Rear cross member.

[cykaaro]

Well, with all the fiasco of trying to get the TRD sway bar in, I picked up two new rear links since one needs replacing, and grabbed the good rear cross-member out of the garage.

Now, before I get it put in, was thinking maybe I should power wash it, then use a good paint on it to help prevent it rusting out like the one I have now did. Is this adviseable to do? pros/cons? Just don't want to have it doing the same thing to me once I get it all done and in there. Also looking at getting it Krown coated this fall before winter hits.

TIA

[Eye8Pussies]

it wouldn't hurt to give it a good coat of rust paint after a good sanding for adhesion

worse come to worst, it'll just come off. I couldn't see any down sides to it

[Hajoca]

Are you able to feed sand or abrasive through the power washer nozzle (wet sand blast)??

See if you can buy an etching Rust primer instead of a rust paint. Ask at a auto body supply shop, I used that before on rear axle/trailing arm, then put a candy orange paint over it for my cavalier back in high school. That same paint has held on for at least 5 years when I gave the car away.

[cykaaro]

Cleaned it all up and used a rubberized spray used for rocker panels. It adheres really well. [Used it on my jeep when I had it] and got it in. Didn't get pics of the old one but it was really badly rusted at the ends underneath and had started working it's way up the sides.

Anyways, all coated up, and put in with the TRD RSB. Only issue I have now is a bit of clunking I am getting from the rear passenger side. No sure why or from where. I can only notice it audibly when I'm driving at slow speeds. I didn't have/know there was bushings on the upper side, like an isolator that I had to use my original ones for, but everything seems tight. Will jack it up and have a look today and see if anything seems amiss.

[cruisn76]

^ I had the same problem and it drove me nutz. For some reason after I installed my coilovers the sound disappeared. Now all I hear is a slight squeak from the bushing

Another thing is if you got ebay quality end links that might be the cause for the clunk. I have gone through two sets of end links and I just ordered Toyota OEM links. Hopefully for the extra money this clunking sound I have will be completely eliminated.

[cykaaro]

Let me know what happens when you get them in. The ones I got aren't eBay ones at all, although I didn't buy them from Toyota as well. Could be though causing the problem. Just hard to pin point as I had to change out the cross member at the same time. I don't think the clunking is hurting anything, at least I hope not, but as well, don't need to have any other issues come up right now. Strange too only at lower speeds I can tell there's an issue.

[Hajoca]

Re torque the crossmember mounting bolts just to be sure.

I got the clunk, as the RSB was not centered, I solved that with a piece of hose and screw clamps at the strut mount so it cannot shift side to side.