Rust prevention advice

I own a 23 TRD OR. Had it for about 4 months now and it’s the best vehicle I’ve owned so I want to make sure it lasts for as long as possible. I’ve heard Toyotas are prone to rust (correct me if that’s a myth) and that’s the last thing I want for the truck.
I live in Oklahoma where we see rain about 30 days a year and maybe 2 weeks of snow and ice. Pretty tame climate but as far as I know we still use salt when needed.
My question is: should I invest into any type of undercoating or am I better off saving my pennies and washing the underbody whenever we see snow. I’ve invested into 1200 dollars of ceramic coating to protect the paint and would do the same for the underbody. However I won’t spend the excess money if it’s not needed.
Any input/advice appreciated

 

the salt/brine is what eats them
if that is used in your area, get something good on your undercarriage (search for Wool Wax, Fluid Film, Cosmoline)
if it just snows and nothing is done to the roads then just a good wash is probably good

 

Cosmoline. Zombie Apocalypse gear just makes it fun.

Post 269035, page 13452: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...3rd-gen-today.399305/page-13452#post-29221188

 

I use Krown, they spray inside of the body panels and underside. It’s who my tech buddies suggest. They have a price lock if you keep going back for a yearly reapplication.

 

how much is it, there's no dealer in my state.

 

Damn, I knew they were in the Midwest, several states. I think $159.

 

SaltsGone, Salt X, Salt Away……use one of the rinse agents directly after a snow storm. When the truck is subjected to the road salts, this stuff removes it.

I would also suggest one of the underbody treatments. I like Cosmoline

 

I use Fluid Film. You can get it on Amazon for about $80/case, which is more than enough to do a truck, and if you put a large tarp down its easy enough to do in your driveway or garage.

 

I have been doing the Krown treatment for 3 years and the price is locked in at 159.00 CA -- 120.00 USD. Worth the investment. Take a ride out of state visit a friend the procedure is about 1/2 hour . just saying

 

Rust Never Sleeps, all of the above are great suggestions.

 

I am in Pennsylvania and use Fluid film. I got 6 cans and applied to the frame and under side, inside rocker panels, inside the tailgate, inside the door drain hole with windows up, Pulled tail lights to ge in the bed sides before my first winter. I usually do 3 more cans each year in the fall just to cover any places that it washed off and a light spray over all too keep it coated.

 

I DIY'd usung Woolwax. (Great stuff!)

I used some 6 cans on the initial applcation.

I am in California, so this is typically not needed at all, but we do play in the snow often.

 

will do, htank you

 

Just reiterating what others have said...

It looks like a winner. Buy it, pressure wash it then spray on Fluid Film, Woolwax, Cosmoline or a similar product.

Whatever you do DO NOT coat the frame with a rubberized sealer as they're guaranteed to do more harm than good once the surface cracks. There are plenty of threads on this topic.. just search TacomaWorld for one of the product names above.

 

I live in a dry climate but they use a lot of chemicals in the winter due to snow. Never had a rust problem even with owning some cars with a reptation for rust. One of my kids has inherited 2 Hondas from us and they have had there share of dings and minor fender benders. Even with exposed metal and 18 year old car.. no rust. Don't see the need for it in a dry climate.

 

I'd 100% recommend cosmoline. I used about a dozen can of rp342 to get as much as I could of my framerails inside and out, suspension components, rear springs, and the underside of the body and inside the wheel wells and tailgate. It still wasn't quite enough. I just installed my front bumper and now I have access to spots I couldn't reach before and so will touch up later this summer.

2 winters in PA where a mix of salt and chloride brine is applied. Frame still looks great everywhere I coated. Like new.

If I were doing it again, I'd pick up a gallon of it and a 6 pack of spray cans. Get an air-chargeable spray can, warm and thin the coamoline for the sprayer, and use the cans for touch up areas. Probably wouldn't use the whole gallon unless completely spraying up inside all the body panels.

It's so nice to know my hardware isn't going to be rusted away in a decade and when I go tondo maintenance in the future that I'll spend 3x the time and aggravation fighting rusty hardware.

 

Cosmoline is waxy and really adheres to the metal. First year I cosmo’d everything. Following year I did a touch up with fluid film because it’s oily and creeps in crevices really well

bout time i hit it with some more cosmo for good measure

i’d say its good to do alternate between cosmo and FF every other year. That way you get the awesome lasting power of cosmo and the crevice filling creep of the oily fluid film

grew up in Boston, salt is a nightmare here

 

FWIW, if already rusty, Evapo-Rust gel is the shiznit.

 

Do you have to treat the bare metal before applying undercoating?

 

Definitely recommended to strip any rust first. Evapo-Rust is a chelating agent that actually removes the rust.