some of the rust looks significant, the first picture for example. Being second owner, I'd wager the car was neglected, not washed much, salty environment. How many miles on the odometer? I'd get on it, get the car on a hoist, follow Mike's advice.
in this day and age, it's just not right that we need to get under a $30,000. car and scrape the rust off.
Rude person's is bang on. Follow his instructions. UK cars in general suffer the same, some more than others
I've used Rust-Mort. Rust-Mort Products | SEM Products Here's ours, roughly same point-of-view as your pic number four: bottom of rear suspension. We've got a fairly temperate climate, mild winters, so not that much road salt. And the car is garage kept, 49000 km's on the odometer.
The stuff is made here about fifty miles up the road from me, in South Carolina. It is the same phosphoric acid conversion solution. I can get the Krud Kutter "Must for Rust" for $8 a quart at Lowe's any day. The Rust Mort costs about $30 a quart. The only reason for buying the Rust Mort is that you can say that you're a "rust mortician." The bolt is a failed "zinc phosphate" coating. Prior to RoHS environmental regulations, bolts were plated with cadmium or zinc chromate. Cadmium and hexavalent chromium coatings were more rust resistant to corrosion, but have been banned for their toxicity to the environment.
mycnam - The corrosion in your pictures looks like the severe stuff that afflicts the cars my relatives own on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Atlantic sea air and high humidity can really do a lot of damage in a short time. As has been recommended, you should neutralize the existing corrosion ASAP and try to prevent future exposure to the conditions that cause it.
Those who consistently claim that "rustproofing" does no good, should pay attention to these post and just look at videos on TV when a car is flipped over. Even with the mild weather, here in Upstate South Carolina, there is extensive rust all over the bottom of cars. Just the appearance of no rust on the painted body doesn't mean there is no rust elsewhere.
I'm working with POR-15 today. Removed the struts and springs, tried my best to remove the rust. The rust is even inside the spring well: When I got the car I inspected the undercarriage, this part is like new, the previous owner must have garaged it. 18 months parking on the driveway took its toll... I didn't wash the car very often last winter because water might "activate" the salt, but I did wash it thoroughly in spring. It did not rust like this 6 months ago. 78400 miles on the odometer. 12000 miles from me. My bolts do not look so bad after wire brushing: For future rustproofing, does this Blaster grease from Home Depot work well? It's half the price of Fluid Film. Blaster 11 oz. Corrosion Stop Grease-16-CSP - The Home Depot Oh yes, the body panels in the undercarriage look great, with only tiny spots of surface rust. Some bolts are all rusted.
Yes I use CSP like crazy. Best product ever. I hose the undercarriage down and no rust ever. In LI i would hose the car down good with csp and not wash the undercarriage till spring Because just like you said sqeeky clean metal and a little salt and it will rust like crazy. Get it all greasy under there and happy car. I grew up in VT and no one washes there car all winter there. And its brutal there. Spray the hood latches door hinges throttle body spring hatch lock and hinges and spray some csp in the door key hole.
I've used different versions of this stuff for the last 45 years. Transtar 4423 Amber Rustproofing 24 oz Aerosol Prevents Rust Free Shipping | eBay I did my Prius"v" nearly three years, ago. There's not a speck of rust. One unintended benefit is that the petroleum wax and mineral spirits base deters rodents and animals. I did my 1998 Mazda MPV 16 years, ago. The bolts and parts come off like they were new. There are very few surface rusted places anywhere. I will continue to do ALL of my future vehicles.
