Salted roads... frame prep?

I just moved to TN from AL and I have been told they use salt instead of sand here in case of snow and ice. My truck is a salt virgin... which worries me a little about the exposure. Anything I should do beforehand to prep the frame? Or should I just wash it afterwards?

 

For your frame your best bet is applying a type of corrosion inhibitor, there's a lot of different products people use for this. I have used CRC Heavy Duty Corrosion Inhibitor. There's also Fluid Film, WD40 makes one. There's another big one I'm missing too. They are all pretty similar in that they're a brown waxy coating to seal out the salt and moisture. Typically done once a year before salt season. I'd also look at an internal frame coating as that's where the bad rust starts. Water sits in the boxed section of the frame and it rusts from the inside out.

As for body, just wash it often and repair and rock chips and rust spots as soon as you find them.

 

Also just moved to TN. And I had my frame replaced already, so this one can't rot. Interested in all the answers.

Got a question though. If you apply Fluid Film, is it ok if you pressure wash the frame? Or are you just going to pressure wash it off?

 

The coatings are generally 'wash proof'. I've washed mine with power washers and it's been fine. I just don't highly focus the pressure on the frame because it's already protected by the coating and doesn't need to be vigorously cleaned.

 

Makes sense. Do you have a recommendation on where to get it done at? I'd rather have a professional install it. They can get in all the nooks and crannies.

 

Get a winter beater, or yah Fluid Film is good too, its lanolin based so you'll have to reapply occasionally.

 

Where can I find these products? Can I apply it in the driveway?

 

Got it, Boeshield T9 is the other one.

I just got mine off Amazon. It's a bit more of a specialty but you may be able to find some products like it at any place that carries automotive or marine chemicals. You probably will want at least 4 cans if you want to to the entire frame with more than one coat.

Yes you can do this in your driveway.

 

Gracias. Looks like I won't have any in time for our first winter weather strike. But I'll make sure to have some handy for next time.

 

You can spray on the frame all you want but if you do not coat INSIDE the frame, the rust will get you.

Use 3M rust fighter #08891 with gun # 08997 and application wand # 08998. All available at an auto body supply or google it.

Stick the 3' long wand in all the channels and box areas and spray away pulling the wand out as you spray. It is designed to spray a 360* circle out of the tip.

You can use this to reach up behind your wheel wells, in your doors, inside the rocker panel(there is a plug at the back of the cab for access).

Don't wait. The sooner the better.

 

Yes you can do it in the driveway with a small air compressor

 

Is this the best product out there? Seems like toyota is still dicking around and even the new gen frames just have paint on them. Want to do something about it before they salt the damn roads.

 

Save your money. Get a garden sprayer and spray bio degradable G-oil on the frame and in the boxed in areas. Oil base will flow easier. Then, paint the areas you can reach with red wheel bearing grease and a foam brush. Squirt oil in side the body cavities too. Been doing it in Maine for decades and my 10 year old trucks have never had rust. You can buy commercial products but nothing works better then this routine. Do it once each year or two.

 

^I've sprayed used oil on, inside, all over the frame/underside of my truck for years. hell, we all have used oil to spare

 

All I can imagine is

 

maybe you shouldn't try to light in on fire then?

 

all good information, I moved my truck from Mississippi to Ohio, so a little more extreme on the salted roads here. I drove one winter with it just bare unprotected and noticed a big difference underneath. So i used a coating for the frame this summer, but good information about the stuff to use inside of the frame, also the fluid film from what I understand DOES wash off and needs to be reapplied every year. Most professionals around here is about $100 to have them spray the vehicle.

 

Yes. Professional, industry standard. Do it once and done. Never have to go back. The 3m product is very runny and drippy before it dries permanently tacky. It will run and wick in between seams before it firms up. The fumes are a little heavy while being applied, so do it outside with a mask.

I see you have a '16. The time to do it is now while the vehicle is new before the rust sets in. People are usually reactive instead of proactive.

If this was done when the vehicle was built it would negate a lot of the rust issues. The European vehicles have been using comparable products for years- commonly referred to as cavity wax or internal panel coating.

It is not cheap, but this is not the backyard method which may or may not work for everyone. Everyone has a way that works, I'm just sharing what's available in the form of corrosion protection on a professional/body shop level.

 

Well there isn't even any precipitation yet and it looks like they've already coated the roads

 

Thanks for the heads up.