Why does nobody warn you about rust bubbles coming back after 6 months

I fixed a rust spot on the rear wheel arch of a 2011 Civic back in April, ground it down to bare metal, hit it with primer and paint, looked great for a while. By October the bubbles were back in the exact same spot, bigger than the first time, and I had to tell the customer I was wrong about it holding. Is there a rust converter or sealer you guys actually trust on wheel arches, or do I just need to cut the metal out and weld a patch?

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charles_baker281d ago

ground it down to bare metal" is where you went wrong thinking that would be enough. Problem is rust on these old Hondas comes from the inside out, so you can polish that arch to a mirror finish and the rot is still eating away behind it where you can't see. Grinding and priming is just makeup on a wound that's still bleeding. I've watched guys slather rust converter on arches and swear it works, then act shocked when the bubbles pop back a year later, because no goop soaks through solid steel to kill what's hiding on the back side. Cutting and welding is the only thing that actually stops it, and even that fails if you don't treat the inner lip while you're in there. Sorry to say it, but you already know what the answer is.

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