Rusty 400ex frames

[ATC350X 85]

Ive been actively searching for a stock 400ex. So far Ive looked at 3 400ex's, one 2002, an 00 and a 99. The 00 and 99 both had rust on the frames on every weld. Is this common on these or is it due to negligence? I know some people think a quad is a submarine so who knows.

[Cole Trane]

I've never had any problems like that. I would say negligence. Are you near a beach or somewhere that has a lot of humidity in the air? Either way, there shouldn't be rust opn the frame.

[ATC350X 85]

the one was ridden on the beach and im guessing the other one was ridden in the south jersey sand and never washed etc

[Cole Trane]

Well it sounds like crappy care to the fo wheeler. I'd stay away. Who knows what else they didn't do to the quad..... ya know?

[K_Fulk]

The stock paint is pretty weak and flakes off pretty easy.Keep in mind the 00 and 99 are at least 4 years old. About the only way to keep it from happening is to get the frame powder coated.

[ATC350X 85]

What really got me though is that I have 3 wheelers that are almost 20 years old and they looked better than these quads that are 2,4,5 years old. The paint on my 3 wheeler frames never looked like these and there all original paint on them.

[Cole Trane]

POOR MAINTAINENCE!!

[K_Fulk]

What color are the frames on the 3 wheelers? Just wondering? If you ever notice silver or gray color cars are almost always the first color to start chipping off on the older cars before they started using clearcoat. For some reason it just doesn't hold as well as other colors.

[muff]

the stock coating on my stocker 400ex is peeling off around the welds, the thing has barely been used and its practically always clean cept for a couple days in the winter when the hoze was frozen

just because it has a little bit of rust on it doesnt mean the quads ****....my 300ex is also pretty mint, but because I am forced to leave it outside under a coverit it's still exposed to moisture and parts rust

[ATC350X 85]

My 3 wheeler frames are red. Another thing is that i have a 97 xr 400 that has a grey frame and it doesnt have a rust issue. Im just trying to see whats the deal with these frames.

[KY Woods Rider]

I know next to nothing about welding or painting (unless JB Weld and Krylon count:D), but I was told by someone who does automotive body work that the weld itself has impurities in it that many types of paint don't stick to very well.

Another reason paint begins to flake off around welds on a ATV is due to stress. ATVs that are subjected to a lot of big jumps sometimes begin to flake off paint around the welds due to the flexing of the frame.

However, by far the majority of the flaking and rusted frames that I've seen have been a result of neglect and leaving the quad muddy and wet all the time. If this is what has caused the flaking and rust, it's usually pretty easy to tell, because these same quads will also have several other rusty spots (especially the stock headpipes) and there will be old mud stains on everything. When I see these types of quads while looking for a used one, I get away as fast as I can, because if the owner isn't willing to use some soap and a water hose when the quad needs it, then they almost certainly haven't been doing proper maintenance on any other part of the quad. Of course parts rust from time to time and there's no way around that if the quad gets anywhere near moisture, but at least the owners who care about their quads either remove the rust and oil the part or they remove the rust and use some touch-up paint to keep it from rusting again.

FWIW, my '99 EX frame doesn't have any flaking or rusted spots, but of course I wash it when it needs it. I don't mean I just spray off the biggest chunks of mud and call it good enough either, I actually put in a little effort and use a sponge and some soap.