Thoughts on Full Rust Treatment

A close friend has a 2014 Tundra with some pretty decent rust here in NJ (it’s actually very similar to my 2014 FJ level of rust so if needed I could get pictures of that). He loves this truck and wants to keep it forever and found a local shop here that does a full rust treatment. They wash it, wire brush and scrape current rust, put a rust inhibitor on, paint the entire frame with this rust proof paint, then fluid film every part and it genuinely looks amazing once done. This treatment costs $2400 and it seems if he doesn’t do anything it’s just going to rust through eventually.

What is everyone’s thoughts on this type of treatment? I’d probably do the same on my FJ if it’s a logical thing to do.

 

This is the 2nd year that I have coated my truck with Fluid Film. Need to start using before it starts rusting but the way I understand it will stop it from rusting any more once it is applied. The $2400 price really dose not seem all that bad considering how much work it will take to clean up the rust. A well maintained truck is worth the investment living in the rust belt.

 

First time using FF for me this season. I’d take preventative maintenance action almost immediately.

If your buddy has the money to do it, I’d say go for it or trade it in for a newer model if he wants to keep the 2.5gen.

 

Can't hurt anything, so yeah do it. Just sprayed 5 cans of Fluid Film on my own truck for the same reason.

 

Dang. That seems expensive, but if there’s a lot of labor involved brushing existing rust and repainting, maybe it’s actually pretty reasonable. We don’t have the issues here that y’all do, but we do have a very wet and rainy winter typically. We get potholes galore from the rain freezing in small cracks in the road, and the city does salt the roads after a freezing rain or the rare snow.

I’m hoping that my yearly investment of 3-4 cans of Amsoil HD Metal Protectant on pays off over the long run. The underside of my truck looks great after one year, so we’ll see!

 

Not worth it unless a lifetime for him is maybe 10-12 years tops. The frame will eventually rust from the inside out.

 

When I first got my '17, there was a lot of light surface rust on the underside. I hit it with rust converter after a light hit of wire brushing. I then Fluid Filmed it. Got under there again a couple weeks ago, some of the FF had worn off, but everything looked pretty good. I gave it another coat and figure I'll hit it every year. Now it looks new underneath. Since the frame is accessible, I pulled the plugs and used their long want to get that as well.

 

OP can you send me the name of the place in NJ? I’d like to look into this for rust bucket Land Cruiser

 

Man it sucks trying to keep a vehicle rust free.
The price you were given doesn’t seam to bad considering that’s a ton of work to clean up the frame specially if they are doing a decent job.
It’s always best to protect it from the beginning if you have the option. Mine has had 6 winters in real crapy weather with no real rust showing. Using corrosion free as my rust protection seams to work but it looks messy.

 

If you spray inside the box frame it won’t rust trough and most of the Tundra isn’t that way so doing a decent job can get him many years.
My 1999 Silverado is still on the road today because I rust proofed yearly and the guy that bought it from me has continued to do so.

 

I question the protection some of the sprays like fluid film and also Eastwood's zinc coating spray made to protect inside the frame. It wouldn't be hard to miss an area and have water pool between globs of fluid film.

I know the stuff Toyota used in the recall is pure crap as it did nothing to protect mine. The Silverado didn't have the same rust issue that Toyota had.

 

I don’t have experience with either of the products you mentioned but corrosion free will not leave globs it continually creeps across the surface and lays flat. There are other products that will do the same thing. Toyota’s definitely had a problem with frame rust but the rest of the truck held out pretty good better than most. My sons taco had a frame inspection a few years back and zero rust …dealer feels it’s the rust proofing that’s keeping it from becoming a problem

 

Are these rust inhibiter sprays compatible with all rubberized components?

 

I can just imagine the swearing I'd do if one of these trucks came into my work and I had to work on it. Ugh. We recently had a customer bring a 4Runner in that he coated the entire undercarriage with thick wheel bearing type grease. Needless to say, it was a f'n mess to work on.

I'm in Chicago and we do a ton of frame replacements on Toyota vehicles due to rust perforation, but non of my now 6 trucks have rusted that badly.

 

Fluid Film comes off if you power wash it, so that isn't a big deal...and it claims it is ok for rubber. I looked it over pretty good a couple weeks ago and it's had it on for over a year...everything looked good, no changes in how the hoses, etc looked, other than looking wet. The stuff doesn't clump up...it runs at first, spreading out and flattening. After a while it sets up like a thin wax. When I changed the diff oils, I washed it off the area to avoid contaminating the fluids, came off easy enough.