New 2021 Tacoma - Need Rust Prevention Advice

My truck came from CT originally. Looks like it was well taken care of, but it still has surface rust starting, particularly at the welds.

 

Marine grease every october

 

This will be my first year doing any official rust protection. I learned the hard way about the rubberized undercoating the dealerships use with my last truck. After actually doing research this time, I decided to go with Woolwax because it doesn't wash off as easily as FF. You still have to wash it every year though. But, I figured it was easier than cosmoline, at least for my first attempt. Plus my experience with products that "seal in the rust" to stop it has me skeptical about applying such a product to anything that has already started rusting.

 

I really don’t think you can go wrong with FF, Krown, or Woolwax. All about the application!

 

For all of you DIYers - Are you spraying your product of choice on everything? It seems a lot of the videos I've watched of professional applications have them spraying whatever product on everything they see rather than being strategic (ie, frame, rockers, and door panels). I don't know if it would necessary to spray every inch of the undercarriage.

Also I found a few local companies that have differing products: Krown, a proprietary form of fluid film, Wax based and Rick Fennell. Hell one places uses all of those products to varying degrees depending on what they are putting it on. I kinda like that idea, it seems that some areas may be better suited to have varying levels of viscosity.

 

Yes everything. Except the exhaust but whatever you get on it will just burn off. You will find when you do your yearly reapplication that areas in between the frame rails will still look good and most of your attention will be focused outside of the frame, around the wheels and from the rear axle back.

 

Ontario here. As soon as a single flake of snow falls they salt the roads so bad you think you're on a gravel road.

Been using fluid film since fall of 2017. I bought a 5 gal bucket along with an applicator spray gun with different nozzles. One is direct application wand, the other sprays 360 deg for when you're trying to get in frame rails, holes in body work, etc.

I just did the yearly application yesterday. It seems to me the only place FF washes off is in the high water flow areas. Front suspension, around the front of the truck, rear suspension, diff, driveshaft. The frame and underside of cab still had a decent coating on it from last year with zero rust. The only rust is in places like ball joint crown nuts, strut mounts, etc.

If you use FF or Krown do not wash the underside of your truck until spring. Also yes spray EVERYTHING.

 

Can't understand what is so hard about applying rp-342 cosmoline? Same as fluid film or any other stuff. Plus cosmoline won't wash off like some of the others. Imo, i wouldn't apply cosmoline over a chassis thats already seeing rust. Its more for new chassis frames. If new its a no brainer.

 

Krown here but it sure made a mess of my driveway.

 

For reasons i can't figure our 2012 prius has never had any type of rust protection since owned yet there is no rust on the chassis to this date...go figure. My tundra was treated with fluid film since its second year owned and still had quite a bit of surface rust everywhere on the chassis...the body had zero.

 

I was told by this guy that used it, he ran through some areas on the streets and roads that had deep puddles early in the winter...krown washed off right away with surface rust starting in several areas. He wouldn't recommend it to anyone. We get a lot of rain, and freezing rain during the winter mixed with an occasional snowstorm here in connecticut, plus temps can be zero one day, and 60 a week later. They salt the living crap out of the roads as they freeze up nights creating black ice.

 

Agreed. My truck is already showing surface rust and some other rust, to the point of me using rust-oleum rust reformer on some spots. The rest I just applied Woolwax over.

 

You'd need to wire brush off those rusty areas and treat it with that rustoleum rust conversion spray. Then cosmoline it. My brother has done it to a chevy astro van he picked up 2 years ago. So far it still looks great.

 

Yeah I got the loose stuff off of the trailer hitch and the spare tire mount. I didn't begin on the frame yet because it didn't look bad enough to need it, to me. But given that I'll be under there more in the future, I'm sure it is coming.

 

Thanks for all the comments so far.

Called around and talked to a few local places today. I'm going to go with a local company that has the proprietary fluid film - he mentioned they have been a product tester for fluid film and have people driving in from over 7 hrs away to get their stuff - not sure if its true so take that with a grain of salt. He explained to me how they have treated 100s of tacomas and know them well. I figured since they use differing products aside from fluid film depending upon the part they are spraying it on, that would be a good way to go.

 

What products do they use?

 

Nothing wrong with fluid film, you just need to remember to have it done every year you own the truck. Imo, if a diy like me, something else like cosmoline can be a better option. I'm old and getting lazy now...only wanting to see touchups the following year, not a complete spray over again.....to old for that chit.

 

Waxoly, a product called steel city oil made locally, fluid film, SC32, and protection first class (lanolin based)

 

Heavy salt area here too. We recently did our Pro with a local guy that uses his own mix. It's more oily than FF and black in color. He takes everything apart and doesn't drill holes.

I have FF on my truck and while it does work, it also will swell rubber. There are seals around my doors (not a Tacoma) and they are wavy from being swelled from it dripping out the drain holes. The plastic inner fenders also changed shape from it. I would think if you got the FF on your Fox Shock boots that they would be trashed. It's does creep nicely into seams though which is pretty important.

 

Thanks for the tip regarding the boots on the shocks. Do you know if other products are compatible with the boots, or are more boot friendly if you will?