Pic taken of the driver's side of the frame, beneath the rear door --- is this commonly rusted, or is it more rusted than normal in this example?



Edit - More photos added --- does this look fatal???













Thanks!

 

typically new york... wire wheel and a rust paint .. or maybe oilspray if you are keeping the truck for a long time

 

i'd definitely say thats way beyond normal

 

20 salty winters

 

...that's what mine looks like

 

I updated the first post with some more pics. How bad is this frame??

 

looks better than my trail rig which i consider solid!!! aslong as there is no holes!!
use a hammer and give it a wack...

looks like a good winter beater if you do upgrade!

 

maybe if you drive through gravel roads all day, and the gravel is made out of salt

 

I would say thats very typical for a vehicle in the Northeast.

 

Is this on the verge of being un-safe?

How much more can this frame rust before failing Inspection?

 

No way even close to unsafe. Its all just surface rust. That still has years and years of use left in it, even driving it on the salted winter roads each year.

Inspection laws vary by state, but in NH if you can put a screwdriver through the frame, it fails. Any rust hole into the passenger compartment also fails.

To prevent further rust, you can oil or wax the frame and anything underneath before winter. Regular cleaning will also help. The best thing to do it to take a wire wheel/brush to everything, clean it up and repaint with a rust inhibitor. No one ever does this though and you will be fine without.

 

It looks like surface rust to me, and typical of a vehicle that drives on salted roads in Winter. It might become a problem as far as structural strength, in another 10 years. But I wouldn't worry about it now. JMO.