What is this, and how bad is this? :0

[fenrisx]

Is this the sway bar? I just noticed that today when looking under the 4Runner and scoping out the rust problem. (Bought the car here in GA, but didn't realize it spent it's life in Rhode Island.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/2425736117_9495be861c_b.jpg

And is this rust bad? Should I take a grinder to it, and then paint it with some Rustoleum? Or would that just be a waste of time...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/2425736409_015fcf408b_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2102/2425735887_4b46c98317_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2029/2426549908_b13a42b5a9_b.jpg

I was just snapping a couple of pics while I was out pulling the carpet out of the 4Runner after last weeks rain flood with the sunroof open..

[GSU 4Runner]

yes if what your talking about it right in front of the cv axle and the rust isn't that bad but do something before it gets worse and it will make you feel better about it too.

[fenrisx]

Yeah right by the CV.. I just notice it wasn't connected.. the other side is though. I'm guessing it just broke loose I didn't check it that well while I was there. Just snapping pictures.. I'm about to go back out and scope it out though.

I want to find some seat brackets too.. most of the seat brackets are rusted up pretty bad.. and broken around the edges of it.

[DHC6twinotter]

That's the sway bar end link. Brian (wabfab) and several other companies offer quick disconnect replacements. Some folks run them disconnected to gain a bit more flex. Link to Brian's end links: http://www.wabfab.org/96024Runner/96024Runnerquickdiscos.htm

[Bob98SR5]

If you can for the bolt-on parts, remove them, clean them with a cup brush attached to a drill, and then use POR-15's products. if you want to do it right, use their 4 part (or is it 3?) system which includes marine clean, some other kind of cleaner, and then POR15.

now if your seat brackets are rusty, what i recommend is removing the seats and lifting up the carpet. survey the extent of the rust damage from there. you dont want the center supports being eaten away by the rust. take a look at my mercedes blog and you'll see how close mine came to being completely eaten away. seal the bottom with *brushable* seam sealer and coat with a good quality 3M or better underbody coating

the welds on your bracket look like surface rust. use a wire brush on a drill that is perpendicular to the drill's body to remove that rust. then treat w/ the POR15 system.

now if you can and if youre worreid about rust inside the box frame, you can spray a diluted concentration of POR15 inside. Home depot and lowes sells a pump can that you can use with a wand to spray inside. though i have not tried it, a cheap garden sprayer might work too

[GSU 4Runner]

I agree with bob.....get all that done and see what you think....by the looks of your avatar you need a lift and bigger tires! Good looking rig though, just take care of the rust and it's your call on the sway bar and it'll be what I want for the 3rd gen I will own soon.

[YotaFun]

I agree with bob.....get all that done and see what you think....by the looks of your avatar you need a lift and bigger tires! Good looking rig though, just take care of the rust and it's your call on the sway bar and it'll be what I want for the 3rd gen I will own soon.


Check your state laws on the sway bar end links.
I almost didn't pass my last inspection because of them.
(he let me put them on while the truck was on the lift..)
Some states require you to have it and others don't so.

[20005spd]

the sway bar end links break alot up front on 3rd gens. no big deal i got some from a local aftermarket parts store and they are good quality. toyota ones were kinda a waste of money. as far as your runner being from RI i feel your pain since i live in RI. the rusty parts on mine were the rear axle and rear frame area. it was pretty bad surface rust, if i didnt take care of it i would have a rotted frame in a few years. however i dont have rust on my body or floor or anything like yours. ive seen pretty rusty 3rd gens at work.

here are a few pics of some of my rust before i cleaned and painted it. camera made it look a little worse than it was.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00024.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t107/20005spd/DSC00025.jpg

[Bob98SR5]

guys,

while many might disagree, rusteoleum just makes it look nice. so if you are serious about treating and killing rust, the best course of action is to cut it out about an inch past its border and weld in new metal. if that is not practical, then buy any sort of brush and/or mechanical brush (i.e. cup brush), a metal cleaning fluid, a rust converter, and an encapsulator. many products like POR15 convert and encapsulate. regarding those last two terms, a converter chemically converts rust into an inert compound so that it cannot molecularly grow. the encapsulate part is to protect that converted rust from the elements so in the event that it didnt 100% convert, then it'd still be protected

to make extra sure, you will want to spray an undercoating product to protect the encapsulator. not alot, but just enough. 20005spd's vehicle is a perfect candidate for the steps outlined above

let me add some more content:

converters: the most common is called "Naval Jelly" and it is commonly found at home depot. its orange and can be spread with a small paint brush. it truly does work wonders

cleaners: metal etch. it also includes the key ingredient in converters such as naval jelly, but preps metal well for encapsulator products

2-in-1 converters and encapsulators: POR15 is definitely the market leader, but there are many 2 in 1 products like rust bullet. i used that and it seems to work.

[fenrisx]

I'm hoping I can take care of this without doing any cutting and welding. Although that could be done at work, although that'd be a lot of trouble if the part that was rusted can't just be a flat piece, and has bolt holes in it.

Hopefully I can go the POR15 route.

And yeah I want to lift it eventually, although not much. I don't wheel much. I'd probably just lift an inch or two and run some 32 AT's.. and then get some rock sliders. That's about as far as I want to go with it since this is my DD and I don't want to dent/scratch it too much or end up breaking something on it and not being able to pay and have it fixed. The Bilstein 5125 fronts w/ TRD progressive coils on Sonoran Steel looks like a good choice, but I don't want to pay the 620$ for them. :\

[Lee]

im gonna take the bed off my truck right before i sas and clean the entire frame... i hope to be able to POR the whole thing. damn new england!

[YotaFun]

im gonna take the bed off my truck right before i sas and clean the entire frame... i hope to be able to POR the whole thing. damn new england!


x2
I am hoping to do a complete overhual of the truck, and while things are out of teh way I hope to get the body off the frame and get it cleaned up as to bods instructions, and hopefulley get the belly of the body Rhino lined.

I will have a commuter car by then allowing my to go through such a huge project.

[20005spd]

i hope fenrisx does not need to cut and replace parts of his frame yet. mine was not even close to having holes but had a lot of surface rust that shouldnt be on a 2000 yet. i cleaned up all the chunks of rust best i could, used rustoleums rusty metal primer and their semi gloss black. it came out ok but not as good as por 15. i had my rear axle sand blasted when i modded my rear housing for the elocker, so the axle looks great.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Check your state laws on the sway bar end links.
I almost didn't pass my last inspection because of them.
(he let me put them on while the truck was on the lift..)
Some states require you to have it and others don't so.


GA does not require an inspection as does PA.
Only parts of GA have to have emissions, and some parts of the state get by with nothing at all.
But there is no inspection, and it is not required to have end links on your sway bar. Neither of my yota's even HAVE a sway bar. :)

[YotaFun]

Check your state laws on the sway bar end links.
I almost didn't pass my last inspection because of them.
(he let me put them on while the truck was on the lift..)
Some states require you to have it and others don't so.


GA does not require an inspection as does PA.
Only parts of GA have to have emissions, and some parts of the state get by with nothing at all.
But there is no inspection, and it is not required to have end links on your sway bar. Neither of my yota's even HAVE a sway bar. :)



YOU LUCKY SOBS!!!
I hate running the end links, and even thought they are quick disconnect (thanks Wab) I am afraid I will break something.
(I guess I can be pretty hard on my truck since my bottom skid is gone and the mount on one side for it is so bent out of place its not even funny!)

[Skrillah]

Awesome thread here...the only question I have, is it really necessary to go through the 3-step process? Thats a pricey expedition...

How much would you say is needed for a complete job or at least a thorough job?

My rig is from the south with very little rust, and now living in the rust belt of Indiana. So its only a matter of time before I start developing that crap...I'd rather get my rig treated and done with.