Shop that can do fluid film

Anyone know of a shop in town (Denver area) that can do a decent Fluid Film application?, and do you know the cost? Thanks in advance!

 

My suggestion would be to DIY if at all possible. There are kits sold with everything you need.

 

Looks like a huge mess and I live in an apartment building. Wont be doing till the fall, just kinda scoping around.

 

https://www.fluid-film.com/undercoating-locator/

 

Pretty easy to do. I just a few spray cans of it Lowe’s. Get some your hands but that it is about it

 

Try this again with enough words to complete a sentence. It is easy to do yourself and not that messy. I just picked a few spray cans of it at Lowe’s and went to town. You get it on your hands but that is about it. Most Lowe’s in the Denver area sell it. Have not seen it at my local Home Depot though

 

Just throw down a drop cloth or something in your apartment complex parking lot and spray everything. It's not that messy but it is pretty slippery on smooth surfaces.

 

Big difference between rattle can and Pro application. Fluid Film in bulk is more like grease than oil and proper equipment to get inside box members is critical as is prep prior to application. Rattle cans are better than nothing but not by much.

 

Rust isn’t really a big problem in CO especially on the front range with winters being fairly mild. Better safe than sorry I guess though.

 

This is a slight misnomer.

CDOT throws down a ton of magnesium chloride, which is a salt. Salt + metal + oxygen = rust.

The benefit to mag-chloride is that it is more water soluble than sodium-chloride so it washes off easier.

But if you don't wash off your body, frame, chassis, etc it will corrode.

 

Yeah for sure, I'm not saying rust doesn't happen here, just less so than a lot of places.

 

Plenty of salt brah, just trying to stay on top of things.

 

I'm in CO and I just use two cans on the frame 1x year and do it myself, just learn to do it yourself because you should do it 1-2 times a year because it comes off after numerous car washes anyway. In CO we def don't have the rust issues like the midwest or ocean states.

 

Thanks! thats my plan. Do you just use a creeper? Also do you spray inside the frame and hit the shocks/springs?

 

My truck is lifted so I just crawl under it. I hit the leafs, frame, and cross members. I try and hit inside the frame where there is openings, but I don't worry too much about it. My last truck was an 03 ranger and it was in Co its whole life and had very little rust, So I dont worry about it too much here.

 

You can always find a car wash bay to use instead of the apartments parking lot.

Also, I'm a corrosion eng and I don't do anything to my vehicle for Colorado winters *except* keep it washed with an undercarriage capable car wash.

If you like to keep vehicles for 40 years or something, it's a different story. I tend to buy 10 year old vehicles and keep them for a handful of years though.

 

I’m with you on the car wash. Day or so after the storm, just get a good undercarriage wash. I don’t think Fluid Film is worth the effort or mess.

 

I agree with people that don't keep their Tacoma's for the long haul, but IMHO FF is less than pennies on the dollar if you plan to keep your Tacoma for a long time.

If you FF your Tacoma the Kellie Sport spray kit with the extensions to get deep into the front boxed section, where most holes start internally is well worth the money, and doing it on grass limits the mess, as well as using a respirator for safety.

 

I wonder how fumey it is. Last video I saw of it applied in a garage, the guy had literally every floor/wall masked off and wore a respirator. Maybe a paint suit. Because it made that much smoke. I guess he did it in one go all at the same time.

I think my Lowe's can only came with that little straight red straw tube that every spray can of anything usually comes with. But not that long one. I wonder if that one was bought separately.
It probably has a metal tip at the end with notches and cut outs to give it a 360deg spray angle when shoving it through the frame holes.
I'd guess that's more important; inside the frame, and not just the outside.

do you just google search undercarriage car wash locally and pick from whatever comes up?
I am guessing they're automated drive-through ones that might have scratching bristles on the sides. Not sure if that's worth scratching the paint for the precious underbody spray.

I'm used to using max-~$10 DIY car wash bays, where you drive in the stall, park, pay, then do it all yourself with the pressure washer and brush.
Only sometimes have I gotten under the truck with a pressure washer (or even driven onto Rhino Ramps) and laid there on the floor underneath trying to spray upward, which may not do the best job.

I imagine an undercarriage car wash would do better at that.

Another option might be specific tools. I just haven't figured out which might be good to buy.



I just remember. Last time I just sat a garden sprinkler under the truck and let it run, before switching it to different locations.

I don't understand the CDOT trucks. When you want them, they're not there. When they're not needed, they're there.
-if it's lots of thick built up snow and ice and you're struggling to get traction early morning to get to work, they're not there
-if the road is pretty much clear and not snowing, but somebody spilled a cup of water, they're there. I guess they should also go to SoCal if it drizzles.

 

no, I google “ brushless car wash” and find one with a good undercarriage wash. I don’t run my vehicles through ones with brushes for the reasons you mentioned.