A horrible end to my Rodeo - this shouldn't have happened.

To all you regulars I've chatted with and received advice from in the last 2-3 years....I had to part with the Rodeo today. The frame rusted through in an incredibly short amount of time. Irrepairable. It was a '97 with less than 100,000 miles on it - a premature demise especially since many of you can get 175,000+ miles on yours. The body was competely rust free, the interior nice and the engine & 4WD ran like a dream. I washed & waxed the vehicle frequently and rinsed it off regularly in the winter. Despite of this attention the frame softened to the point that it resembled and crumbled like a formation of Ritz crackers. Due to the #*&%@#!! road salt. In my state we have an annual inspection that is impossible to pass if you have rust. A car that has a rusty frame with holes is nearly worthless around here - don't ask what I sold the Rodeo for - it's that painful - basically what the tires were worth. See pictures below taken in August - even the lower rocker panels are shiny with the original paint. This is the frame on the passenger side just above the transfer case mount location. Welding/replacing the frame was not practical. Every mount location/shackle/bolt or fastener is rusted. You can stab a screwdriver through several parts of the frame. The brake and fuel lines are paper thin. Replaced the in-tank fuel pump assembly last month because the pressure line rusted through. Was hoping to find an inspection station that would have sympathy on me after spending $700 in repairs this year but after three tries in three different shops it was clear - this nice ride had become a parts car. It's no longer capable of towing or venturing off-road even if I did want to take a chance and drive with an expired inspection sticker. I didn't have the heart to try to part it out myself and get a few more $. Winter has arrived here and taking a car apart outdoors and finding buyers or shipping bulky parts is just, well, a PIA. The moral to my story is watch closely for signs of advanced rust underneath- it gets bad REAL FAST and a nice looking topside chassis will not be an indication of how the rest is holding up. The grade of steel used in the undercarriage should last longer than mine did - this shouldn't have happened. Hope your Rodeos live long lives and don't meet this fate. Thanks for all your advice and stories I've benefitted from since joining this forum. I'll continue to check in every now and then. Tom
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/highlandlake/rustyrodeo.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/highlandlake/rodeonomore.jpg

I understand how aggravating rust can be, this was another reason why we parted with our 21yr old Toyota. The frame was just rotted and no longer 100% sturdy, in all reality, we should've just drove it to the junk yard - but, we did get $1,750 as a trade-in.

If our state checked for rust like your state, we wouldn't have been able to sale it cause it wouldn't pass emissions - here in Colorado, it's the seller's responsibility to make sure it passes emissions.

See you have a '90 Chevy p/up - good trucks.

You can only do so much to save something, I've heard Isuzu underframes and rust corrosion are just as bad as Toyota's. I believe mine has only been spared rust underneith due to it's having lived the 1st 5yrs of it's life in the desert - when we moved back to Colorado, we had that undercoat stuff sprayed onto it. Otherwise, I'm sure it would look far far worse then it does.

Don't beat yourself up too bad, it's probably for the best, as when they get that bad, if you were to get in an accident, it could be detrimental.

We don't miss our old Toy at all - it definitely served it's purpose for sure; but it was time - it was too unsafe to keep driving.

I'm so glad they dont use salt here. I'll put up with cracked windsheilds and chipped paint.

Sorry to hear about your rodeo. I think there would be a good market for someone to pick up a bunch of rodeo and trooper frames from here and take them east.

That is unreal! Especially being a 1997!:frown: Around where I live, 10yrs is usually the magic number where things start going south on you, but yours went to nothing too soon IMO. You can tell from the body that you took good care of your rodeo. I've tried all kinds of rust proofing, paints, coatings, etc. I've never had luck with anything. Once they start going there's not much you can do.

Joel

Rust! we dont get that stuff not like that anyway
we usually see exhaust components rusted but thats about all

I'm so glad they dont use salt here. I'll put up with cracked windsheilds and chipped paint.

Sorry to hear about your rodeo. I think there would be a good market for someone to pick up a bunch of rodeo and trooper frames from here and take them east.

Colorado doesn't use road salt? You must get as much (or more) snow than we do here in Maine. How do they clear the roads and keep the ice away?

And I sure thought about finding a replacement frame for mine. The economics of the project made me think twice. New brackets, ball joints, bushings, all those plastic clips, and the labor - yikes:eek:
Not to mention the cost of the must-have upgrades to shocks and brakes.
I'd have $5,000 into a $3,000 vehicle. Just saw a nice low mileage green '99 locally on Evil-Bay for $3,800 buy-it-now. It is nice, but is 2WD and standard shift. I use 4WD quite often in the winter months just to get out of the driveway. And the wife has never learned a manual transmission.
I'll keep looking for the Rodeo replacement. The Chevy truck in the driveway needs more work than it's worth - and since mice lived in it for a year it STINKS so bad the wife won't go near it. And she feels safer in a truck in the wintertime. I wanna say 'just keep the windows rolled down and drive it, will ya?' But I wouldn't mind a gen II Rodeo with the 3.2 since I know my way around that engine now. My hope is to find one in nice shape with a bad belt tensioner that someones thinks is a bad connecting rod! :evillol:
Tom

Magnesium chloride - is what they throw down in our neck of the woods.

Sister's brother-in-law works for C-Dot = highway construction, driving the big snow-plows, amongst other duties. He's constantly telling us to make absolute certain to clean off our vehicles, especially the radiator after every snow storm.

He's so adament about it, that he & his wife invested in a power washer, they wash their cars everyday after driving through the stuff. He says the paint is one thing, but the stuff they use out here will literally eat through your radiator in nothing flat.

The 4x2 versus the 4x4, personally I've had two Rodeo's that were equipped as such, haven't felt any short-comings with the 4x2 in snow-country versus the 4x4. We had 16" of snow-fall on Oct 26, our 4x2 Rodeo was the only other vehicle that made it off the mountain, leading our 4x4 Toyota.

Get yourself about 120# in sandbags over the rear tires, good A/T tires and you're all set. Been back here for almost 6yrs, this 4x2 Rodeo has never slipped or been stuck.

i googled magnesium chloride and got some interesting info, including that while it's 'gentler' on metals than rock salt, it's hell on aluminum
and electrical utilities are complaining it's causing problems with electrical stuff
so beware, you're low hanging electrical connectors and components and sensors might be taking a hit where in other regions it might not be a problem.

//bc

One reason why when I replaced my radiator, I went with metal versus aluminum/plastic this time.

One benefit to running taller then stock size tires, it raises your underframe, and I put my front mud flaps back on for the winter. If anything to aid in keeping more gunk off the paint on the doors.

I never had a problem with it attacking a radiator, but I've never had an aluminum one. So far no issue with any electrical connections. That stuff is the reason I always take a trip through the drive through car wash with an under carriage sprayer every time I fill up.

I stripped the clear coat off all the aluminum on my m'cycle and polished it. Bad mistake! The mag chloride quickly ate the hell out of it since the bike used to sit next to a major street.