Rust On Wheel Well - Replace or Fix?

[igotostem]

Hi everyone,

 

The other day someone dented and scratched my passenger bed and drove off. The driver's side has rust, not terrible yet, in the wheel well. I live in PA so we get road salt.

 

I definitely want to repair the dent, but then the rust would need to be addressed at some point. Not sure how long it takes for the rust to spread and get real bad.

 

Worth it to just replace the bed with a takeoff or fix the rust while it is contained and also fix the dent?

 

Thanks

[richard wysong]

good luck finding a rust free bed without going south and paying thru the nose

[newdude]

The question really is what its like behind the outer skin.  If the flanges are shot where the inner and outer of the box meet at the wheel well, you'd be looking at not only a new outer skin but the wheel well metal itself.  

 

 

[Jworks]

If the rust is just in the wheel well and not too bad as you said here's a "maybe" option.  I'd do this only on an old truck I wanted to keep.  But it might work on newer trucks too.  Like I said....this is a "maybe" option, to keep from going way overboard with new this and that.  Get the wheel off so you can get into the well easily.  If the rust is not all the way through with a hole showing you could use an  electric sander or hand sanding block to get rid of that rust, and get it all.  Don't leave any to spread.  It might be that you end up going all the way through the metal to get it all....I don't know, since I can't see it.  If you do, bondo works wonders at filling up places like that, and its sandable.  I've used Bondo Wood Filler with very good results.  But, of course, they make the body filler they're known for. About $11 at Walmart.  If you end up using that I'd then get some of that I would spray the sanded area good with 3 coats of cold galvanizing.  Follow instructions.  Then I'd get some of that rubberized spray-on bed liner and spray the inside of the well to keep (hopefully) further rust away.  Its just an idea. 

[Black02Silverado]

How bad is the rust?  Can't be that bad, as in is it rusted holes or just on the surface?

[richard wysong]

all the panels and repair parts are readily available aftermarket, it depends on your skill level how far you go. maybe get the parts and take it to body shop?