I love rust

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On Thurs night the mirror popped off my car. So I parked it for Friday, and it rained. On Saturday I saw this rust. Minor layer, comes right off after ten or twenty miles, sooner if I use the brakes of course.

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Today on Sunday I noticed that it was time for the 3k rotation. And probably time to make sure the rear pads were still not frozen.

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Ok, the holes in the dust shield explain why the brakes don't work in the rain. The scale on the muffler, that has been there years. I think they wrapped layers of metal, and it is peeling like an onion. The rest of the exhaust is surprisingly good looking, albeit there is a leak someplace now (probably in the middle where a hanger broke and has been rattling for years). The shock rust is getting worse, guess after six or seven years that is expected. Oh, and that rotor went on back in Sept or so. I guess that counts as old now.

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Found a new spot of rust, on the roof, dead center. Probably a rock chip. Maybe from a mag mount, but it had a long scratch, like from rock damage. Need to pull the roof rack rails and fix the rust under that. Again. I try to keep oil on above the windshield, to slow down that area--all from rock chips. The patches in the hatch and rockers that I did two years ago are holding up well. JB Weld does work ok for body patches, but a rough clean surface works better than over paint. Primer chips easily from rocks. I guess paint over the primer will be a good idea next time.

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Some days I wonder why I love New England so... But I guess eleven years and 311kmiles is not a bad run.
 
What is the best defense against stuff like this. I have my Mustang in Germany for a few years. It got ate up there pretty good. I try to stick to the south as much as I can, but would like the best info I can get about rust prevention. I heard you can get an annual spray on the undercarriage..? Anything else useful?
 
Those thin, non-durable dust shields are a peeve of mine. I had one let go on my Volvo 940, $50 later and I got a stamped piece of steel remarkably similar to a pizza pan from the dollar store. They made me do it to pass inspection, as it counts as a "backing plate".

Dragged home a saturn, rare mistake for me, it was overcome with rust. The drum brake backing plate is unobtainable thanks to the marque's extinction. I found a GM dealer online with them "in stock" but they cancelled my order the next day. Shenanigans!

"Brake stuff" with its thermal cycling might get saltwater up to the optimum corrosive temperature better than most other stuff underneath, and/or boil off the water to make a thicker salt paste stick.
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Just oil spray the undercarriage once a year and it wont rust.


I agree, and have started doing so: but as you can see, the rotors have to be pulled off too!
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Those thin, non-durable dust shields are a peeve of mine. I had one let go on my Volvo 940, $50 later and I got a stamped piece of steel remarkably similar to a pizza pan from the dollar store. They made me do it to pass inspection, as it counts as a "backing plate".

Dragged home a saturn, rare mistake for me, it was overcome with rust. The drum brake backing plate is unobtainable thanks to the marque's extinction. I found a GM dealer online with them "in stock" but they cancelled my order the next day. Shenanigans!

"Brake stuff" with its thermal cycling might get saltwater up to the optimum corrosive temperature better than most other stuff underneath, and/or boil off the water to make a thicker salt paste stick.


I do not look forward to replacing the plates, as you can see, bolts are rusty and badly located. But! I spun the hubs, and they don't feel as good as they used to. Add the fact that the beam has 0.49deg of toe in, and I suspect shot trailing arm bushings, and I think the whole works could stand replacing.
 
I only buy stainless steel exhaust components now. There is a guy near me that has a bending machine for exhaust pipe including stainless. Fir example, for my Jeep I can get a SS muffler, but not a tailpipe. Unless I go for the larger diameter and louder. So this guy is going to do a new tailpipe for me.

Carwell on all vehicles yearly. Got my first appt at the Rust Cop Shop for a Sat at the end of April. But now 3 vehicles to get done.

Yes the backing plates are pretty junky. And to replace you need to take the wheel bearing apart or similar.
 
I thought I'd post some pics to brag about our lack of salt here.
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Original everything in this picture, except the axle assembly.
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Original 11 year old 170k mile brakes
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The rear suspension
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Rust free exhaust!
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Originally Posted By: Timo325
What is the best defense against stuff like this.


Sell your car and take public transportation, or live where Nick1994 lives.
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This is what Motor City salt spray does to a vehicle. Look at the rear spring mounts from my 1995 F150. Got to them just in time. They are supposed to curve back around and hold the shackle pin. As you can see they were being held in on one side only.
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Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
It is hard for a Southern California boy Iike me to even imagine rust that bad. Is that even considered bad in New England?


The rust on mine, not considered that bad. Only considered bad when something breaks and it won't pass inspection. Patching panels is commonplace as is replacing brake lines.
 
I guess that's another argument for rear drums. The splash shields on the front of the tracker are full of holes but I can't say I've ever noticed braking differences in the wet.
 
Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
It is hard for a Southern California boy Iike me to even imagine rust that bad. Is that even considered bad in New England?


We can ship you a genuine Detroit City rust-bomb beater, cheap. Then you can give your friends a real life demo on the horrors of road salt.
 
Ugh, I do not look forward to that at all. My cars have lived in the South most of their life. I almost feel like buying a 1K beater truck for when it snows around here, atleast to off set the Jetta in the winter. The Equinox can rot off a cliff as far as I care about that thing, lol.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I guess that's another argument for rear drums. The splash shields on the front of the tracker are full of holes but I can't say I've ever noticed braking differences in the wet.


When you have a rear disc, you usually have a gap in the splash shield where a sledgehammer can get through.

My stupid drums don't have a lip that fits over/past the backing plate, so you can't really get in there to smash the cheap & durable drum without hitting the expensive & fragile plate.
 
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