Hi,
I just bought a 92 2WD Extended Cab Dakota. When I looked at it, it seemed to have a close-to-perfect frame for here in the Northeast Salt Belt. The guy was kinda rushing me while I was poking around underneath the truck. When I got it home, I was looking over it more closely. Outside of the frame still looks terrific, but there are patches of moderate-heavy surface rust/light scale (it's right on the edge) inside the boxed sections, from where the front bumper mounts all the way to where the trans cross-member sits. I was thinking of using Eastwood Internal Frame Coating Spray, and being very liberal with it. However, I wanted to try clean the rust up as best I can first. I imagine I can probably get back to the front of the spring perches with a wire brush gorilla-taped to a broom stick. Any suggestions with dealing further back? I'm hesitant to take coil springs out, and I'm not sure how much more access that would give me except maybe a few inches further back from the perches. Any suggestions on how to clean up some of the surface rust/light scale before I "treat" it? Also open to suggestions on how to "treat" it, although I hate POR-15 (extremely bad prior experience with it), but I have been considering the Fluid Film route as opposed to the Eastwood Goop, a lot of guys rave about it.

Thanks,
Rob

 

Got any pics? On my '93 the rear half rotted so bad it bent at the front leaf spring mount. But the front half stayed generally solid EXCEPT for the frame behind the upper control arm mounts. That's a very rust prone area at least in the 4x4.

Anyway I think it would be very odd if the front half of the frame had any sort of structural rust (besides the UCA location) if the rear half didn't. I have to imagine it's pretty much cosmetic.

Personally I'd just drown it in Fluid Film. It'll last a long time inside the frame. I got Eastwood's internal frame coat in mine but tbh if i did it again if skip it and just do fluid Film.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Don't laugh, I have a flip phone, but I can try to see if my girlfriend will let me take some decent pics tomorrow or day after. Yeah, it's really kinda bizarre, I have previous Dakota experience, so I know, the rear half usually goes first. There's some light scaling on other parts of the frame, externally, but it's very, very limited. Nothing some Scocthbrite pads and primer and paint can't fix (I could easily do that with the internal 'rust' except I can't get to it). I was going to go out to my car to get my big bulky flashlight to look at the frame more thoroughly, but like I said, the guy was kinda rushing me. I don't think he was trying to "hide" it, he just wasn't that interested in spending an hour showing a $600 truck (he had siphoned the half-tank of gas out of it when I came the next day to pick it up)

Were you not happy with the price of the Eastwood goop, or the quality? I don't mind the price too much (it's not cheap, but I was hoping this would be my new baby. I was a mechanic for 10+ years, no truck handles like a Dakota). I've used the Eastwood goop on my other vehicles before, and I was mixed on it. Generally positive, but I was wondering if there was something better. I kinda got to pick one though, cause once I put the Eastwood goop inside the frame, I can't get it off, and if I Fluid Film it, it's gonna be a real pisser to get it all out of there to coat it with something else.

 

No real complaints about the Eastwood stuff, I just feel like not being able to prep inside the frame means it probably won't last that long whereas Fluid Film requires no prep. Honestly I haven't looked into the frame recently so idk how it's holding up. Anyways it's got both in it right now--eastwoods and fluid film. Gotta keep this thing from rotting!

 

Here a few different products to choose from, but lets hope your frame isn't too far gone to be repaired.

https://www.jegs.com/pt/Rust+and+Cor...tor/4294965975

 

You want to use something with Phosphoric Acid in it. That will convert the rust to a black oxide that does not rust further. As a general rule you want to remove all surface rust that can be removed with a wire brush and maybe sand paper if its easily accessible. Skyco Ospho is what I use, about $20 for a gallon. You don't have to clean it up you can paint or apply a coating right over it once it is dry. If it dries on a spot where there is no rust to include your concrete, it will leave a white film.
I used it on the bed of another truck and i had to reapply several times on the surfaces that were not flat but it is definitely worth it to see the rust go away. Best way to do vertical surfaces is with a spray bottle and light coats so it dries before it has time to run down.

 

Don't laugh about flip phones. I liked the one I had for work. This last January they gave me a smart phone. It doesn't like me. It tells me I don't have any friends. My old flip phone, plus my own personal flip phone, both have cameras. They're actually a little better than my smart phone. Like a previous poster said, get something with phosphoric acid in it and it will stop the rust dead.

(Smart phones don't like anybody really. Ask Siri sometime what zero divided by zero is. You'll see what she REALLY thinks of you.)

 

I am going to assume this needs to be done in a well ventilated area wearing some sort of mask/respirator if you are working with Skyco Ospho?

 

I think it would be a good idea, regardless of whether it is recommended or not..... Ya really don't wanna be breathing that crap, nor the dust generated from cleaning things.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think I'm going to try OSPHO, I got a gallon on order from Amazon. I have a well-ventilated area known as my backyard LOL. I'll probably use a respirator too, I'll see. To the guys that have used OSPHO before, does it need any prep work after laying it on and letting it dry? Their website kinda gives contradictory instructions under the "rusted metal" section, one sentence says to let dry 24 hours and paint, and at the bottom of the paragraph it says there may be a white or gray residue that needs to be brushed off or something. If there is residue, do you think a garden hose and air blower will take it off? Obviously I'll let it dry again after rinsing, before I paint over it. Just going to be hard to get to, since I'm going to brush and spray it inside the boxed sections as best I can. Just trying to figure out, since I'm going to put the Eastwood Frame Coating or Fluid Film on top afterwards.