Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire “Rustproofing” vehicle?

What say the fire on “rustproofing” the frame/undercarriage of vehicle in the rust belt?

Bought a new 4Runner and want to do something to protect my investment. They lay salt here on little to no weather.

First things first, ARB bumper and an old man emu 2.5” suspension lift.

I'm in Iowa, I get all of my vehicles undercoated. We have way too much salt on our roads in the winter, also.

kwg

Move to AZ.

I have yet to ever do it to my 2014 4Runner and my 2006 Ford Ranger, original owner of both. I wash the undercarriage in the brushless car washes, cost me $2 more every time I go but I haven’t dealt with any rust issues. I also park inside the garage as God intended.

ETA: I use the brushless car wash in the winter months.

I had to look up that bumper. They look awesome but I’m not going that route.

Fluidfilm


Get on it asap. spraying, anything, over rust that's already started is mostly fruitless.

Or you could go to an aftermarket rustproofing company such as Zeibart or a competitor. I'd be looking at cost vs. the term of the warranty.

Most Mfr's. have a 5 year no rust through warranty, If that's the term ya plan to keep it, hitting a carwash with underbody spray a few times during the winter might get ya to trade time.

Do this - https://nhoilundercoating.com/what-is-rust-proofing-spray/

Undercoating and car wash with an undercarriage spray. You can pressure wash the underside of the vehicle as well but that is kinda hard to do in the middle of winter.

Ziebart?

I moved back up to serious rust country a few years ago - Northern NY. Bought a new Tundra in 2020 and trying out Krown rust prevention system. It's an annual fluid film type treatment developed in Canada, costs about $150 a yr. Don't know if it's available near you. Website: https://www.krown.com/en/

I lived in the snowbelt of NEOhio for years lots of snow and to combat the snow ODOT treats the roads with salt brine. My go to was fluid film, pick up a gallon for about 50 bucks at Napa, applied it in my driveway every fall with an air compressor and cheap sprayer.

It'll still eventually find a place to rust.

I live in Tucson and drive a '53 Ford F100 as a daily driver. Not a lick of rust anywhere. Took it in to get do-nuts installed on my exhasust and even the mechanic commentd on how clean the body and undercarrige is.

George

Well no shidt.

I keep my under carriage clean, by driving through sagebrush. Scrubs stuff right off.

Hit carwashes with under carriage sprayers often in the winter time and for the love of god, do not do any kind of fluid films, unless you hate whoever has to work on the vehicle. Saying this chit is messy is an understatement. Stays wet and is everywhere. We turn away trucks that have it done at the shop i run because i wouldnt do that to my mechanics

Depends on how long you plan to keep the vehicle and how often you wash it.
I used to Ziebart all my new vehicles.
But the past 15 or so years, I just wash them often in the winter and trade them after about five years. Have had zero rust.

In places I've lived where they use salt frequently the best thing I've seen to keep a nice care "nice" is to





get a beater vehicle to drive in the winter.





Outside of that I'd say do the carwash thing on a weekly basis at a minimum. And hope for the best.

This

Every couple of weeks in winter I run mine thru an automatic car wash with the undercarriage wash. When I was working and driving to work every day I'd do it every Friday morning before work.