Best Way To Remove Rust From Frame Of '96 K1500

jim535 · July 27, 2011

My '96 K1500 now has about 57k miles on it (I bought it with32k miles three years ago). The body is in good condition, other than some surfacerust around the wheel wells and at the bottom of the tailgate, which I'verepaired.

I plan to keep the truck as long as I can – everything isworking OK, except for the ABS which is another story.

Now for my question: this may seem obvious to some, but I'd like to stop the rust that's going on on the frame – to make the truck last longer, and just to make it purty. I was planning to get under the truck with a drill and wire wheel attachment and take as much of the loose rust as I could, but this is a dirty (and hot) job with the summer-from-hell temperatures that we've had lately. (I already did a bit, so I know how much rust dust is created when doing this.) I thought about using a pressure washer or a media blaster to take off as much loose rust as possible before treating the frame with a rust inhibitor, then primer, then rust paint (black). Does anyone have any experience with doing this? Or should I just wait until fall (and cooler temperatures) before starting this job with the drill and wire wheel attachment?

Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

ChevyTech77 · July 27, 2011

http://www.por15.com/

Carder09 · July 28, 2011

I was wondering the same but was lookin more towards pressure steaming the frame clean, not much rust if any just red river dirt that stuck to the frame and wasn't clean, I took a plastic scraper to it and the frame underneath it was perfect like the dirt made a protective coating lol, but I want it gone and then rust proofed.

cathesjohn · July 28, 2011

Seems like it would be easier, and safer to just dip the frame to remove all rust to bare metal. Then have it dipped to etch maybe. Just thinking it would weaken the frame to cut it.