How to get rid of rust on the car body

The body of most modern cars are made of metal. And, although the composition of the metal for these structures and methods of their protection are different, they are all subject to corrosion. Appearing rust not only spoils the appearance of the car, but also leads to damage to individual elements of the body.

Causes of corrosion on the car

Over time, rust appears on all metal products, except high-alloyed ones. Bodies are made of cheaper metal sheets with fewer alloying elements. The main protection for them - a special treatment in the form of galvanization, as well as the application of layers of primer and paintwork. But even such measures do not protect the metal body structure from corrosion.

The driver of the car should be well aware of when rust appears.

1. The main reason is poor-quality primary surface treatment of metal sheets. Many cars of reputable global automotive brands have bodies with a corrosion guarantee for at least five years. In practice, with proper operation, these periods significantly exceed those stated in the warranty. In the nineties, at the Russian factories UAZ and VAZ, in the conditions of a shortage of cars, manufacturers began to produce machinery, the bodies of which were made of the cheapest steel and, at the same time, the paint was applied to the metal without prior priming. Such a violation of technology led to the fact that after a few months the first “mushrooms” appeared, and after six months all the thresholds were covered with a thick layer of rust. At the same time, owners of old Volga cars, which were produced in the fifties, are surprised to find that their bodies are not subject to corrosion. It is simply explained - the metal of the body of this car was covered with a thick layer of tin.
2. On Russian roads, the coating of a car of any manufacturer is subjected to serious tests and damage. This is due to the poor condition of the roadway.Small stones flying from under the wheels, sand and dirt damage the paint, and over time bring it to partial destruction and exposure of the metal.
3. Damage to the condition of the body and causes additional tuning machines, outside the factory conditions. To install various rails and moldings, the body is drilled, which damages its protective layer. Corrosion foci begin to appear in these places.
4. One of the reasons for the appearance of rust on the car are not only self-made, but the factory lining on the outer part of the body. During operation, dirt and water fall between these pads and the surface of the machine. Over time, there may be damage of a corrosive nature.
5. For Russia, one of the reasons for the occurrence of such damage is the constant change of weather conditions. Especially cars suffer in the winter. And, oddly enough, cars that are stored in warm boxes suffer. Due to a sharp temperature drop on the paintwork, microcracks appear and, if it is not periodically preventively updated, these microcracks increase, allowing for the appearance of rye.

Corrosion Damage Types

Over the years of car operation, the most corroded parts of the body have been installed.

• The bottom of the car.
• Wings and thresholds.
• Wheel arches.
• Doors, especially at the edges, where there are rubbing places.
• The floor is under the seats and especially under the feet of the driver and front passenger.
• The sites adjoining with different slips.
• In the engine compartment where moisture can collect.
• In the trunk, in the place of the spare wheel.

In order to prevent and detect early corrosion, these places should be periodically carefully examined. An indifferent attitude to this problem can be costly for the car owner, even to replace the car body.

Rust on the metal body can manifest itself in different ways. Specialists have a classification of corrosive damage.

1. Pitting corrosion. In the "people" this type of damage is called "mushrooms". Manifested as a small point. The metal is eaten by rust into the depths with the subsequent growth of the hearth.
2. Rust is stained. In this case, the lesion spreads over the surface without penetrating deep into. In a state of neglect, the spots eat through the metal.
3. Cosmetic corrosion.Superficial damage, most often formed at the places of contact of the metal parts of the body with extraneous linings or flashlights. In the initial stages of the lesion is eliminated easily. In the neglected state goes to subfilm.
4. Subfilm corrosion damage is formed under the paintwork. May appear bloating. In the worst case, its development occurs unnoticed and affects the metal through.
5. Rusting is the last stage of such damage. This part of the body is not "treated" and must be replaced.

Methods and methods of removing rust

With minor damages and timely detection of developing corrosion, the best way is to treat the damaged areas with a rust converter. The most reliable chemicals of this type are obtained on the basis of phosphoric acid.

Wash and dry the damaged area. Then a rust converter layer is applied. It can be applied with a brush or swab. The area treated in this way is left for at least 30 minutes.

Then the surface should be washed with water and wiped with a dry cloth.Rust is guaranteed to be removed, and bare metal is required to be primed and painted. In hard-to-reach places, the treated metal can be treated with an anti-corrosion spray.

In the case of more serious damage to the body, mechanical treatment of the areas damaged by rust is applied. This processing is done in several ways.

1. Hand grinding. Before processing with grinding materials, the area must be cleaned with a metal brush. The rust is then removed with sandpaper. First, a medium or coarse sandpaper is applied. Then cleaning with fine-grained materials is carried out.
2. Grinding with special units. In this case, you can use a drill, grinder or grinder. The procedure for processing the damaged surface is the same as for manual processing.
3. At the workshop, sandblasting machines are used to remove serious rust. The advantage of this method is the high quality metal processing without a significant reduction in sheet thickness.

After the machining, it is necessary to rinse the surface, dry it well and, after applying the primer, paint it.As an intermediate measure, you can treat the cleaned surface with an anti-corrosion agent.

Preventing car from corrosion

In order to prevent serious damage to the body from corrosion, preventive measures are required.

1. At least once a month it is necessary to inspect the most vulnerable in this regard places on the car body.
2. Every three months is required to do polishing of the body. This measure allows you to deal with microcracks.
3. In closed storage areas, machines should provide good ventilation and, if possible, low humidity.
4. After washing the car, as well as putting the car into the garage after driving on wet roads, it is necessary to wipe all accessible places and blow out hard-to-reach areas of the body with compressed air in order to remove moisture.

Metal corrosion is a serious damage to any car. Absolutely all metal bodies are subject to it. Therefore, the driver must timely monitor the slightest manifestations of this damage and immediately take steps to eliminate it. In this case, the cost of time and money to eliminate the defect will be minimal, and the car will serve the owner for many years.

Video: how to remove rust from the car body