Rust proofing and undercoating

Looking into rust proofing and undercoating my brand new 2018 Tacoma. Is this a good thing? I’ve seen people say that it’ll mess your car up and others say it’s great against salt and brine. I live in a state where it snows and cars get caked with salt!

 

Look into fluid film. Cheap and easy to apply yourself. Most guys do it 1-2 x/year. I drink the koolaid. I think the stuff is the ticket to keeping rust at bay. There’s a lot of guys on here who swear by it.

 

If you want to keep your truck for long, better rustproof it as the winter salt and chemicals will eat up your truck real bad if you don't protect it. Only takes a few years of exposure to turn non-rustproofed car into rustbucket. This winter salt crap is very corrosive

If you want to do it yourself, use fluid film. It's an excellent product for this purpose

 

Check out Kelly sports Fluid Film kit = money well spent. http://www.kellsportproducts.com/fluidfilmkits.html

 

I agree with this. I use the 360 degree wand/extension to get into the hard to reach places where grime and salt is sure to build up and hide from the carwash. The spray gun will save you $$ over time on buying the rattle cans, plus it does a better job of applying to broad areas. This is, of course, if you have a compressor or access to one.

 

I agree the 360 degree - 2 ft wand goes deep into the front boxed section of the frame where rust perforations start from the inside out.

 

So if I get it from the dealership they won’t use this fluid stuff I don’t thin, they’ll use that black tar or rubberized solution right?

 

Get a quart of Eastwood Rust Encapsulator for $30 and brush it on with a paint brush. I do mine once per year and that stuff is amazing.

 

IMHO FF is all you need if applied at a minimum once a year, preferably before the salt/brine truck roll through your town and it will coat the inside of your frame too.

 

I’m not sure what the dealer offers but the thick goopy stuff can actual cause more rust issues over time. If it gets cracked or perforated, moisture (and salt) will often get trapped under it and it will rot from beneath the coating. I’ve seen whole chunks of that black goopy stuff just peel off due to the rusting going on underneath it.

 

Welcome Danny

We don't get very much snow if ever, down here in Houston.
Feel bad about you guys battling that salt during winter and frame issues.

 

Avoid the rubberized undercoatings and stick with Fluid Film.

 

Lets start off with the premis that all the rust on your truck could be assembled onto only one panel.
Say the driver door...the rest would remain in perfect condition.

My prices will be exagerated to be understood.
A door will cost about $300, installation about $300 and paint about $300,...2 days of car rental while the car is being repaired $100.

So $1000 later...the car is perfect.

Now, after about 7 to 10 years worth of wear and tear,...plus wrotted wiring and connectors don't even come into the picture...

Ok...ok...


Now the protection plan....
If you do ANYTHING, your truck will retain more value as compared to any other non treated truck in your area (if you sell it 10 years later).
So how much can we give as a dollar value to this...Say its worth $1000 more than a none treated truck.



Alright, heres the plan...
Spend $200 the first year for a gun and fluid film (assuming you have a compressor to do the job).
Be cheap and retreat the truck only every other year ($50 for 1 gallon/ 2 years or $25 per year).

Do it yourself...
A dealer or treatment center will not remove the spare tire to do the trunk pan there!
They probably will not remove the tail lights to do the rear quarter panels.

Will they shoot IN THE frame, or just on the frame?....not sure (and the frame is the Achilies heel of these trucks).

I bought a gallon of fluid film this fall but haven't had a chance to try it through my regular rustproofing gun.
I would call the consistancy as being equal to butterscotch pudding.
Some claim you can dilute it a little with vegitable oil or heat it up...
I would prefer to shoot it straight and gouey...

Every second year is a choice at this point...
Anything is 1000% better than nothing..

 

Welcome to TW!!

 

living next to the Beach Salted up and Rusted up my new LT suspension set up.....1 yr did it !! SO I can imagine what Salt and SNow and All that other crap will Do

 

My only issue is that I don’t have a lift to put my truck on or the compressor/ Wand to apply the Fluid Film myself. I’m pretty new to the truck world as well since this is my first truck. I’ve only had it a week and I LOVE IT

 

I don’t have a lift, just a set of ramps I run the front wheels up on (be sure to chock the rear wheels for safety) and that provides enough clearance for me to get underneath and do what I need to do. I suppose a good set of jack stands would accomplish the same thing. I get one of those disposable white body suits you can get in the paint section of the hardware store and I wear safety glasses as it can get kinda crazy spraying everything nice and thick. Be sure to lower the spare and I even spray inside the tailgate, doors, and rockers. It may be overkill but these are the places that tend to rot first on the body.