roll cage rust protection on inside of tubes?

[bp71k5]

Anybody worry about this kind of thing? As I was blowing out the dust from the interior, I found a small spot on my cage that didn't get any weld on it. I jammed the airhose onto that spot to try and blow any dirt or dust out of it before welding it up and when I removed the air hose, I got a bunch of air shooting back out at me with a little rusty colored vapor.​

Are there any techniques for coating the inside of the tubes or is it just not something anyone worries about? I'm wondering what happens after a period of time where the air inside the tubes condenses into a liquid and then collects at the bottom.​

 

[big dan]

Im curious about this as well. Ive always wondered what kept the inside of the tube from rusting. I also thought about boxed frame rails. I know that quite a few people box their frames but what keeps them from rusting from the inside out?

 

[chulisohombre]

as thick as most tube is for cages and sliders,i think it would take longer to rust out than most bodies on the truck will.most people wont have to worry about it.as far as air condensing in the cage,the welds are what keeps that out.it should be pretty much sealed from the elements as long as the welds are good on te cage.which is crucial for the cage to work correctly anyway.as you weld it shut at the joints,it would burn off the paint anyway.unless you leave the ends open on the mounting points and poor paint in the ends of the tubes till its full and then dump it back out,i dont think there is much any way to protect the inside from rust.would prob be overkill anyway.

 

[colbystephens]

as thick as most tube is for cages and sliders,i think it would take longer to rust out than most bodies on the truck will.most people wont have to worry about it.as far as air condensing in the cage,the welds are what keeps that out.it should be pretty much sealed from the elements as long as the welds are good on te cage.which is crucial for the cage to work correctly anyway.as you weld it shut at the joints,it would burn off the paint anyway.unless you leave the ends open on the mounting points and poor paint in the ends of the tubes till its full and then dump it back out,i dont think there is much any way to protect the inside from rust.would prob be overkill anyway.

my cage is welded well, but i have staked floor plates which allows for an anti-shear pin and thereby an un-sealed 1" hole/dowel at all 6 of my floor locations.

i'm not worried about interior rust. as soon as the inner walls all get covered with a bit of surface corrosion, they will pretty much stop rusting because very little moisture actually gets in there.

 

[chulisohombre]

so your cage is removeable then.would be nice for repairs and painting to get the cage out of the way later on.still most cage tube is thick enough that condensation inside the tube probably would not be much of a factor.

 

[Blue85]

That's why I built my cage from PVC pipe. Welds quick with the purple stuff and you don't have to worry about rust.

 

[dremu]

That's why I built my cage from PVC pipe. Welds quick with the purple stuff and you don't have to worry about rust.

Easier to paint too! Plus of course it's lighter.

Dammit, I shoulda used it for my cage...

-- A

 

[cegusman]

You forgot to mention you can bend it after heating it with a heat gun.

 

[dremu]

You forgot to mention you can bend it after heating it with a heat gun.

Well, yes, of course Easy to bend, easy to fab overall ... hell, in a pinch, you can work it around your dash with a Leatherman ... to heck with using steel pipe, PVC is the shiznit...

-- A

 

[ryoken]

in-vehicle plumbing!!!!!!!!!!!!!


wait..... !!!!!!!!!!!!




well, alright, maybe not such a good idea.. you'll have to excuse me, the vehicle's I work on have freakin toilets....

last year i went to Mercruiser school, Westerbeke Gen Set school and then.......

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Poop school! no sh*t, pun intended...

 

[jms]

Anybody worry about this kind of thing? As I was blowing out the dust from the interior, I found a small spot on my cage that didn't get any weld on it. I jammed the airhose onto that spot to try and blow any dirt or dust out of it before welding it up and when I removed the air hose, I got a bunch of air shooting back out at me with a little rusty colored vapor.​

Are there any techniques for coating the inside of the tubes or is it just not something anyone worries about? I'm wondering what happens after a period of time where the air inside the tubes condenses into a liquid and then collects at the bottom.​

I wouldn't worry so much since you're in California, but you could use ACF50.

 

[ktmoutfront]

I did not even paint the outside of the cage. 5 years old and no rust at all.

 

[blowedupmotor87]

I'm glad to see that I am not the only one that worries about rust inside a roll cage or boxed frame! I am gonna be watching this thread!

 

[bp71k5]

It sounds like it's not a big deal so I'm going to weld up the hole and consider the issue closed.