Salty roads are in my future...how do I prepare to protect my ride?

I've actually been looking for a small civic/accord type car for this exact reason. I don't need my truck for work, and with a 30 min. commute it would be nice to have a small gas saver. Of course that means I could more easily justify 'tinkering' with a TRD...I can totally see myself thinking "Its ok to put on that lift, its not like I need to drive it to work tomorrow." And from there, its a slippery slope

 

My 08' has 80k on it and I'm in a heavily salted area. All I do is sand, prime, and paint it every year before winter and I do small targeted spots in spring. I use cheap Rustoleum paint and primer.

If your traveling down rock roads and not keeping it for another 10 years I wouldn't wast my money on anything good. It will all chip and fail.

Rubber would be the worst IMO - it will not show chips/penetrations and rust from behind without you being able to see it. At least paint/powdercoat bubble noticeably.

 

I'm another "salty" Canadian...from Muskoka, Ontario..... I've used the following products and they are all fine.... They do actually protect the frame, doors, etc....

The company drills holes in your doors at the appropriate places for your model/make, and then inject the product directly into the inside of doors, panels, etc, etc....Then they plug the holes with a plastic plug.

The best of these products, I believe is "Corrosion Free" and I've used it for about 20 years now (4 vehicles).... No rusting problems at all.... they even warranty brake lines, fuel lines, gas tanks, etc.... free replacement if they rust out....

My Taco costs me $160.00 every 18 months (to keep the warranty).... Cheap insurance, I've read a lot of Tacos have had the frames rot right off... My 2006 is like new....

Products are .... Krown.... Rust Check....Corrosion Free......These are all sprayed in and on and the Corrosion Free is a "drippless" formula..... the only drawback is that it "creeps" into EVERY nook and cranny and forces the dirty water out of there making a little mess on the outside of the doors/tailgate every 4 months or so.... I just wipe it off, knowing it is doing it's job.....

I HIGHLY recommend Corrosion Free.....

Over....

 

'Back in the day' I drove a used Isuzu Rodeo. The doors were always leaking this black tar like substance. It was awful. It would run down the door frame whenever the outdoor temp got over a 100F (40 plus days in a row last summer here in Houston (no I won't miss that!)). This stuff was sticky as all hell and made a huge mess on my carpets not to mention ruin a few pair of dress slacks that happened to have the misfortune to rub against it. I think I finally know what this stuff is now..... Can't say I'm a fan if it was indeed one of the three things you mentioned.

 

Rust is inevitable.

Undercoat spray may be okay for a while but with 85,000 miles already on the truck, keep in mind you're sealing in all the crap that's already there.

POR15 is good stuff but crazy expensive and still must be coated with a topcoat as the original finish oxidizes over time. Again, you're sealing in what's already there too. edit - although POR does stop rust.

Wire brush and rattle can - what I've been doing for 40 years. Spring and Fall tire rotations, I hit each wheel well and maybe a spritz or two in between and hose off the undercarriage regularly during the winter. Today, you might find a few spots on some raw metal on mine but I'll get 'em next time. My truck will look almost as good when I trade it again in 3-5 years as it did new. What happens after, wtf cares.

 

Through experience and reading, I've finally committed to Fluid Film.

The problem with POR 15 and rubberized undercoating is the prep work needed to get protection that will last. Unless you truck is brand new, you are going to need a very clean, and preferably lightly sanded surface for the paint to adhere to. That's fine for a few spots of rust, but to do the entire frame would be a crazy amount of work. Once on, various paints are still susceptible to being chipped. Rubberized undercoating is famous for sticking to itself better than to the surface it was applied to, trapping little pockets of air or water against the metal.

Motor oil, bar oil, tranny oil...or any petroleum products do not require a clean surface to apply and do have surface "creep" to fill in little chips. But the problem is it washes off somewhat easily, and knowing that it's going to end up in the watershed.

Fluid Film is lanolin based, which comes from sheep fur (aka wool) and is natural. It's a wax. It's much thicker than petroleum based oils. I found lanolin is common among the wheelers in Australian and New Zealand for rustproofing. And Fluid Film is very common here in the states for rust proofing salt spreaders & snow plows. Feel free to read a bit about it in the Fluid Film section at:
http://www.plowsite.com/

Fluid Film does have to be re-applied every year, preferably right before winter, but it does not require the prep work that paint/undercoating does. Just a good blast with the hose, some dry time, and then spray the parts of the underbody where the Fluid Film has worn thin.

The biggest drawback of Fluid Film is the dirt it attracts. Road dirt and soot stick to the film (it never dries), which turns black and spreads to whatever touches it. I've had to do a few project under the truck since I applied it, and I had to wear gloves in order to keep the mess to a minimum. Certainly not something you have to deal with often, but when you do it's a mess.

Application from the aerosol can is straight forward, but the one gallon can is cheaper. I've got a write up of how to apply it from the gallon can: Application of Fluid Film

And now there's free samples:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/deals-coupons/227572-free-fluid-film-samples-here.html

 

Frequent washing, and when you know there is salt residue and it is wet, do not store it in a heated garage... leave it outside until you can wash it. The heated garage will accelerate the corrosion.

 

Fluid Film twice a year. November 1 and April 1.

Buy it by the gallon and get an undercoat gun to apply. And don't be cheap with the application. Good stuff.


Chris

 

We did...and live on the Gulf Coast near the beach. (at one point we lived right across the street, OMG what a PITA)

And the salt air destroys EVERYTHING in its path.

road salt can be washed off/dealt with. sea air salt is like a devil mist...there is no fighting it.

It's also why our new home is mostly brick.

 

.
FWIW ... I lived in Quebec and had a lot of salt on my vehicles and I found nothing that was a "miracle cure" for salt & sand.

Various types of undercoating (Ziebart, drain-oil & etc.) helps ... but the salt will always get you. ...
.

 

Undercoat. Had my entire under carrage done at a local shop. Floor pans, suspension parts, frame, axles, pretty much everything.

Then just clean salt your truck off as much as possible.

 

Fluid Film it! Try a sample for free. Just Pm me your contact info.

 

I use Amsoil metal protector. I spray things under there throughout the summer. Also it's good to wash the underside of the truck frequently in the winter to wash the salt away and then a good thorough cleaning after the snow is gone for the year. So far so good but my truck has only seen one winter and it was mild last year. But I have done this for years on other vehicles and the underside always looks good.

 

Fluid film is awesome!

If you want cheaper, use a $15 bottle sprayer from lowes, add bar chain oil (Husqvarna) mix in some melted non-scented tea light candles & go to it.
You can use a hand spray bottle for hard to reach areas.
We do this 2x a year.

My 06 frame was horrible. On the tundra not so bad.

 

I just got done hitting my 2006 I bought a few months ago, I knocked all the nasty rust off with a needle scaler, applied Rusoleum Rust Reverter, and then sprayed everything down with a thick layer of Fluid Film, truck looks brand new, almost want to sell it now

I plan on undercoating it 2x a year from here on out, wish the previous owner did anything, it was pretty rusty

 

My recommendation is that once you're in Kansas ask around for a reputable shop that specializes in rust proofing and pay them to do it. I know it costs more than doing it myself, but I figure they probably know a hundred little details that I'd never think of.

I also use an electronic rust inhibitor. It sends a charge through the frame which is supposed to inhibit the chemical reaction that forms rust. No idea if it actually works since I'm not a chemical engineer, but everyone swears by them so I keep installing them anyway.