Using Fluid Film

Makes me like it even more. German stuff is good stuff.

 

I never really saw anyone answer your question. I am wondering something similar. I live in Charlotte, NC. We get a small snow about once a year and not too much rain. It is fairly humid though. My truck is about 2 months old and stays in a garage overnight. Should I coat the underside completely, not at all or just certain places?

Thanks in advance!

 

You probably don’t “need” to do it but if it was my truck, I’d spray it at least once the same way I would if I lived in the rust belt (underside, inside cavities and door panels, etc)
IMO, one application of Fluid Film is cheap and not only protects against rust but it lubricates, stops squeaks/noises, repels water and keeps bolts and screws from seizing.......

 

Being german doesn't necessarily make it better, likely more greener.

 

If a new truck, i'd use cosmoline on it. Sounds like your truck is a good candidate for it in that area.

 

I think I may do a partial spray job on the frame and exposed steel bits just to be safe. I’ve never had any rust on a car before including some 25-50 year old ones, but I guess it could happen. My Wrangler I just sold had zero rust after 4 years of ownership and I did nothing for rust protection. Thanks for the feedback

 

Any body-on-frame vehicle will benefit, which means Toyota trucks. Unibody vehicles (other Toyota models) are better protected by that construction. The Car Care Nut just opened his own shop, and will keep up his certifications along with Toyota's maintenance and diagnostic systems.

 

Its the inside walls of the trucks frame that should be taken care of. Idk how good toyota has taken care of this, but when living in the salt belt, i still think its a good idea to hit those areas best you can yourself.

 

Get your truck up safely on jackstands. Wrap your front rotors with plastic bags, wrap the rear drums but leave the backplate exposed. Drop and remove your spare tire.

Spray everything (inside and outsides of frame, all crossmembers, axles, steel inside of bumpers, all suspension components, bottom of radiator supports, etc). Done for the year. Easy. I have no rust ANYWHERE and it’s going on four years now in this winter sodium chloride ….way too excessively road sprayed state.

 

Drop the engine shield plate also along with the chin spoiler if the truck has one. Coat every thing steel under there like the power steering lines to, and around the radiator thats associated with the chassis/frame. Helps to set a tarp before doing this if in a garage or on a driveway.

 

So Cosmoline is out if the truck has already seen one winter? I'm under 10k mileage with only one winter, and it looks like crap underneath. Do I need to somehow clean rust before applying a product?

I have no experience with these products, but would laying plastic down help?

What product will not wash off? I'm at the car wash every few days in the winter when salt it about.

Discussions like these can be difficult as much as they are valuable.

Not sure what would get done with door panels. Are you applying a gooey product to painted surfaces? Is it being shot into drain holes?

So you're taking the wheels off? This isn't a day project then...

I went from "sweet, a way to make the truck last" to decision paralisys. Woolwax is too thick, and can trap moisture. Cosmoline cannot be used unless vehicle is brand new? Fluid Film, Surface Shield? And it sounds like people are actually spraying this stuff on color painted areas, like lower door panels and such?

My head is pounding.

 

I put my truck up on jack stands a couple months later, and removed all the tires including the spare, and engine shield. Laid a large plastic tarp under the truck... suited up with some 3m coveralls, and goggles. Its was a long afternoons job in 95 degree heat spraying on the cosmoline which i think i sweated off 5lbs. coating anything steel i could see, especially doing the rear bumper areas.
I don't do car wash's at all...their recycled water in winter has road salt in it that doesn't do a truck any favors. Even using a garden hose once in a great while i rarely do. When winter is all done i'll give the trucks chassis a good hosing.
As far as using cosmoline on an old vehicle? probably best to avoid till you remove any rust, then paint with a rust converter, and then a good oil based chassis paint. Otherwise fluid flim is a better option.

 

Whirling this in my head, I could do some rust removal and rustoleum touch up over a few episodes. I'm not too round, so I can easily get underneath without jacking it up. Then do the 6-10 cans of cosmoline.

If I did use the car wash with underbody wash every few days during this last winter, should I bother? I had a monthly membership and took it in whenever, since it was on my way home from work. Easily 40 car washes over this past winter. So I should decide to either trade it in, or take the chance - given that the car washes will actually hasten the corrosion.

It's a shame that what you think is good is actually bad.

 

I use Fluid Film on everything but the coilovers/upper control arms/rear shocks, and leaf springs. On those i use Boeshield T9... less greasy, doesn't attract as much dirt/dust, and dries to a clear waxy coating.

 

Like i said i don't do any car wash's...their recycled water is full of road salt in the winter, it causes more corrosion to set in than not washing. Use a garden hose if you need to wash the chassis. I don't think its necessary if theres no winter. The cosmoline won't blow off very easy anyways like fluid flim will. As far as putting the truck on jack stands....the purpose was its a lot easier to get at everything with no tires in the way.

 

Basically cosmoline and fluid are the same. Buy it in the one gallon paint can size
and buy a gun they are cheap. I'm in the north country my neighing state uses salt to clear the roads my frame is still black.

 

Basically the two do the same thing...prevent rust from taking hold on steel. As far as being the same...they are quite different. Fluid flim is lanolin based, and will wash away on wet roads, or car wash's which usually needs reapplying every year, or sooner. Cosmoline is petroleum based, and dries to a semi-hard waxy coating that is very difficult to wash off with water. It needs mineral sprits, or similar to remove. Once cosmoline is applied, its there to stay for quite some time, maybe needing a touchup.

 

Ok, here's a different angle to think about:

I get my truck done every fall at Krown. They use a product similar to FF that 'needs' to be reapplied yearly. I've noticed that the drippings every year get darker and thicker on my driveway after reapplications. Should I have the truck cleaned underneath before the next application?

What I'm thinking is that over the years a TON of dirt/grime has accumulated underneath due to the Krown applications. I know this because I change my own oil and my arms get covered in the stuff. Also, the guy who did my leaf springs replacement says he would NEVER do another truck that had been coated with the stuff!

I'm sure there are spots that get a lot of abrasion from the elements and the yearly coatings are helping, but part of me thinks that we're just applying more Krown on top of layers of dirt/grime and this is leading to pretty ugly drippings(my first application all the drippings we're clear- it was a brand-new truck). Thanks!

 

Yes, I spray FF on lots of painted surfaces in the fall and wipe it off with a rag in the spring, it doesn’t stick like Cosmoline.
For the initial application, I took my time and removed the tail lights, lots of body plugs and bolts in order to get the spray wand inside the doors, pillars, cab corners, fenders, frame, etc.
Now every fall I just spray the bottoms of the doors, in and around the hinges and anywhere underneath that looks dry (usually just some leading edge surfaces and wherever the tires have sprayed water, snow and dirt and washed off last years FF)
My truck still looks rust free and I don’t have any weird squeaks or electrical problems *knock on wood*

 

I’ve had my truck Krowned 6 years in a row now without removing anything from the previous year. It builds over itself. Truck is still rust free