Changed belts today and oil and filter and saw this :-



Saw similar on the other suspension arms should I be worried or spray with oil or brush with hammerite?

I suppose I wasn't surprised nearly 100k miles and nine years - I guess it's been out in the wet.

I used hammerite under seal with added waxoyl on mine. FL1 suspension arms do suffer with rust. My first ball joint failed after 14 years. I think the metal arm outlasts the ball joints. The coating I put on mine seemed to wash off over time. I think they get hit with water from the wheels.

at least with the wish bone you can change it , my wife's freelander had an advisory a few years ago about the wish bone going thin? when I got it home I got underneath and looked at it I got a rag and wiped all the muck off and the paint was still on I left the wishbones on for the next mot and he said o you changed them then I said no just wiped the muck off you should have seen his face but your do look very rusty.

on mine the suspension arms were similar ..
( although not as rusted as in the op's pic )

1st summer i power washed the underside .. then used a hammerite spray ..

2nd summer re-checked them .. rust were re-appearing ..
figured i should have recoated them .. more than i did ..
power washed again .. 'n used hammerite from a can ..
brushed on 2 coats ..

checked them again this summer .. paint looks to be holding up fine ..

coated all .. or most of the suspension bits like that .. 'n fuel tank cradle ..
so far .. so good .. will just add another coat-of-paint before this autumn ..
maybe just a quick over spray job

According to a well known Gaylanderer... "Freelanders dont rust"