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Fixing some rust under the bed...


ghunt81

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I have some rust under the bed on a couple of the crossmembers and around where the exhaust was running (due to the heat I guess). Some of it is just bubbled, some of it is bad enough to where it is flaking off, most is in areas difficult to reach with power tools.

What's the best thing I can put on there to at least slow down the rust that requires the least prep? I don't really want to go through all the steps (or cost) to put POR 15 on there. Was considering Eastwood's Fast Etch but I heard it's difficult to use if you're not spraying straight up and down. Looking through Eastwood's catalog, they have at least a half dozen products for rust removal or treatment and I have no idea what I should use.
 


Mark_88

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The easiest thing to do is remove the bed, stand it on the end (not tailgate end) after removing the tailgate and spend a few hours with a wire wheel or whatever you have to remove as much rust as possible.

Once that is done, hit it with Rust Converter or a similar product and let that soak till it is dry. Then you can hit the whole under side with something like Rubber Guard or some other condom, er, rubber protection...

Check the bolts as you remove them and replace if needed...do the frame and cross members while the bed is off and maybe back it up onto ramps to get a better shot at the back end (usually the worst for rust)...

Hit that with the same treatment and check the frame all the way up to the front tires...or more.

You might even want to check the frame before doing anything...makes way more sense.

I went at mine with a cold chisel and hammer all over the place before I wire wheeled it...took off most of the shale/scale or whatever you want to call flaky metal...
 

ghunt81

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I really don't want to remove the bed and I don't really feel like the amount there justifies removing it...Also I don't think I have the vertical room in my garage to do that or a good level place outside. Judging from a few of the bed mount bolts I looked at, the threads look pretty bad, would probably be a royal pain to get them out and ruin them all in the process, I dunno.

The frame is pretty good, in fact the majority of the truck is in great shape...the core support was very rusty (already replaced that), just need to take care of this stuff under the bed.
 

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ghunt81

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I don't have any right now. I'll have to take another look under the bed and see if it warrants unbolting it, I'd have to do that last if I do though, using the bed as a place to put parts and stuff right now.
 

bobbywalter

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i would drop the tank and bust the bolts off or cut off the keps if they wont bust off.

then treat it all,especially the frame if it is a as good as your seeing.


because rust never sleeps.
 

Mark_88

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i would drop the tank and bust the bolts off or cut off the keps if they wont bust off.

then treat it all,especially the frame if it is a as good as your seeing.


because rust never sleeps.
Exactly! If you say it's OK for now and maybe let it ride for a few or ten years before deciding to do something then it will probably be too late. If you live in Florida or other areas where winter and salt are things you read about in magazines then you might be OK to do that...but...always better to attack it heavy at first then you only need to do minor repairs and touch ups later...

If there is a later...those "end of times" videos have me thinking it really doesn't matter...we are all going to fry...
 

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Do what you can, then get it rust proofed (oil) like Krown or Rust Check?
 

ghunt81

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If you're standing the bed up on its end on the frame, d'ya think one person could handle that, taking into consideration that one person is 6'4", 290 lbs and pretty strong? :D Not sure what the weight of a bed sans tailgate is.

I looked under the bed last night, and maybe that is the best option as some of the areas will be very difficult to get at otherwise. I might see if I can cut off the protruding threads on the bed bolts and soak them with kroil/pb blaster/whatever I can get in there, then try to get the bed off after I can roll the truck out of the garage. Unfortunately it will be on a sloped driveway but maybe I can have it pointing downhill to make it a little easier.
 

Mark_88

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Haha...I'm 6'6" and weighed around 250 when I did mine...and I would consider myself very strong at that time...it was a piece of cake for me so you should be able to spin that bed on your index finger like one of those BBall players...slam dunk and all that!

It would be easier to remove the bed and stand it on the ground though...if you have a place to put it temporarily. Much easier to get at the rust on the cross members of both the box and the frame. The tailgate on mine weighed between 50 and 70 lbs but most of that was oil protection that the original owner had applied. That's why my first frame and cab have lasted as long as they did.

So, yeah, remove the bed. The nut clips that the bolts go into might snap...the one around the gas tank is the worst and you might consider cutting the head off the bolt if that happens. Just remember there is a fuel tank there...lol...you might be the first Ranger owner to make low orbit.

The bolts can be replaced with standard bolts but the heads don't fit like the originals so try to preserve them...use plenty of that PB Blaster and if you can get your big self under the frame take a wire brush in with you and run it over the lower end of the bolt to clean the threads...helps like you wouldn't believe!

Spray the PB from under there as that's where all the rust is stopping the bolt from moving freely.
 
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ghunt81

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Are the original bolts M12 and are they fine pitch? Was reading that elsewhere, some people were saying they replaced them with 1/2" bolts. I saw you can get replacement bolt kits online, not sure ATM if I want to go that route (because I hate torx bolts) or get some kind of stainless bolts to put in there, of course then you run into the issue of the clips/speed nuts. McMaster-Carr carries a lot of stuff but they don't have big enough ones to fit either M12 or 1/2" bolts from what I saw.
 

Mark_88

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Not sure to be honest. I got a set off my 92 that were like new so I didn't have to go out and buy more. I do know that I'm confused very much by how much they actually go through the clip nuts. They must go down 2 or 3 inches past the clip nut and there must be a logical reason...other than the fact that the workers who put them together at the factory use power tools and are done long after I break a sweat installing or removing the same bolts.

I've been tempted to downsize the length of body part bolts...either that or get a decent power drill that can drive them in faster than a hand ratchet...

The first time I removed a box I managed to snap three or four of the bolts and one clip nut...guess which one...lol...the one at the tank is a real pita to get out and using anything other than the clip nuts is insane without removing the gas tank...which I did and then regretted it every time I thought I'd have to remove the box again...probably why it got so bad I had to replace the panels.

As for the size of the bolts...I'd have to check...I do know that when I replaced mine with nuts and bolts I used 1/2" but I found some Grade 8 for both the cab and the box...it was recommended by someone on here so I paid a bit extra for the extra strength...but use clip nuts if you can find them...save you so much work and worry if you ever have to swap the fuel pump.
 

ghunt81

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I was wondering about the length too because they seem excessively long.

Just figured it was probably an assembly line thing...that makes it a pain in the ass down the road for us guys trying to work on it!
 

bobbywalter

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i am down to 6'3" and literally have a broken up back....and can still pick up a 6' bed....or whats left of mine. if you pick it up on each side and slide a 2x4 under it and just drag it back and stand it up you usually wont do much damage...if it is pristine get a helper so you wont take a chance of dinging it up....i never cared about my personal truck as it is a truck and is beaten relentlessly. i have a 7 foot bed out there too....and i have a hard time with it because to move them i stand them up and pick it up from the wall that goes against the cab....my range of lifting is maxed with that one. getting old sux.

usually the clip nuts snap in half and fawk ya pretty good, and out comes the sawzall if your in the rust belt.


with the tank dropped doing that is easier. upon reassembly i just nut and bolt it and made a tool that holds it from the top so all i do is tighten the bottoms with my air ratchet or whatver...a tool to hold it from the top is usually a 3/4 wrench taped to the bolt with a pipe on it to back it up.


the two by the cab on the ext cab trucks suck to do though...those i torque from the top with the open end taped to the nut.


or just get some 1/2 in clip nuts. and antisieze the hell out of them.
 

ghunt81

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So I'm wondering, does the heat shielding under the bed NEED to be there? I'll most likely have to remove the factory stuff to clean up the rust, but it seems to me like the amount of radiant heat from the exhaust would be minimal under there (considering the distance of most of the exhaust parts from the bottom of the bed). I could replace it with some new adhesive stuff but I'm just wondering if it's necessary.
 

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