RAV4 - Rust - Wheels & Underbody

[contactparag]

My car has good amount of rust under body.

Main body hasn`t been rusted anywhere & while driving also it`s smooth (no noise).



I am planning to fix the rust at home only. (novice here)

I checked VHT rust converter on Amazon which will convert rusted areas to black.

After brushing/sanding, should I just spray that where ever needed (except wheels)?



What about wheels? Does it look like Stainless steel?

I have to remove wheels & remove rust. Will rust-oleum clear spray be effective?

[Accumulator]

Welcome to Autopia! See my response on the other copy of this thread.

[contactparag]

Can anybody point to jack point and jack stand point (fron & back) ?

The manual page is also attached.

[Accumulator]

contactparag- Sorry, this won`t contain a good, simple answer that you`ll like But maybe something here will be helpful.



Consider whether you`re gonna let the jack support it, with the stands under there as backup or have it completely on the stands (needless to say you`re supposed to do the latter ).



You need to get a manual, or info from somebody who either has the manual or is familiar with your vehicle. You really do want to do this right! It won`t be all that tricky once you know as, well...vehicles are made so you can jack `em up.



I can`t see the page in your owner`s manual that probably shows the jacking points.



I don`t want to take a guess (or tell you what I`d try if I were there and guessing) on the front as I`d hate to be wrong. I can`t quite see things well enough to give you a nice safe answer. Sorry, but if you`re looking at it with decent lighting, and you can`t figure it out (like..."gee, it`s intuitively obvious that this area here can support the weight with no problems"), then you really need to see the manual (and I absolutely don`t mean for that to sound condescending or otherwise insulting).



But OK...isn`t there a crossmember under the engine that looks nice and sturdy? And/or sturdy looking areas underneath where the front suspension (thinking "control arms" mainly...) bolt on?



Check for an internet forum or get a Haynes/Chilton/Factory manual. IMO the FSM is the way to go even though it`ll assume you have a lot of specialized tools. I buy one for any vehicle I`m gonna do stuff on..well, meaning "stuff that might require a real understanding of the vehicle", and IMO this qualifies.



On the back, I`d put the jack pad under the center of the rearend, being careful that it won`t somehow deform the cover (causing it to leak). Jack it up and put stands under the "stubby tubes" at each end of the housing where the half-shafts/axels attach (or under some reinforced area on the floorpan, but you`ll need the manual to know where that is if it`s not obvious by looking).



Some people might say (hint hint) to look for areas where it`s been jacked up/supported before..scratched paint/etc., but then OTOH dummies at shops/dealerships might`ve done it improperly (happens more often than you`d expect).

[Ron Ketcham]

You may with to take a few minutes and visit the ValuGard.net website.

Look at the "Training Video" section for application of Rust Preventative and Undercoating.

While the video show a new vehicle being treated, there are many good tips for those in your circumstance.

Older vehicles, with dirt, scale, etc, may be pressure washed to remove most of those items.

I do believe that the video`s will provide you with some important tips.

These are the same products that ValuGard makes under private label for Ford and Chrysler, plus several other manufacturers have Technical Service Bulletins for the use of the ValuGard products.

Some may be read on the site as well.

Grumpy