Im planning on painting my front suspension components, but they all have pretty heavy surface rust. Im painting my axle, differential, coil springs, shocks, and radius arms. What the best way to get that rust off? I was thinking CLR but ive never used that on a vehicle. Also, can i use rattle can bed liner on it? I want it to be as rust resistant as possible.

 

Sand blast it.

 

I would like to, but i dont have the equipment.

 

+1 on blasting. You can take the parts you want cleaned to a machine shop - they have blasting/peening equipment that can make those parts look like new bare metal ready to be primed and painted. You can also ask around to see if you can find someone that has a good bead blasting cabinet to do the work for you, too.

 

If you can't sand blast it sanding is the other way or a wire brush on a grinder or drill and get something designed to go over rust like POR-15.

 

POR 15, or Chassis Saver paint would be best. Clean it up with a wire brush, powered, or not, then paint over it. Both products, once they cure, are pretty much indestructible....

 

Harbor freight for cheap blasting equipment?

 

Yea HF makes a both a cabinet and a pressure blaster. When i got my truck the front axle was rusted up also. I pressure blasted it to clean metal then painted it. Not sure how well the pressure blaster works from HF. It's small compared to the one i built.

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-lb-p...ter-68992.html

 

I've used this blaster on my axles, no complaints!

http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...kit-37025.html

 

And, you can get the compressor for less than $100, too...