Bottom of Door Rust, Repair and Prevention

[k9reno]

For sure my baby needs some help. I tried some rust mediation on my door bottom seams. I scraped all the loose rust off and coated the areas with a rust neutralizer to try and stop the oxidation. Then I tried to seal the areas with a spray on rubberized paint from the auto parts store. (attempt at a cheapo fix) I actually want to get the line X type spray to seal them. I wanted to spray the bottom seams of the doors and tailgate as well as a few inches up the sides. This is what I tried, but may have to redo a door. I did not get it sealed well.

 

[Dave LeGear]

Without seeing the condition of the rest of the Truck and it's running gear Dick. I would consider securing some good Florida (Arizona would be even better) used front doors that are not all eaten alive with rust. This and just have them repainted to match the rest of the body pending the condition of the rest of the Truck?

That is a hard area to correct for such and stop it from going forward once it starts... And you need to ensure that those door drains are totally clear (part of the reason why they are in that shape) so our Summer daily rains here in Florida, just don't accelerate that rusting out process

Scraping off loose rusted metal and just spraying paint on it I fear, it is just a Band Aid on a Bullet Hole. More time needs to be spent sanding, priming and then repainting / coating them to arrest what is now happening. And in the Big Picture IF you plan on hanging onto her for years? Then she needs some good used doors installed and then just re-shoot the entire truck to match

Sill (from what I can see thus far) more cost effective than getting a new Truck for sure!


Going forward and for the benefit of other Members... You need to check and ensure that your door drains (little rectangular or round holes up from the bottom front and back on each door) are totally open, this so water can quickly drain out from inside the door where the windows retract into. And... keep those areas clean and dry along the top of those door skin seams.

Simple process really of just opening the door to check the drains with a wooden skewer or zip tie, and clean the drains as needed.

And notice in the quick video above how dirty and rusted looking the bottom of those doors are already as compared to the rest of the truck? She just shut the door and did not address that condition either?

So after checking and draining yours (if needed) then, set on the ground and make sure the bottom of the doors are clean with a rag "usually" with a little WD40 spayed on them to help both clean off the present crud and remove the moisture. After such and once dry again, you can always follow back up with some kind of paint sealant

Rust never sleeps! But you can do a lot to not awaken that beast in such areas, by keeping areas like that from getting scratches in the paint (treat it like you would your hood) clean and dry as possible... Trust me, much easier (and cheaper) to set on the ground every few months with a rag so you can keep that area clean and dry. Then go back and repair or hang new doors for sure...

Hope this helps?

 

[k9reno]

The inside of the door panels are good. The problem is that where the door skin folds over at the bottom the weld along the edge started rusting and it got under the paint for the length of the door. If I can stop it before it breaks through I can increase the life of the door

 

[Dave LeGear]

From the look of the pictures above, not only does the door skin where it folds and is welded have issues, which is expected since that areas stays dirty and holds moisture unless addressed... But, I also see areas of rust and bubbled paint on the bottom of the door above that area, near where the window retracts into the door

Pending how high she sets off of the ground, I would grab some safety glasses and lay on my back and really clean that area and get it all dry again. Then I would attend to the metal issues to help arrest that rust... If not, the heat, moisture, salt air and rain will really make it take off and spread like a cancer for sure

This ain't the Midwest so it's not like driving in Bay water months out of the year! But our Tropical weather unlike the desert Southwest, can really fan the rust fires for sure!

 

[k9reno]

Thanks for the info. Yes it has gotten under the paint on the bottom part above the weld line. I guess I should find a way to get as close as I can to bare metal everywhere below the weather stripping and go from there. I does sit pretty high off the ground, but I would use a face shield to keep it out of my nose and mouth as well.

 

[Dave LeGear]

The other item I saw in the pictures was the condition of the frame (rust) and I suspect other parts like the exhaust.

You might want to try the same process for cleaning off the bottom of the boat and trailer from saltwater, and also use a lawn sprinkler placed under the truck for a while, too really wash out all the left over road salt to help slow that process down



And if you have a pressure washer? You may want to consider getting one of these not only for the truck, but the boat trailer when it gets dunked into saltwater to really flush it out quickly...

Amazon.com: Mingle Pressure Washer Undercarriage Cleaner, Under Car Wash, 4000 PSI (13 Inch): Garden & Outdoor

Amazon.com: Mingle Pressure Washer Undercarriage Cleaner, Under Car Wash, 4000 PSI (13 Inch): Garden & Outdoor

www.amazon.com

Hope this helps?
Dave

 

[Dave LeGear]

As mentioned before, I am testing a new product formulation from our friends over at Dynovatech that is not on the market, and does not even have a product name just yet... As soon as I can secure that information though I will be happy to share it!

In the mean time, I am sure you could get some of the same results from BTS,

And in many cases anything used in this area is better than nothing for it like the engine bay, is one the most neglected sections of your Truck / SVU's for sure!

So while using a zip tie (those work really well by the way!) to clean the door drains and ensure they are clear. I sprayed the under door panels and welded door seams down and wiped them back off. Now this is not the 1st time I have done this, but was very pleased with the cleaning ability and the shine left behind!

Before...





After...





Nice shine left behind and this is NOT something I do each time I wash the Auto's (get on my back and wipe them and the rocker panels all down) and maybe once a every 6 to 9 months. I will though in the course of my normal wash and drying, usually give them a quick wipe down

This area though as we have discussed on this topic, seems to collect crud on the top of that welded door panel skin that is black (might even be mold growing?) which is only not helpful to the paint and metal by staying moist... But I suspect, something you want to breath in each time you are riding in your prized Truck or SUV.

So something you or have one of the local kids put some glasses on, spray really wipe those areas down to help fend off future issues on several fronts

Hope this helps!
Dave

 

[k9reno]

Dave , as you infer prevention is the best way to avoid the door rust issues I am working on. My first attempt at the rust on the doors seems ok but I do need to get more of the rust out of there then seal it up. To that end I got a spot blaster from Harbor Freight. It is a cheap tool but is doing a better job at getting the rust out. Although I may want to look for a more aggressive media than the black aluminum oxide I have been using.

 

[Dave LeGear]

Great idea and I like that tool!

This though is a unseen area (inside / bottom of the door) so other media really may not be needed and some if you are not careful, can blow holes through the metal.

I would just get it clean, and then apply a quality rust converter and then follow up with the paint type of your preference meaning... Flat, Gloss, etc.

Looking forward to the "after shots" on this project for sure Brother!

 

[k9reno]

Well I did the tailgate seam for practice and learn workable pressure setting for the media I am using. I used a wire brush to get off any loose rust and paint. Then a metal scraper to make sure everything left was firmly attached. I then blasted the areas until everything was shiny metal. I sprayed rustoleum rust converter to get in all the tight areas and convert any missed rust to a paintable surface and seal it to prevent further. I then use Rustoleum spray on truck bed liner to further seal and protect from further scrapes and damage.

I think I will wait until I get south before I go over the door seams again and work on some of the supports under the bed that need some work.
blowing through the panels has been a constant concern, although all the areas are fairly solid.

 

[Dave LeGear]

Looking good Brother!

 

[Dave LeGear]

So how has the project progressed Dick? Door seems looking better now?

Pictures please...

 

[k9reno]

They still look better than when I started. But the rust has started coming back. I guess i will need professional body work on the bottom of the doors

 

[nocturn]

Holy smokes! What year is that f150? I've got a 2010 FX4 that is still tight as a tick. My model year is notorious for leaks around the third light and sunroof. Ive replaced the OEM gasket in both back around 7 years ago. The Canada made f150s have had a huge failure rate in the the 3rd brake light gasket which transfers down into the door panels.

Luckily, mine was a Kentucky girl. Knock on wood, I've got zero rust on her. I've owned 4 trucks and this 5.4 Triton with 150K on the clock, is the best truck I've ever owned, bar none.

 

[k9reno]

Well all I am still working to save my trucks doors. the rust situation is back and the last couple years has not done the rest of the truck any good
Now granted the truck is 19 yrs old but only has 110000 miles on it.. I have finally found the stuff I wanted to use in the first place. I decided to
test it out to make sure it is what i was looking for.
the grill was so faded and ugly I decided to do it as a test. After I did it there was such an improvement I decided to do the rest of the grill as it
had white spots of paint and areas where the paint was missing.
The job went quickly and was actually fairly easy. The only problem is now that the grill is done it looks so good I am going to have to do the
rest of the truck.
Sorry I almost forgot. The material I used was Raptor Coatings. I used the 2K spray cans. The grill insert was a shade of gray (I forgot the name)
and Black. I also used their adhesion promotor because areas of the grill were to hard to scuff properly.