Frame recall question

I live in north jersey. I just hit my 2016 with fluid film (about a can and a half) on area's I see rust. The bolts on top of the struts are rusty, as well as a few other bolts and areas. I just hit obvious area's and my hitch area because i tow. My truck only has 13k miles...I bought it CPO a month ago. I have 2 more cans of fluid film I may hit the frame throughout winter if I see any trouble areas. No doubt in my mind the stuff works...and if it causes a dust layer, that's even better. The whole point is to stop liquid and oxygen...and oily films will all do it. Rubberized Undercoating is a def NO-NO.

 

My brother has a 10 year old chevy silverado that is completely rusted through...so it's not just the taco's. Every car in this area has rust issues (or will soon). It's the brine. The DPW workers in my town said there trucks that work near the salt/brine yard last about 5 years max. My father delivers auto parts part time as a retiree, and said they drive around delivering brake lines all day long. Most people keep cars for a few years now and get a new one, so most don't notice...but every car/truck owner should sue the towns for knowingly destroying there vehicles, just to save a single lawsuit of some idiot that drives off the road in a snowstorm.

We used to get roadsalt at the end of a storm only...and sometimes just sand. Now we get SALTWATER for a week BEFORE the storm...then they put tons of rocksalt during and after the storm. Just wait and see the effects of this brine, it will only get much worse.

 

It's our DUTY to by fluid film every year, and put up with a day smelling like a wet sheepdog. It's worth it when we can get 15-20 years out of the truck. My bet is that Toyota won't be replacing frames much longer...They just can't. Rant complete!

 

Frame rust/rot is common on all vehicles in the rust belt states. As a young adult, I owned vehicles that literally had no paint left on the frames. My father hit a dear in one of these vehicles and broke the frame in half. Although I feel Toyota uses a cheap paint and does not do a very good job of addressing this issue, they are certainly not alone. Applying FF to the outside and bottom visible sides of the frame is probably not too difficult. But what about the inside of the C-channel like along side the gas tank or top of the frame? There are many spots where salt and brine can sit and eat away in crevasses which are near impossible to get at, clean, restore, and protect. Not knocking the product at all but it seems like a lot of work every year and rather messy. I will keep an eye on it and trade off every 5-7 years-if for no other reason than to get the power drive seat

 

Yes - a power seat up/down would be sweeeet.

 

There's like a 360 degree spray head that attaches via a hose to film fluid or spray paint that you use for those sections.

Found it.

 

Thank you! Ordered.

 

What state are you in, if you don't mind my asking?

Edit: Never mind! I completely missed where you said North Jersey!

 

I am new to the frame rust prevention game, and first washed down my frame before applying FF because I read about it here.

It's a pain doing it, but it's the only way to see if there is any rust on the frame.

Also interested to see if the rear differential shows any signs of weeping.

I take many pictures of the cleaned frame just for a future record.

The frame looks good so far, but I plan on keeping this truck for 20 years or so, and I imagine it's going to get more difficult as time goes on.

Since I bought the pro gun and kit from Kellsport (https://www.kellsportproducts.com/)
I have started using FF on garden tools, snow blower, and anything else the has rust on it- great product imo.

They used to give a discount to TW members, give them a call if you are interested.

Edit: I just checked my link and it looks like they only sell "wool wax" now.

My last gallon can of FF is almost done so I will have to see what this new stuff is like

 

Yeah, for first application I cleaned the frame too. But I suspect when it is time to put on a new coat of Fluid Film it is going to be much harder to clean off the first layer of Fluid Film I put down than cleaning off the dirt was before the before initial application. The debate for me is whether to try to remove the first layer of FF before putting a new one on. I tend to lean toward just piling on new FF layers at this point.

 

Even though my truck is 4 years old, it's still shiny new and tight imo.

Cleaning the undercarriage consists of spraying it down with a simple green solution and putting a lawn sprinkler under it- start at the back and move it forward incrementally every few minutes.

Wipe down with some rags to get to the parts missed.

I figure once the truck is nicely broken in - like 10 years from now, I will be less meticulous...lol.

 

WoolWax is the new hotness. Check it out. I think the same lanolin base but doesn't smell terrible like FF. It also sprays on thinker assuming you use a compressor and the pro gun they sell. Took me about an hour to do mine.

 

Lanolin, so basically I can rub lotion all over my undercarriage then? brb stealing all my wife's lotions.

 

As someone who lives in a total rust belt (canada) where we salt brine the roads and then brine them again just for fun...My best suggestion is to wire-wheel any loose rust off your frame then spray on a rust inhibitor and then coat it with a rubberized undercoating. Then from there go and get it either rust checked, krown sprayed or fluid film sprayed.

Most of your frames posted in this thread on here look really good. My old jeep was prone to a lot of rust on the frame (as most are) and a combination of the salt and mud expedites rust like you wouldn't believe.

The reality is every frame is going to rust over time and that will be expedited if you live in the snow belt and / or offroad your truck any.

If you need more information outside of my summarized version above on what I did, you can read my frame rust repair & prevention guide. Different vehicle, but the concept remains the exact same.

Any questions just shoot me a message

 

https://www.fluid-film.com/automotive-applications/


‘Care should be taken around non oil resistant rubber goods. May cause swelling. FLUID FILM® may soften some vehicle undercoatings. This includes undercoating type paints. Check with dealer/manufacturer for compatibility.“

 

So did something change after 17?

 

dunno prolly not since it hasn't changed since 05. just wash your frame during the winter months. and touch up rust areas in the spring. I feel most people that take care of their truck and wash it will not have horrible frame rust.