Here are some pictures from when I purchased the truck last year. There was some mud on the frame, but all-in-all, this is basically what it looks like. The truck runs good and only has 136k miles on it. It's a 1995 Ram 2500 4wd with a V10 and I'd like to save the frame from getting any worse. Suggestions on what I can do?

 

I tested out some products and found out which one is the best bang for the buck. But you will have to prep the heck out of that frame

 

Yikes. Probably the best solution is to upgrade the truck. Sorry.

 

Taking a needle scaler to it would tell you pretty quick what kind of shape its in under all that loose stuff. You can weld new coil spring perches on it if they are getting questionable and your front axle still has anything to attach it to. I used Fluid Film on my frame which seems to be pretty good. It wasn't quite that rough though. I would check out your rear brake line on top of the gas tank to see what kind of shape its in as they are prone to rusting out and leaking.

 

Not only there the front's also where they go into the fittings for the flex lines. If you plan on keeping it upgrade to the 304 stainless ones SStubes sells. As for the rust pressure blasting it off and use a good epoxy primer is the way to go. But you need to separate everything. You also can do it using a pressure washer with a blasting attachment. If you do this use body/face protection because the sand will ricochet back and hit you.

 

+1 HF has a needle scaler that works well. Fluid Film(FF) also works very well after you clear it off with the tool, you'll want a sprayer to apply it.

https://www.harborfreight.com/compac...ler-96997.html

FF sprayer

 

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-ru...8aAu6oEALw_wcB

https://www.kbs-coatings.com/RustSeal.html

I have the KBS on my semi. It's holding up very well. It's peeling a little were I applied it over paint, but sticking great over metal. I guess you should use their fusion primer over paint and over the KBS rust seal before painting it.

I tried the Platinum and like how it applied and how far it covered. It's still in the garage, so I don't have a clue how it's going to hold up. Seemed to adhere well though.

 

Needle scalers are great! i might use one (I like my porter cable a LOT better than the HF ones...) to knock off some of the worst of it, and then just wet the whole thing down in diy cavity wax / rust preventative... You can buy commercial products or order some lanolin grease and beeswax, dissolve that in warm mineral spirits (I also add a little boiled linseed oil) and then use a good spray bottle or paint gun underneath (I use an extension to coat the inside of voids on unibody frames as well... (avoid exhaust if possible as it's obviously flammable). let it dry for a couple days then drive the heck out of it... you want the stuff to creep into the seems and rust and slow further oxidation both by binding to the metal (lanolin) and sealing off from oxygen (lanolin and beeswax...).

There are a number of products that use various combinations of these and other ingredients and that are marketed and sold for this and other rust preventative applications... adding a little cosmoline if you have some would most likely help effectiveness, but I've had really good results with just the three dissolved in "low odor mineral spirits" at about 20-25 wt/vol %... You don't want it slathered on, but do want a uniform coating after "dry"... It has to be [ut on warm as the beeswax solidifies and precipitates a little above room temp. it goes right back in if you just put the spray bottle in some warm water for a bit before you want to use it.

IF you wanted to undertake the truly massive job of removing the rust and painting... needle scaler and sandblaster to get as much off as possible, then ospho (use according to directions) followed by SPI epoxy primer (or equivalent)... That's a LOT of work... if you pay yourself for your time it would arguably be cheaper to buy another truck that isn't rusted...

Hope this is helpful...