How to Inspect a Vehicle's Frame for Rust

How to inspect a frame for rust, this can be used on your vehicles or if you’re purchasing a vehicle. As some of you know, I live in Canada, specifically the rust belt where salt is used and this can do quite a bit of damage over the years. While this example is being done on a full-frame vehicle, the same process can also be used to inspect unibody vehicles too as they do have enclosed structural components and subframes. #oemtools #frame #rust
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Tools/Supplies Needed:
-hammer
-flash light
-borescope
Procedure:
Frame rust is an even bigger problem with enclosed frames now as they can trap in road debris which keeps a damp environment making an ideal environment for rust. Going from the outside, we can do a visual inspection. This frame has had an oil spray applied at some point in its life as shown by the build-up. A plastic scraper can be used to expose the paint in behind if you wish or it can sometimes be removed with your finger. This would expose the base and it’s sometimes good to do this to see what’s hiding in behind.
The factory paint should have a smooth, clean finish. If you are noticing paint over what appears to be pitting metal, someone has painted over what was a rusty frame. Painting is fine, as long as someone did a good job. With the small amount of rust on this frame, I’ll probably go around with a wire wheel to spot clean and paint those areas to prevent them from getting worse.
Areas that can be exposed to more road debris, basically sandblasting the paint from the frame would be the fender wells. This is especially an issue with vehicles that have been driven on gravel roads, once that paint has been removed, the metal is bare and this will result in rusting. Other issues can be areas that allow dirt to become trapped such as flat brackets or ones which create a pocket. An example of this would be the rear leaf spring brackets on the frame.
Moving to the inside face of the frame, this is where you’ll have to climb under the vehicle. Again inspect for any rust, a common area can be next to the exhaust where the heat can melt any snow with a salt mixture, accelerating any rust. Open the hood, depending on the vehicle, you may be able to get a good view from here. I would recommend having a good high powered flashlight to get good views so you don’t miss anything.
The next thing which can also be done is using a hammer. If you’re inspecting a vehicle to purchase, be sure to ask the owner’s permission first. A chipping hammer such as what I have here is excellent for poking at rust, with the pointed end, you’ll find a soft spot right away. Another option would be a ball-peen hammer such as this. I’d only recommend using this on rusty areas where you may see scaling and bubbling. Don’t use this on painted areas as you can chip away the paint, removing that layer of protection.
As for other parts of the frame, use a dead blower hammer instead. This will provide a solid hit, demonstrating a consistent sound. With the rubber exterior, this helps prevent any damage to the paint which would be hard to prevent with a metal hammer. Irregularities in the sound would show up where the frame may change its shape, there’s a bracket, or a repair has been made. If a solid plate was welded in, you would hear a more solid tone. This may even show areas where someone used a filler to do a quick cover up on a frame, I have seen this in the past.
I would highly recommend investing in a borescope. You may have noticed those factory holes when inspecting the frame, this is a great way for viewing inside the frame. Here we can see the interior condition. The tube frames do tend to trap road debris as mentioned earlier and not all frames were equipped with large enough drain holes. Even if the frame looks perfect from the outside, inspecting from the inside can show any previous repairs, bubbling, excessive scale, or any other damage which may jeopardize the structural integrity.
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© 4DIYers 2013
All Rights Reserved
No part of this video or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author.

[@4DIYers]

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[@the1stime]

How is legal for auto manufacturers to sell trucks with un-galvanized frames? What a shitshow we live in

[@4DIYers]

Yep, nothing is built to last. We live in a throw away society sadly.

[@MrRedHotChiliMan]

@@4DIYersthrow away society is exactly right.. ridiculous.

[@robertkissel3590]

I’m not very knowledgeable about vehicles so I needed to know how to properly inspect a frame. This video was awesome! Very thorough and easy to follow. Thanks!

[@4DIYers]

Glad it was helpful and thank you for the feedback!

[@Dustyfingers]

Most used car sales dealers I’ve been to have the worst rotted frames but nice exterior. Lipstick on a pig. Price tags around 19-20k

[@4DIYers]

New car dealers too. I worked at one in high school, don't underestimate anyone.

[@Cinnamon535]

I just bought a Cadillac that looks new but I didn’t check the frame and it’s rusted in the back I feel sad now

[@Abdullahxvii]

looking into buying a first car in mississauga, so this was extremely helpful

[@4DIYers]

Happy I could help!

[@Zoofactory]

That’s a GREAT LOOKING frame for what it’s been exposed to.👍

[@4DIYers]

Thank you!

[@jimcorrigall560]

@@4DIYers ¹¹

[@EXQD2]

Great video!

[@4DIYers]

Thank you!

[@deniaquino7513]

Great video

[@4DIYers]

Thanks!

[@DanielTejnicky]

Well I was looking for where cabin leaks commin from under windshiled area(dashboard) So I was pouring water on windshield to see, if drainage holes are blocked etc. and I noticed there is a hole in my frame rusted thru and water is pouring from down there (which means there's also hole on top, where the water is getting in) ... well that made my day.

[@JoeBuck-uc3bl]

It’s scary how most people don’t even think to inspect the frame for rust when buying a used car!! And if you go back in time just a few months I’m also talking about myself! Now I’m obsessed with frame condition. So I just looked at about 3000 photos while looking to buy a used car…NOT ONE photo of a frame yet. Currently I’m eyeing up this 2007 Corolla, the original owner had it until 2020 and lived in snowless GEORGIA!!! ❄️

[@4DIYers]

Agreed! I never did either until getting a Toyota Tacoma. Kind of scary how many vehicles out there have frame issues. Never used to be an issue years ago.

[@SuperDachee]

Great video! Im looking at a 2011 ford ranger right now that has 46k miles on it (driven mostly on dirt roads) and trying to decide if the rust under it is surface rust or not

[@4DIYers]

Happy I could help! Watch the area around the catalytic converter, it's a known area for rusting. The rear leaf spring brackets also fail on those trucks too, but can be replaced.

[@cyrusIIIII]

Thanks for the video. Which SUV brands are known to be more rust resistance to snow salty areas in north?

[@4DIYers]

Probably European brands. Toyota is known to have some major rust issues on all their full frame vehicles. I've also seen quite a few Ford Escapes with structural rot as well.

[@volbster2]

I would like to hear your option on that truck you were inspecting. Would you consider that an acceptable truck to buy? Is the condition it's in maintainable? Meaning can the rust it has be slowed down or stopped from advancing by say oil coating application?

[@4DIYers]

Very acceptable considering what it's been exposed to. It's underside is cleaner than trucks 10yrs newer which is why I bought it, I got super lucky. I did a video on applying oil spray kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX_Cn2edpaiiqK8 and did some light clean up. It wasn't mandatory but just for peace of mind. Slowing down rust would be using an oil spray, but if you wanted to stop it, you'd have to mechanically removed the rust or use a chemical treatment, then apply a paint. Then apply an oil spray over that.

[@volbster2]

@@4DIYers Thanks you for this. I just bought a 2005 Silverado Crew with 6.6 Duramax in Bismark ND, I now live in Spearfish SD. I moved here from Oregon last August. I was shocked to see fenders rotting out of trucks and cars here. Anyway the frame has surface rust, yet the body is in excellent. The mounting rails under the bed don't look so good. I expect to be taking the bed off in the near future. Thanks again, that's what I wanted to hear was from someone with experience and being able to make a subjective judgment. The frame on my Silverado isn't that bad by comparison so I will definitely watch your other videos about maintaining the frame. Thank you much I feel some releaf.

[@PatriciaRhoades-hb1og]

Thanks. Can it rust if left sitting? No salt on ground?

[@4DIYers]

You’re welcome and yes it can. Depends on the climate, humidity, and grass can also increase corrosion.

[@taylorlan3754]

So just to confirm, does the vehicle you inspected in the video have a rust issue or is it in good shape

[@4DIYers]

The Dodge Ram that is shown in the video, it's frame is in excellent shape.

[@taylorlan3754]

@@4DIYers that is good info! That looks like mine and I was initially worried!

[@markdog3355]

Did I hear you say that's a 2006? My truck had more rust a year out of the factory!

[@4DIYers]

Yep, 2006. It's pretty rare to find a Ram this clean where I live, so I ended up being very lucky getting my hands on this truck. I was looking for quite a while at different trucks too, trying to find what had the least amount of frame issues too. Before winter I need to clean up those mildly rusted spots, then get a special gun to wax spray the whole thing.

[@KRAMPUS_G60_16V]

Only hammer 😊

[@himalaya1243]

I want to vehicle inspection job in canada. Any idea. Please let me know .now i am in japan I do truck inspection job in japan

[@nrs10001]

Looking at a 2016 f150 in Oklahoma that spent most of its life up in canada. I'm skeptical as I know a lot of salt is used up there compared to down here

[@4DIYers]

We use a ridiculous amount of salt here and it’s been getting worse. If it was oil sprayed, then it was protected and has a good chance. My best advice would be to look it over good. My Ram has spent most of its life in Canada and is extremely clean underneath for its age and mileage.

[@nrs10001]

@@4DIYers Ok thank you! I found a newer truck that only spent about a year up in Canada but I'm now going to check it over just the same to make sure it looks good. Thanks again for the info!

[@4DIYers]

You're welcome! Best of luck, keep me posted on what you buy.

[@jeffrey8977]

Hi guys, I was looking at a used truck for sale at a dealership. There was no "fix engine" light or anything. when i put the fixd app into work, it came back with a code that said that there is a 70% chance this was going to be an $800 problem. I told the dealer and I left. He sent me a text the other day saying he had driven the truck for about a hundred miles, and that when they plugged it in, the codes were gone. he then said that it was a previous issue and the the truck was ready for sale. Does that make sense to you because i'm not buying any of it. thanks in advance!

[@4DIYers]

Used car or new car dealership? I would also ask them to provide proof of the repair. The code would eventually disappear if the issue was fixed. You can also connect the scan tool again and it will be listed under pending codes. So it may not trigger a light but it's still there.

[@jeffrey8977]

@@4DIYers sorry for the delay. it's a used truck. i remember him saying something about splitting the cost if that issue arrived. i don't really believe that even if it was in writing. but it does tell me it's an issue he wasn't aware of, or pretended that. what do you think, should i skip?

[@jeffrey8977]

@@4DIYers and i want to be sure, so if i scan it again, and the codes don't appear, he was telling the truth?

[@4DIYers]

If the truck came with a warranty, splitting the cost shouldn't be an option. It should be covered under warranty. If he did fix the issue, then there shouldn't be a concern of it popping up again. If not or if it was a sketchy repair, then there is a chance it could pop back up again. I would scan it again, but don't tell them you're coming so they don't clear it before hand. If an option, take the truck for a couple hours and run some errands with it. Give it a good run, then scan it before returning it. I'm not a huge fan of dealers, especially if they're used car dealers. Not saying that they're all bad but I think better options and deals can be found privately. Dealers are there to make money and if this is a sketchy dealer, might be hard trying to get a reliable vehicle from them.

[@milkywayandbeyond]

What so you do to prevent it?

[@jkemmerer1993]

Get used motor oil and spray it all over the frame. I’ve met some old timers and they swear by this. But even with that you can’t do anything but temporarily prevent it. Rust never sleeps

[@fuckdott7308]

hey hey my my@@jkemmerer1993

[@dukenukem5753]

I have never seen a Dodge Ram with independent front suspension weird

[@Dr_1776]

Olight

[@itsDerekG]

Is there anything to do to save a frame that is rusting from the inside?

[@Straightforward-iPhone-Tips]

No. Scrap the car it poses a safety issue

[@KekeeBlack]

Take a few chain links and connect them to a drain auger. Feed the line into the frame and connect your drill. The chain links smack a lot of the rust out. Then you gotta get in there with a vacuum and get out everything you can. Spray the inside with a lanolin coating (ideally) or whatever type of oil you can afford. And honestly after what I’ve dealt with, I recommend drilling a small hole on any low spots where water or dirt can gather. Then you swear to yourself that you will pay meticulous attention to your next truck and buy it from a southern state.

[@metalface8515]

Can't lie, I was hoping you'd show an absolutely trashed rotten frame so we could see rust flakes fly everywhere hahahah for a "bad" example of what to look for.

[@4DIYers]

Lol, I wouldn't buy anything like that. The Toyota is the worst I've owned and never again haha.

[@taz24787]

@@4DIYers Was that a pickup, sedan or you know both toyotas' frames rusting? Thanks

[@GLMgoogle]

@@taz24787 toyota pickup frames rotting is a lot more common than toyota sedan frames

[@Hugh_Mungus]

So was that frame ok?

[@4DIYers]

Yes, the frame is considering to be in excellent shape for it's age and what it's been exposed to. I haven't seen cleaner on trucks even 10yrs newer locally.

[@Hugh_Mungus]

@@4DIYers Thanks, I'm looking around to make an informed decision now that I'm about to buy my first car (I'm gonna get an old car so it's probably good to know to detect unacceptable levels of rust)

[@tmac8892]

2nd gen tacomas are rust buckets

[@jeffrey8977]

You never gave the opinion about what you thought of that truck?

[@4DIYers]

This truck is extremely clean and an excellent example of a well cared for frame, especially what's it's been exposed to.

[@janeprescott7381]

Yuk, flaking metal rust, so badly rotted. I don't think it's good enough As is, going to a body guy- thinking I'm going to loose my entire investments in this vehicle. It's a 95 And beacouse it's an f body, I don't think it can be saved, better safe than sorry.