Rust & the LR4

in my continuing research on the LR4 I just came across some discussions that LR does not us galvanized steel leading to serious rust issues in parts of the country salt is used. Here in the upper midwest we use salt. Frankly I haven't thought about car rust issues for years as i assumed all manufacturers had moved beyond this.

Is this really an issue with Land Rover products?

badgerbimmer said:

in my continuing research on the LR4 I just came across some discussions that LR does not us galvanized steel leading to serious rust issues in parts of the country salt is used. Here in the upper midwest we use salt. Frankly I haven't thought about car rust issues for years as i assumed all manufacturers had moved beyond this.

Is this really an issue with Land Rover products?

Click to expand...

I don't know for sure about the LR4's frame but are you sure you were not in a Defender discussion? The older ones are notoriously famous for having deteriorating frames and being replaced with galvanized steel frames when being rebuilt.

This is a highly debated topic as well on the Defender as you are starting to see them imported more. Even if a frame has been swapped out in Europe and brought over it will struggle to get through customs as it more than likely will not have the original VIN stamp on it.

badgerbimmer said:

in my continuing research on the LR4 I just came across some discussions that LR does not us galvanized steel leading to serious rust issues in parts of the country salt is used. Here in the upper midwest we use salt. Frankly I haven't thought about car rust issues for years as i assumed all manufacturers had moved beyond this.

Is this really an issue with Land Rover products?

Click to expand...

No more an issue than any other modern car. Galvanized steel is used in a handful of cars for things like doors. Nobody is producing a car with a out-of-factory galvanized frame.

So I would not suspect rust to be an issue on an LR4 until/after the 4-5 year mark in a salty location. If you take preventative maintenance like oiling the undercarriage and washing it pH neutral, you shouldn't have much of an issue. But notice that now for the D2 (last ones produced in 2004), retailers are offering galvanized frame swaps. The cats would start by baking the salt into the frame and create a quarter sized hole. From there, rot would take hold.

NASdiesel said:

But notice that now for the D2 (last ones produced in 2004), retailers are offering galvanized frame swaps. The cats would start by baking the salt into the frame and create a quarter sized hole. From there, rot would take hold.

Click to expand...

Seen pictures of this. It is scary!

Agree with NAS on the rest of his comments as well. Everything steel rusts. All about how you take care of it.

When I had my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and took it wheeling I would get home, take the hose, roll under the vehicle and spray everything down and take a brush to it to really knock out the mud and dust. Then anywhere I came in contact with rocks where things were shiny I would hit with paint to keep it from rusting. If you are really antsy get some POR15 and brush it on.

epiclr4 said:

Seen pictures of this. It is scary!

Click to expand...

My last beloved '04 Bonatti had this when I sold it. New owner (friend) is undertaking the frame swap now. Not for the faint of heart.

My guess is that if someone develops a frame swap option down the road for the LR3, it will be much faster than the D2. All speculation on my part, but I'd go digging if really concerned into threads about rust on LR3 to see what might be true issues.

My '05 lives bathed in salt for 4 months a year in MI. Plenty of surface rust underneath, and there's certainly some bolts I'd rather not try to remove. But nothing that wouldn't last another 10 years easy. If I was shopping, I'd rather find a southern truck, but I wouldn't run from a good deal in the rust belt.

Rust & the LR4

My 05 looks damn good after 9 winters in the salt belt. The outer body is perfect and the frame only shows surface rust in areas like welds etc, but I'd say better than 90% of the frame is still wearing its original paint. I completely replaced all of my suspension bushings, sway bar links and went to a coul suspension. I had to cut a couple of bolts, but for the record, they were the same bolts guys in California need to cut as well. Rust is the least of my concerns.

Same here...ours is covered in heavy road salt all winter from weekend ski trips to VT. Then in the summer it is on a salt water drive-on beach a few times a week. There is surface rust on the frame, tow hitch receiver and other steel parts underneath. But it's just surface rust, not holes through steel. The painted surfaces are perfect with no rust bleeding through anywhere.

On the beach I see a lot of 4runners and Xterras with serious rust problems, especially on the rear bumper and tailgate. And it's the scary rust that is coming out through the paint from the inside.