Rust & Corrosion Repair – A DIY Guide

A few summers ago I picked myself up a 1999 Jeep Wrangler TJ that I intended to use as both an offroad and winter vehicle. Overall the maintenance and upkeep of the Jeep was fantastic. However, the frame had some surface rust. This left me asking the question “how much does frame rust repair cost?” Lucky for me the rot was not right through the frame rails but bad enough that if left “untouched” itwould result in costly repairs. I created this guide to help others take the same steps I did to ensure my vehicle was well protected for years to come. 

RUST REMOVAL

The best way to prevent rust is by sealing your frame when new to ensure it doesn’t form. If you have bought the car used and have already have developed rust, the second best thing to do is remove that rust and seal the frame.

By following the below guide you can remove surface rust on your frame yourself for under $100. 

Materials needed with affiliate links:

LIFTING YOUR CAR / TRUCK UP TO ACCESS RUST SPOTS

Get your vehicle up higher off the ground to give yourself some work space. Try to remove any plastic wheel well covers, mud guards and side steps if you have them. For best results ensure you have as much access the frame as humanly possible. 

This step also serves to give you a nice view of what you’ll be working with as far as rust on your vehicle. You will visually start to see a lot of the areas you want to clean up now that you are underneath the car.

Below are some shots of what my frame looked like when I started out. Save these and compare them to the end result.

  • Rusted Jeep TJ Frame
  • Rusted Jeep TJ Frame
  • Rusted Jeep TJ Frame

REMOVE THE RUST

Get your drill and wire wheel assortment brushes out and start with the largest of your brushes. I recommend you start on one side of the vehicle and do a section at a time. Your objective here is to get your wire wheel to touch every part of your frame that you possibly can. You won’t be able to take off all the rust but you need to get rid of all the loose corrosion. The more rust you can remove the better. This step creates a lot of dust, so for the sake of your health make sure you have your mask and face shield on.

I ran the wire brush across sections of my rusty frame until there wasn’t really any debris flying out from the section I was working on. I then considered the area I was working on as “complete” and the rust removed.

  • Jeep TJ Rust Wire Wheel
  • Jeep TJ Rust Wire Wheel

WASH YOUR FRAME

Once you have run the wire wheel across your entire frame, you’ll need to wash it down to get rid of the rust dust and grease that remains. I used dawn dish soap and water to wash my work area before spraying it with power washer. Dry off your work area with a cloth or let it air dry in the sun for a little bit.

Below you can see how things look like they are starting shaping up. Don’t mind the scratches from the wire wheel, you won’t see those shortly.

  • Jeep TJ Rust Wire Wheel

RUST CONVERTER

Take your can of rust reformer / converter and begin applying it to the frame. Follow the instructions on the can of your rust reformer / converter. The stuff I used called for applying 2 coats in order to be effective. It also required that I wait 2-3 hours between coats and then another 24 hours after the last coat. This is to give it time to properly cure before I could apply undercoating to it. If you are using a different product you may have different wait times. During this wait time I don’t suggest your drive your vehicle much if at all.

I used a total of 2.5 cans on the first coat and 2.5 cans on the second coat making my way around the entire vehicle. This included spraying my axles. Keep in mind, this stuff sprays on clear, if the area looks wet, you’ve successfully applied it. 

  • Jeep TJ Rust Repair
  • Jeep TJ Rust Repair

APPLYING ASPHAULT UNDERCOATING

After waiting 24 hours for the 2nd coat of rust converter to dry you are ready to apply the asphalt undercoat. Just as before you want to apply this in light coats to give it the opportunity to dry and harden. Spray light even coats across the frame. If you need more in a particular area come back to it after you have gone around the vehicle and sprayed everything else. This method will give the undercoat time to dry and harden properly. 

My aerosol can nozzle would sometimes gum up, to prevent this I shook the can as much as possible during use. When I stopped spraying I would wipe the nozzle with a paper towel soaked in some brake cleaner. 

You’ll want to hold off on driving the vehicle for at least a few hours after you have finished spraying. 

RUST REPAIR RESULTS

Remember that gas tank skid plate that was all rusty and junk looking? It looks almost brand new now. Side note, I did not apply undercoating to my axle, I used a rust paint instead. The wire wheel scratches cannot be seen. This has stood up perfect for over 3 years now in treacherous Canadian winters!

  • Jeep TJ / JK / LJ Rust Repair
  • Jeep TJ / JK / LJ Rust Repair
  • Jeep TJ / JK / LJ Rust Repair

This is after winter time during year one. The jeep spent the entire winter covered in salt without being washed. I took it to the local car wash and power washed it down not knowing what to expect. As you can see it held up perfect just like the day I did it!

  • Jeep TJ / LJ / JK Rust Repair Reform

Below is the passenger side that I did not apply the asphalt coating to. I wanted to see how the rust reformer would hold up to the mud, salt, slush, etc on its own. It still looks great! No additional rust formations anywhere and there are areas with bare metal there.

I did find that over time the rust reformer / converter will peel off if you do not cover it with an asphalt coating. As a result I recommend sealing it up completely with a rubber coating for best results.

  • Jeep TJ / LJ / JK Rust Repair Reform

There you have it, for under $100 you have done rust preventative maintenance that will keep your car looking new for years to come. It will also serve to help increase the overall value of your car when it comes time to sell it.  You would be surprised how many people commented on my frame even 3 years later! Another tip, if you are into power sports like I am, you also know rust and corrosion can also be a problem for owners of outboard sport boats and other types of boats. Preventative maintenance is the best way to mitigate rust and corrosion on boats.

FAQ:

Q: I get my car under-sprayed with oil, is that enough to protect it from rusting?

A: I always suggest getting your car under-sprayed with oil. A good oil underspray company such as Krown or Rust Check will not only undercoat the bottom of your vehicle, but will spray inside the doors. This oil seaps its way into those hard to reach places that road salt always finds. As good as under-spraying a car is, I also always suggest that you seal steel frames up with a rust inhibitor and rubberized coating once. This combined with oil spray is the best protection for your car / truck.

Q: Can I just paint over the rust to fix it?

A: You can paint over rust to hide it, but this will never fix the problem. Within a short period of time the rust will continue to grow and will bubble through your paint. This leads to additional problems and looks twice as bad as it did the first time. For those of you looking for a quick fix to sell your car, know that this is easy to spot. It also leads people to believe you are hiding something ultimately devaluing your car.

Q: What is the best way to get rid of rust on my car?

A: The only way to get rid of rust entirely is to completely remove it. Sand / wire wheel the areas that are corroded with rust down to the bare metal surface. The guide below goes into detail on how to best rid your car of rust to get the maximum lifespan out of it.

Q: How do you deal with rust on a car / truck?

A: The best way to deal with it is to remove it. Once rust starts it will continue to grow and spread like a cancer. Follow the guide below to learn how to remove your rust and prevent it from coming back.

Q: Is it bad to buy a car with rust?

A: Not necessarily and sometimes you can use this as a bargaining tool. Surface rust is ok and is easy to work with if it is on the frame of the vehicle. A quick sanding or touch up with a wire wheel following the guide below will help remedy the situation quickly. Rust that has caused frame separation or holes is something I advise walking away from. Any time a vehicle has rust holes be prepared for major work to be done to get the vehicle road worthy and safe again.

Q: How long does it take for rust to form on a car?

A: This question is a fun one! If the your car has been exposed to any damage in the paint surface, within a few days to a week rust will start forming on bare metal surfaces. In the case of your frame, it depends on how well it was coated from the factory and how quickly you remove road salt from your car in the winter months.

Q: Why apply rust reformer / rust converter in the guide below if we have removed most of the rust with the wire wheel?

A: No matter how much you try, there will be a little bit of rust left over. The rust reformer / rust converter will lock that rust up and create a paintable surface. This paintable surface can then be covered in a material like rubberized asphalt to give you a well protected surface

Q: Can I skip using the wire wheel and just spray on a rust converter and then cover that up?

A: This is not recommended. The wire wheel will get off loose rust which will eventually break off. Loose corroded particles will prevent a good rust converter from covering the areas behind the rust. This also simultaneously creates the perfect environment to allow moisture to seep in and rust the frame area further.

Q: What is the best rust remover?

A: I don’t have the answer for this. I used the rust reformer from harbor freight on my Jeep and POR-15 on my Chevy Colorado. I prefer the rust reformer from Harbor freight personally. It was easier to apply, less messy and appears to be more durable to the elements when covered with asphalt. I also found the POR-15 peeled after one winter on it’s own when not covered by an asphalt undercoat. This disappointed me as the POR-15 had a shiny black finish that I would have loved to keep. That is just my personal experience though!

Q: What if I require my frame to have a cap installed and welded to patch an area that has rusted through?

A: If you don’t have any experience in welding, have a professional auto body shop weld up the frame for you. Then once those repairs are complete use this guide to prevent any part of your frame from rusting out again.

SHARE IT!

Don’t forget to spread the word so we can keep a few more of the older cars on the road a little bit longer. Share the knowledge on your car forums, Facebook, twitter, Pin it, etc and hopefully we can keep a few more vehicles out of the Junkyards! If you have any questions use our Contact us page to get a hold of us.

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