Undercoating a new truck?

Used the can with the red spray tube attached. And then switched to the 360 sprayer for the door bottoms. The hood has lots of small holes on the underside. And the doors do also along the bottom.

 

If its a lanolin based grease it will wash away pretty quick. I've tried that on shock bolts and some others that i figure i'll need to remove down the road at some point. Grease just doesn't cut it here.

 

Try lanolin stuff like fluid flim on a mover deck and then try cosmoline. Tell me which one lasts longer.

 

On a new truck, I'll remove and put never seize on any bolt that I know I'll need to remove in the future (like shock bolts and brake bolts). Then I paint grease over the head of the bolt to keep it from rusting. Makes working on the truck five years down the line soo much easier.

 

It's just the opposite. All that comes in a rattle can. Easy spray and spot treat. Don't have to do the entire undercarriage, only where needed. And the yearly touchups are plenty for my area to make sure nothing gets out of hand. Like I said, I barely have to do anything each year. 15 minutes of crawling under the truck this year (mostly inspection) and no mess.

 

what you do with a mower is your business, this is about a truck. Like I said 98% of it was still there after a years use. On my wife's rav4 the FF treatment is almost 3 years old now, still only needed touch ups in specific places, less than a quarter of a rattle cans worth.

 

do you just spray the entire bottom of truck or are there certain areas you want to avoid?

 

Avoid brake discs exhaust and plastic. If you get some on these parts its not a big deal, just don't hose them down with the stuff.

 

I tried that years ago. It too failed. Never seize, and grease washed away in less than 2 years on the wet roads here. Only thing that was 100% effective was changing to 304 grade stainless hardware. I guess if you never drive any distance at highway speeds in the rain 50 miles a day, your grease idea might be fine.

 

My commute to work is 45 miles one way, mostly highway. 98% of the FF holds up despite this, touch up is less than half a can.

 

I hear you. But winters here in Maine are long and salt filled 6 months escapades with ice and snow covered dirt roads we salt continuously. Our vehicles would have rust through s in five years without treatment. … Been doing this for decades with cars and trucks 10-15 years old and never a rust through. Vehicles are rust free after 10 plus years. What I really like is, grease and oil can be directly applied to existing rust on used cars we bought with no prep and it stops it in its tracks….
But, as you noted from the beginning, it’s a yearly maintenance item, not a one time fix.

 

I’m talking red bearing grease that goes on pretty clear. …..it’s a yearly application.

 

Yup.
I do the hitch assembly, receiver insides and associated nuts and bolts too.
Flat areas on the undercarriage like the skid plates also get a yearly coating .

 

I agree that the oils, lanolin, cosmoline, etc... all work great and may be better given different environments/locations. In Maryland, we only really have 3 months of salt on the roads during winter and the paint option has been working fine since I bought the truck new. Making sure the metal of the frame and suspension isn't exposed to the salt with a good oil based paint works quite well. Rock chips are the only concern where a touchup is required each year. I really like not having a oily or waxy film all on the undercarriage when doing maintenance.

 

I've used FF since Day 1 (I've been using it on various vehicles since 2005-2006, on my Tacomas since 2012). I'm a bit crazy with application and use about a half gallon a year along with 1.5-2 spray cans. I have the 360° wand and take special care to do the boxed sections where the cats are. I just unload over the entirety of the underside.

Six winters in MA and the only part of my truck that doesn't have a greasy feeling to it is the leading edge of the LCAs and the very leading edge of one of the T-case / transmission crossmembers. Everything else is nasty to the touch. On 90°F+ days my truck weeps in the parking lot at work.

YMMV, but this is what works well for me.

 

With cosmoline its no cans. Driving in good weather ff is fine. In pouring rain a 1/2 hr commute at 60 mph will start washing ff away.

 

This can all be avoided by getting it properly rustproofed yearly. No metal brush, no repainting, no labour...... Just spray and go!

 

So being on this topic. Should one cover up all the moving parts? I mean like control arms and bolts and stuff. I understand you probably wouldn't want to do stuff near where there's friction but, what about the rest. My frame is good because it's waxoyled, but control arms and some other stuff isn't.

 

I'd avoid any plastic or rubber to, although these rust inhibiter companies say their product is safe on them...plus keep them off the exhaust. Just don't mix a solvent based rust inhibiter over a lanolin one, or the other way around. I've seen a reaction where you'll end up with a dripping mess that doesn't cure.

 

ya dude I never drive in the rain.. My commute is an is an hour long, some on highways wear I drive 75 generally. Work only closes if the governor closes the roads so I'm out in all weather, it doesn't wash-off. You posting strait up misinformation.