Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Removed my bed mat a few weeks ago and found this. Cleaned the bed thoroughly and figured I'd hit it with a wire brush on my angle grinder, phosphoric acid, and then clean and paint with primer.

Anyone have any advice on a different/better way to stop this in its tracks?

I've let Jeep floorboards get out of hand and don't want to do the same with the bed on this truck.

Obviously, the seam is what I'm most concerned about stopping.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Start soaking those front bed bolt nuts in penetrating oil. Several applications over several days. Easier to clean and restore the bolts and holes with the bolts out. Give the oil several days to work as you don't want to wallow out the square holes the bolts sit in. If by yourself, set a heavy weight on the bolt head to keep it from rising up and turning while removing the nuts.

I think there should be one or more drain slots on the front to let water out. Often plug up so the water just sits there. If water sits there for days, rust will happen. One option is to drill a hole at each corner.

Make sure there isn't dust/dirt/salt trapped on the underside, especially on the back end.

Doesn't look too bad. Might get lucky and it cleans up nice with some wire brushing.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Front corners of the bed have factory holes that drain. They do get clogged with leaves/debris some during fall/winter, but I try to keep an eye on things and clear them if I see water standing in the bed.

I'm in Arkansas so no salt, just a 40+ year old truck that's sat outside since it came off the lot (Dad bought it new).

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

I like to use a product called corroseal on surface rust. Just brush off the loose stuff, wipe down, and brush on. It goes on white and dries black. It inerts the rust and acts as a primer for topcoating ss well

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

That's pretty much what I'd planned on using. Phosphoric acid will do the same.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Take an awl and if you can punch thu the metal then it needs to be cut out and replaced. There could be more rust behind from what you can see.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

This may sound insane, but I use coca cola to remove heavy rust from metal. Usually, I soak rust overnight and it removes all the rust. Since your bed metal is thin, I would keep an eye on it. You would have to tilt the bed and somehow
figure out how to keep the coke from draining out. This is the reason I don't drink coke. I have used it for years and it's also cheap. Just an idea.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

If you want to try the coke, take heavy rusted nuts and bolts and put them in a plastic container and soak overnight. The rust should be gone and the metal clean.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Another item I've used is molasses. You can check coke and molasses out on you tube.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

having had many rusty trucks, i use a rust neutralizer then after that i coat with POR15 then a top coat . my local NAPA sells a permatex rust neutralizer that like mentioned above goes on white dries black If you use phosporic acid you have to make sure you neutralize that acid after its applied and clean the junk off otherwise it will rust again

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Got a sawzall yesterday with a wire brush, and cleaned the crap out of the seam at the front of the bed.

It looks like the seam might have separated a bit from the front wall of the bed and the floor in a couple of the spots, and that's where the rust was. According to dad, someone slammed something into the front of the bed while loading, and that pulled the seam apart a bit, and then the rest started where there was bare metal.

So, plan is to treat with phosphoric acid, and then probably do POR15 with paint over on the bad spots.

My question is, should I have the seam rewelded to seal it so that water/ moisture can't continue to run between the bed floor and the front of the bed?

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Welding might burn off paint in places you can't see. Unless the separation is bad, I would do your plan of acid, POR15, paint and think of the separations as extra drainage.

Re: Addressing some rust starting in my truck bed
 

Well that would certainly simplify the task. Will do.