If your restored frame or part is exposed to corrosive agents, such as winter salt and chemicals, then rustproofing/greasing is a must.A good wirebrushing to remove loose rust and flakes.If the steel is not rusted through and is still solid, do this and you will be good to go: So, in this case, you have to cut off what is bad then weld a patch to what is still good and solid, if there is anything good left. You can't weld to rusted through rotten steel as there is nothing left to weld on or it's paper thin. The frame IS compromised, but it's really up to you on if it's compromised 'enough'. But just because people who live where they salt the roads have lower standards for how much rust is 'acceptable', doesn't make it 'fine'. To the point that simply swapping the rear shocks or many other '10 minute jobs' can easily turn into an all day affair.įor those of us who live in non-rustbelt states, yeah, that's a 'lot' of rust, but certainly far from 'the most' rust I've seen. Remember, the frame isn't the only thing that's going to be rusty (bolts, brackets, etc.). Ignore all the stuff that makes you think it's 'mint' (spoiler alert, it's not 'mint') and look for all the things that might make owning this truck a pain in the ass. For sure go look at it, and bring a hammer. Do the hammer test because as others have said, it's the rust on the INSIDE the frame that's going to be worse than what you see outside. Being from a sunny state, I wouldn't call that a deal breaker just yet, but that definitely has warning signs that you should pay close attention to.

How much is rust