Rusted steering knuckle?

[wax87]

Does everyone's steering knuckles look quite rusted?

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[Montana]

Totally normal. Most do this.

Show us a pic if you are worried.

 

[RedRider]

Does everyone's steering knuckles look quite rusted?

Every manufacturer does this. It will take 75 years to rust through, and the small amount of rust in the cone area after a month helps lock in the knuckle. Its safer that way.

 

[wax87]

my 2004 Toyota Avalon with 260,000 miles on it does not look as rusted as my 2023 Mav with 1200 miles on it.

 

[NoVaJimmy]

They're painted black on my '22 XL. I suspect yet another place Ford cut costs in the name of maximizing profits. Another member posted a photo of their 22 and it was also painted black.

 

[wax87]

They're painted black on my '22 XL. I suspect yet another place Ford cut costs in the name of maximizing profits. Another member posted a photo of their 22 and it was also painted black.

Thank you for this information, I was suspecting something like that. I am thinking of removing mine, bead blast them and then painting them, I want to find all of the Torque values 1st. I coated mine with oil the other day when I change the oil just to protect it a little.

 

[NoVaJimmy]

Thank you for this information, I was suspecting something like that. I am thinking of removing mine, bead blast them and then painting them, I want to find all of the Torque values 1st. I coated mine with oil the other day when I change the oil just to protect it a little.

If you're going to go to that trouble I would use a rust converter like POR15 and not bother media blasting.

 

[Optimus]

I posted on this recently as well. This is possibly a newer trend, as others have had painted spindles. I recently undercoated the entire underside with Fluid Film, opting to coat extra carefully on the spindles. I debated painting them first, but adverse weather was pressing and needed to get the whole job done rather than delay it all by painting first.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...e-unpainted-rusty-spindles.39467/#post-707307

 

[Shay]

Surface rust on cast iron parts is nothing to worry about.

 

[710-oil-614]

If you're going to go to that trouble I would use a rust converter like POR15 and not bother media blasting.

Ordered my 2in1 Bottle-Jack-Stands!!

 

[710-oil-614]

I posted on this recently as well. This is possibly a newer trend, as others have had painted spindles. I recently undercoated the entire underside with Fluid Film, opting to coat extra carefully on the spindles. I debated painting them first, but adverse weather was pressing and needed to get the whole job done rather than delay it all by painting first.

https://www.mavericktruckclub.com/f...e-unpainted-rusty-spindles.39467/#post-707307

Any adverse affects from the Fluid Film? I just did my rear (from the axle back) yesterday and was shocked at how many electrical connections are under there. I didn't cover any since FF says it doesn't harm them and they are just sitting there exposed to everything else but now I'm worried.

Also my garage smells less than pleasant at the moment but I noticed the same flaky rust spots on the axles as I had on my bronco's frame so I'm glad to have gotten under there and completed it.

Note: the discoloration on the stamped arms is the FF not rust.

 

[wax87]

Surface rust on cast iron parts is nothing to worry about.

Said someone that lives in AZ LOL just kidding. It is just very unsightly, I am going to have to do something to mine, not sure what just yet.

 

[Optimus]

Any adverse affects from the Fluid Film? I just did my rear (from the axle back) yesterday and was shocked at how many electrical connections are under there. I didn't cover any since FF says it doesn't harm them and they are just sitting there exposed to everything else but now I'm worried.

Also my garage smells less than pleasant at the moment but I noticed the same flaky rust spots on the axles as I had on my bronco's frame so I'm glad to have gotten under there and completed it.

I've been using FF for about 8 years now (obviously on other vehicles) and it works great. No adverse effects that I can think of, short of getting it on yourself or clothes when you're underneath but that's the price of staying rust free. I did quickly apply some tape over electrical connections just in case, but this was really the first time I had ever done it. The Mav has a lot of things exposed, and a lot of nooks and crannies, more so than I've probably seen before, unibody or with a frame. I took off all the underbody panels and wheel well liners as well. I would say most of the electrical connections are back where you found them, but there are more further forward too. FF creeps, but it doesn't creep as well as a true liquid penetrating oil like PB BLaster, JB-80, or WD-40, as it's no where near as thin. As such, I have never actually experienced it affecting any electrical connections. But because of the number of connections exposed, including bright orange high voltage, I did a quick cover up on them.

As for the smell, it dissipates after a week or two. I am technically using a product called Woolwax at this point, from a company that used to sell FF but switched a couple years ago. Woolwax is supposed to be thicker and more durable (less touchups needed), but time will tell. I'm not as pleased how Woolwax sprays. I have a dedicated air gun that is designed specifically for Fluid Film, and it just doesn't spray as well with Woolwax. Fluid Film sprays very nicely though, good and "misty" for getting into tough areas. I got my stuff from a company called Kell Sport. Much better than trying to do it all by spray can (but I did start out that way in my earlier years). Woolwax also has different grades of products, including a "grease" in a small tub/container that mimics wheel bearing greasse in terms of appearance. Woolwax has far less odor than FF, but not a deciding factor for me since FF's smell goes away anyway.

If you have not done FF or similar before, you will need to touch up annually, but touchups are much easier and quicker, since you're not respraying everything again. Just the hard hit areas. Oh, and I still use spray cans too, as they are great for small touchups, using on the snowblower, etc..... Walmart tends to have the larger capacity spray cans for the same price (currently $9.99 here) as anywhere else with the smaller "regular" size can.

 

[710-oil-614]

I've been using FF for about 8 years now (obviously on other vehicles) and it works great. No adverse effects that I can think of, short of getting it on yourself or clothes when you're underneath but that's the price of staying rust free. I did quickly apply some tape over electrical connections just in case, but this was really the first time I had ever done it. The Mav has a lot of things exposed, and a lot of nooks and crannies, more so than I've probably seen before, unibody or with a frame. I took off all the underbody panels and wheel well liners as well. I would say most of the electrical connections are back where you found them, but there are more further forward too. FF creeps, but it doesn't creep as well as a true liquid penetrating oil like PB BLaster, JB-80, or WD-40, as it's no where near as thin. As such, I have never actually experienced it affecting any electrical connections. But because of the number of connections exposed, including bright orange high voltage, I did a quick cover up on them.

As for the smell, it dissipates after a week or two. I am technically using a product called Woolwax at this point, from a company that used to sell FF but switched a couple years ago. Woolwax is supposed to be thicker and more durable (less touchups needed), but time will tell. I'm not as pleased how Woolwax sprays. I have a dedicated air gun that is designed specifically for Fluid Film, and it just doesn't spray as well with Woolwax. Fluid Film sprays very nicely though, good and "misty" for getting into tough areas. I got my stuff from a company called Kell Sport. Much better than trying to do it all by spray can (but I did start out that way in my earlier years). Woolwax also has different grades of products, including a "grease" in a small tub/container that mimics wheel bearing greasse in terms of appearance. Woolwax has far less odor than FF, but not a deciding factor for me since FF's smell goes away anyway.

If you have not done FF or similar before, you will need to touch up annually, but touchups are much easier and quicker, since you're not respraying everything again. Just the hard hit areas. Oh, and I still use spray cans too, as they are great for small touchups, using on the snowblower, etc..... Walmart tends to have the larger capacity spray cans for the same price (currently $9.99 here) as anywhere else with the smaller "regular" size can.

Yeah I used a tyvec suit and I wish I had more time to take off the felt and the skid and do it all but I figure that was the most problematic part I needed to address immediately and I want to add the JCR catalytic converter skid plate so I'll need to remove and trim the felt eventually.

 

[Shay]

Said someone that lives in AZ LOL just kidding. It is just very unsightly, I am going to have to do something to mine, not sure what just yet.

Short of disassembling it and having the parts powder coated there's nothing you can do to keep it from being rusty. Even if you did that within a year or two it would still probably have rust.

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