Preventative maintenance for rust?

Cosmoline rp-342
This stuff stays on for years. No need to apply often.

 

Rust needs oxygen to spread, fluid film prevents oxygen from reaching the corrosion.

That amount of rust is common and nothing of concern. You could fluid film that and it would be the end of it. Removing that rust would only be for cosmetic reasons.

Fluid film is the original. Wool wax is the less smelly replacement.

Both FF and WW are and oily coating. This is good because it “creeps” into things. The downside is it gets dirty and you will always be nasty if working under the truck. Other coatings are less oily and won’t collect a layer of dirt, they won’t “creep” however. They are still good though.

Don’t use undercoating, it just creates a nice pocket for the rust to grow while hidden. Paint is a stop gap at best. You cannot maintain the underside like you do the outside so imo you need to supplement any original coatings with a “soft” coat.

 

I live 2 mins from a self car wash, so in winters, pretty much every time I come home I pressure wash the undercarriage. Mind you, I drive my truck on weekends only. I’m very ocd when it come to my frame, that’s for sure.

 

I used Fluid Film for several years. It washes off very easily. That's why I'm trying the NH product. We shall see.

When I was young and really cared..... A concoction of linseed oil, paraffin wax, roofing tar and japan dryer was sprayed on HOT each fall. What a mess!
I got 20 years out of an Isuzu trooper using that mix. There were many comments about how it was still on the road. ;-)

 

the concoction or the Isuzu ;-)

 

I use cosmoline on major parts of the frame, FF to creep in hard to reach areas. I just went thru a few weeks ago and brushed off some weld spot rust and resprayed with rustoleum and also black automotive frame spray (i forget the name of it right now but i can edit when i look at it tomorrow) then retreated the areas with cosmoline/FF.

In regards to spraying in winter, i either go to a spray car wash to hose down the underneath or if its a sunny day i'll hose it down at home with a hose i have in my garage that i usually leave plugged in since my garage only gets down to about 50-60 in the winter time so i dont worry about freezing. And its plumbed into my home water softener so no water spots.

 

Im right there with you on that. My truck is showroom condition all winter long. Its actually cleaner in the winter than in the summer because I wash it so much to keep the salt off.

 

$30 Undercoating gun with 360° wand extension.

 

Came here to say this, stuff is nasty but it works amazing. Fluid Film is perfectly fine, but RP-342 lasts so much longer

 

This year is my second time doing fluid film. I get in the frame and all the weep holes. Last year I sprayed the underside of the cab body. This year some was still there so I didn't do that. I do in the rocker panels under the doors. i spray in the drain holes in the bottom of the doors. In then tailgate.

When I was in the winter I go to the hi pressure self service wash. I don't get too close with the hi pressure under the truck. Some does eventually wash off especially around the wheels and outer facing frame sections. It's easy to reapply that.
I have to say I was impressed. My truck had hardly a spot of rust any where on the frame. I'm very happy about that. This is my first brand new vehicle and I was hoping for it to last so I could have it over Ten years.

 

I bought my 16 sport from up north. Frame and other components are rusted. Taking a brush too it all would be a huge PITA.... Getting ready to move from TX to up north soon and want to get it rust proofed as best I can before I go.

What are my options for handling the rust currently on it other than by hand? Can I just spray the fluid film on it all and call it a day?

 

Fluid Film and Cosmoline and Wool Wax have been covered in here ad nauseam. There's probably like 20 plus threads.

 

I do the same, it takes some of the woolwax off, but not all.

 

I read an article about Neil Young. He said he always uses Fluid Film on his vehicles. When asked why he said because rust never sleeps.

 

I meant in Colorado in general. Seems like a myth that Colorado doesn't use salt is going around but CDOT says on their website that they do.

 

If it your first truck - get a wire brush or wire attachment on you drill. Hit the rust spots & then rust fixing spray paint - It will take what ever time you want to put into it. Then the goo in the box frame sections.
But most important you will get to know the parts of your truck and how they should look, when not broken.

 

Rust Mort on the rust, and then some undercoating or parafin/oil based paint or undercoating.
If you haven't used rust mort, it just plain works.
https://www.semproducts.com/product/rust-morttm/morttm#product-details

 

I think that we have too young of a crowd to get it!

 

I've used FF in the past but have some cosmoline black for next time. The FF sprayer should work for both and makes it pretty easy if you have a portable compressor handy (a stand up on wheels not the little hand-carry unit).

 

I'd use Rustoleum rust reformer though to paint over the rusty spots once it's gone over with a wire brush or whatever abrasive you choose not just paint.