I noticed that my 2012 Tundra 4x4 is starting to rust at the bed rear bolts. The bolts that hold the bed to frame. When truck was new, I had Rino Liner sprayed inside bed. Now I've noticed bubbling around bolts under Rino coating. Must be rusting from under bed. Must be from road salt. I live in New Jersey. Road salt and calcium are used on roads during winter. Anyone else have this rust issue with their Tundra?? Thanks for your help!!
2012 Tundra 4x4 RUST Issue
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I live in the rust belt. I treat my truck with Fluid Film to prevent rust issues, or at least definitely slow them way down.
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Unfortunately steel pick up trucks rust in the rust belt.
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I have the same issue on a 2012 Rock Warrior and my boss on a 2010 RW. Both trucks in great shape besides that or cam tower leaks. The rust isn’t coming from the bed bolts, it comes from the seam sealer they use where the different pieces of metal are put together under the bed. There is a seam just forward of each taillight and that is where the problem starts. Water gets in between the layers due to crappy sealant (weird I know, can’t seal cam towers or bed layers) and starts rusting from the inside out and pushes your Rhino or in my case Line-X, right off the bed. I’ve read about this before and checked with my local dealer. They said there are no recalls or TSB’s about it. Let’s see how long it takes them to own up to this since they still haven’t owned up to cam tower issues after class action suits and well over a hundred thousand views on this forum alone.
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What’s the cam tower issue?
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Oil leaks at the cam tower joint.
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Rust happens to every mfg of vehicle. Especially in the rust belt. My 2009 Cobalt beater has no rockers left. Once had a GM dealership bring their lot plow truck in, was only 5-7 years old. A frame crossmember was literally rusted off and just floating, still barely intact on one side. Check out Ford beds and rockers/under cabs...
The only way to prevent rust is to treat for it ahead of time, or slow it down after it starts. Pretty shitty that they use so much more salt on the roads, plus liquid now, as no one knows how to drive.
The only way to prevent rust is to treat for it ahead of time, or slow it down after it starts. Pretty shitty that they use so much more salt on the roads, plus liquid now, as no one knows how to drive.
Rust around the bed mounting bolts is a common issue with the Tundra!
It occurs from the BOTTOM UP. The seam sealer Toyota uses on the underside of the bed dries out over time, and allows water to creep in between the main bed crossbeams and the bed floor. The inherent vibrations around the bolt mounting areas draw the moisture deeply into the seams, and sets up rust.
On my 2008, I just completed a big project of cutting out large areas around the mounting bolts, replacing with .100" thick sheet metal, sealing, and then rolling on Herculiner (good stuff).
I don't weld flat sheet metal to sheet metal; instead I use Sika 291 marine adhesive to bond the panels, and for seam sealing/tapering afterwards.
When you weld-in patches, the thin sheet metal of the bed floor doesn't allow for very heavy welds, and even being welded, it's only attached around the edges of the patch metal. When you bond the patches with the thick Sika, they are attached to more surface area of the truck bed, and more importantly to the bed crossbeams below your cutouts.
Use new bed bolts! McMaster-Carr has the M12x1.25x110 (100 length also works), 5 pcs for the price of 1 Toyota bolt. Reuse the nice thick factory washers by grinding the OD of the bolts slightly.
ToolCat
It occurs from the BOTTOM UP. The seam sealer Toyota uses on the underside of the bed dries out over time, and allows water to creep in between the main bed crossbeams and the bed floor. The inherent vibrations around the bolt mounting areas draw the moisture deeply into the seams, and sets up rust.
On my 2008, I just completed a big project of cutting out large areas around the mounting bolts, replacing with .100" thick sheet metal, sealing, and then rolling on Herculiner (good stuff).
I don't weld flat sheet metal to sheet metal; instead I use Sika 291 marine adhesive to bond the panels, and for seam sealing/tapering afterwards.
When you weld-in patches, the thin sheet metal of the bed floor doesn't allow for very heavy welds, and even being welded, it's only attached around the edges of the patch metal. When you bond the patches with the thick Sika, they are attached to more surface area of the truck bed, and more importantly to the bed crossbeams below your cutouts.
Use new bed bolts! McMaster-Carr has the M12x1.25x110 (100 length also works), 5 pcs for the price of 1 Toyota bolt. Reuse the nice thick factory washers by grinding the OD of the bolts slightly.
ToolCat
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Sounds like a good fix ….any chance you have pics of the process?
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