Unless your car is made of expensive aluminum, car rust is a potential challenge all vehicle owners will have to contend with. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent it from happening and if it has set in, there are ways to get rid of it.

Root Causes And Symptoms Of Car Rust

The two metals – iron and steel – when combined with water, salt and air – makes for the perfect setting for rust to form. Your vehicle’s chassis, engine, exhaust system, trunk and interior fittings are predominantly made from these two metals. They are used because they are a lot cheaper than aluminum. What makes aluminum less prone to rust or corrosion is its natural protective layer of aluminum oxide.

Any dents, cracks or scratches (even fine hairline ones) in your paint and other coating will expose the underlying metal to the formation of rust. Should you notice flaking or bubbling on any of the car body sections mentioned in the previous paragraph, they are telltale signs of the beginnings of the rusting process. Regardless of if your vehicle is located in the wintry, salt laden roads of the North East, ocean facing fronts of the West or even in the dry and dusty climes of the Central Plains, this can happen in any region and environment.

Supplies Often Used in Car Rust Repairs

If you plan on taking care of the rust that has invaded parts of your vehicle yourself, it is best that you get ready all the materials and equipment needed for the process. The last thing you want to do is to grind away the rust, expose the metal beneath and realize you have some missing items that will stall the job until you get them. The less time you leave the metal exposed and the quicker you work at completing the job, the lesser the chance of rust eating further into the metal.

Your checklist of supplies will include materials and equipment to protect yourself, to help get rid of the rust, patch up the section, and the finishing touches to build strength into the affected space.

Safety Equipment

• Rubber gloves

• Safety goggles

• Dust mask

• Masking tape and paper

• Paint tarp

Car Rust Repair Equipment And Materials

• Grinder / drill with sander options

• Sand paper

• Screen wire (for serious rust issues)

• Body filler

• Putty

• Primer and Paint

There is much more to car rust repair than just scrapping it off and re-painting it. From where it is located to the severity of the condition, there are various approaches you can use to get rid of it, contain the issue and make it seem like its brand new. You want to avoid doing a rushed job and find out later that you had not fully assisted it and retard its advancement into the nearby areas of the affected section.

Make sure you check in to learn more about how to do a quality car rust repair job on your vehicle and what preventative measures you can put in place to keep it at bay and from eating into your automotives.