Vehicle rust common?

[mojo goat]

We live in a town 10 miles from the ocean, we were looking at a town closer to the beach but noticed the sea air corroded everything faster.

[baranski]

How does an aluminum body rust?

Cathodic protection.

[Rotnguns]

Good reference. Something I want to point out, commercial aluminum is not pure aluminum. I found that out when big equipment the program I worked on, was parked a hundred yards from the ocean and operated there for a year. Aluminum fixtures eroded and crumbled due to all the extra's in the aluminum that were oxidizing in the salt air environment.

Good point! Here is a link to a very informative, single-page summary of aluminum alloys and their applications:

https://uacj-automobile.com/types_and_applications.html

Adding to the list provided, AR type lowers are typically 6000 series Al alloy, but the more $$ and sturdier lowers (such as the Rock River ones) are 7000 series Al alloy, which has the highest yield and ultimate tensile strengths of the common Al alloys (they overlap some of the wimpier steels).

Also worth adding: unlike steels, aluminum alloys do NOT have infinite fatigue life. In aircraft applications, parts are constantly monitored for cracks.

[CSACANNONEER]

You've apparently not restored a Rover. Pull the body off the frame, or just crawl underneath and look.

Long term fix but not cheap is to find a clean frame and have it galvanized.

My original comment clearly stated "body" and you replied to it referring to the "frame". Yup, LR (and just about any other steel vehicle frame) frames are capable of rusting.

[wpage]

Oxidation takes place in diferential forms on all metals. Except precious.

Iron and steel are most suseptable.

[ScottsBad]

Just get an old Land Rover and you'll NEVER have to deal with a rusting body!

Mostly because you'll be trying to get parts and working on it constantly, instead of driving it.

Like the old saying goes; If you want to drive across Africa take a Land Rover. If you want to come back take a Toyota!

Rust in Idaho doesn't worry me as much as reliability does.

[M1NM]

Aluminum fixtures eroded and crumbled due to all the extra's in the aluminum that were oxidizing in the salt air environment.

That's called inner granular corrosion. It breaks down the bond between the molecules. Nasty and common on airplanes.

[slamfire1]

That's called inner granular corrosion. It breaks down the bond between the molecules. Nasty and common on airplanes.

Learned something new, thanks!