New undercoating / rust prevention thread

[andrwgrcia]

This is for our friends in the north who battle snow and salt all winter.

I am really growing quite fond of my truck and I would like to keep it around for sometime. Unfortunately, she is starting to show some surface rust on the frame. Nothing structural, but something I would like to get ahead of.

There are a lot of undercoating services out there, and I am pretty skeptical about the claims of many of them. I was wondering if people had real life experience and feedback they might share. Also, advice as to what to ask for in the area of risk mitigation. If this were an LLM I guess my prompt would be to “please explain to someone what in your experience is the best way to address existing surface rust and prevent future rust.” This is something I will look to have someone do, and I am OK with having to reapply annually.

Unfortunately, the truck is stored outdoors and while we do have a barn / garage, it is otherwise occupied. And I live on a dirt road, so while I try to wash her at least once per month, in the winter she is wet and muddy by the end of the first drive.

Lastly, I understand this may impact my warranty. I feel like this is a dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t. If I do nothing I do not see having a catastrophic issue that would trigger a warranty repair within the time covered. But, if I wait until the end of the period to start doing preventative maintenance it may be too late. If anyone has burned some brain cells pondering this issue I would also be grateful if you would share your thoughts on this subject.

Thank you in advance. This group is always a great source of knowledge.

 

[Stormin08]

RP-342 "HEAVY" Military-Grade Rust Preventive Spray

BESTSELLER - Our Strongest, Longest-Lasting Cosmoline Aerosol. Trusted by Industrial, Government, OEMs, DIYers & Armed Forces. Satisfaction Guarantee + FREE Shipping!

www.cosmolinedirect.com

we use this on all sorts of metallic components at work, even pipe system internals.

 

[GETGONE]

Lots of people have used Woolwax coating and think it's great. B'laster came out with a new surface shield product that I watched someone that got an early test of it and it worked better than Woolwax. I have the previous version of the protector and I sprayed some areas, but I'm also seeing the factory coating coming off and the bare metal of the frame getting rust color. I need to get it coated before this winter hits.

Surface Shield® Rust Protectant - B'laster Products

B’laster Surface Shield® is the longest lasting, Rust Protectant on the market. This unique formula is easy to apply and provides complete corrosion protection for all metal surfaces, equipment and moving parts. It’s the best defense in fighting rust. Features Extreme Moisture-Wicking Action...

blasterproducts.com

 

[andrwgrcia]

I spoke with my dealership who does not offer any sort of additional treatment. They said they have seen Chevy decline warranty coverage on a couple vehicles that have had coatings put on. In both cases they described it as an oily coating / treatment.

 

[Stormin08]

so the question to be asked is this....

What have people done to REMOVE the factory tar coating ???
i am close to ice blasting mine, and just doing a nice matte paint...i have the tar

 

[GETGONE]

Yeah, I'm sick of touching anything under the vehicle and my arms being coated completely in black from it!

 

[GETGONE]

I spoke with my dealership who does not offer any sort of additional treatment. They said they have seen Chevy decline warranty coverage on a couple vehicles that have had coatings put on. In both cases they described it as an oily coating / treatment.

Yeah, my dealer warned of that because they were offering some kind of treatment. It sounded like the old "Zeibart" style undercoating they were referring to. I know that kind of stuff traps moisture between itself and the metal and can cause rusting. The B'laster surface shield is a clear coating.

 

[DELETED.]

My 22 TB is going in next week for it's 3rd annual spray of Krown. No visible rust underneath. I'm in South Western Ontario up north.

 

[Murph76]

Every piece of metal should have been Nitrited end of story...the fact they arent goes back to manufacturer not wanting anything to last.

 

[Taz56]

Canada here, snow is our middle name.....

For someone who has never done this before, never thought of it, and honestly have never had an issue with it.
I typically buy a new truck every 3 years give or take. 2014 - 2019 - 2022 - 2025.
But this one I think I will hold onto a little longer, so now you have me curious after reading this thread.

Let's say I decide to do this. I grab a can (or three), crawl under my truck and "what" exactly am I spraying?

 

[Stormin08]

Canada here, snow is our middle name.....

For someone who has never done this before, never thought of it, and honestly have never had an issue with it.
I typically buy a new truck every 3 years give or take. 2014 - 2019 - 2022 - 2025.
But this one I think I will hold onto a little longer, so now you have me curious after reading this thread.

Let's say I decide to do this. I grab a can (or three), crawl under my truck and "what" exactly am I spraying?

what product are you looking to use...

something along the lines of a FLUID FILM, can easily be sprayed off in the spring with hot water and detergent...
some others are more of a permanent style coating.

that said, something like SALTS GONE would be a good wash and rinse type product.

i had a 1990 Chevy truck, super clean ride that had the Ziebart coating done when purchased new...i had the truck in 2005, the coating was intact and doing its job SO WELL, that i hated having it. you could not do anything without being black head to toe after any wrenching, wiping or parts swapping. it worked, it was permanent ( in terms of not washing away)...but was a pain for maintenance.

but in reality...spray everything but the brakes surfaces and exhaust.....

 

[FOX_2.5DSC_'25TB]

This is for our friends in the north who battle snow and salt all winter.

I am really growing quite fond of my truck and I would like to keep it around for sometime. Unfortunately, she is starting to show some surface rust on the frame. Nothing structural, but something I would like to get ahead of.

There are a lot of undercoating services out there, and I am pretty skeptical about the claims of many of them. I was wondering if people had real life experience and feedback they might share. Also, advice as to what to ask for in the area of risk mitigation. If this were an LLM I guess my prompt would be to “please explain to someone what in your experience is the best way to address existing surface rust and prevent future rust.” This is something I will look to have someone do, and I am OK with having to reapply annually.

Unfortunately, the truck is stored outdoors and while we do have a barn / garage, it is otherwise occupied. And I live on a dirt road, so while I try to wash her at least once per month, in the winter she is wet and muddy by the end of the first drive.

Lastly, I understand this may impact my warranty. I feel like this is a dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t. If I do nothing I do not see having a catastrophic issue that would trigger a warranty repair within the time covered. But, if I wait until the end of the period to start doing preventative maintenance it may be too late. If anyone has burned some brain cells pondering this issue I would also be grateful if you would share your thoughts on this subject.

Thank you in advance. This group is always a great source of knowledge.

This year after purchasing a brand new truck, I applied a rubberized undercoating spray by Rusfre. The only issue with this type of undercoating is that you need to ensure the layers are thick enough and there are no gaps. Just do the best possible Job at this because you do not want any moisture to find its way underneath the coating...you will then have rusting from underneath going on and you will not even realize it is happening. Anyway, I wanted to try this "rubberized' undercoating this time around since it is a new truck without any rust. If there was any type of rust, I would not be able to use the "rubberized" type of undercoating because of what I mentioned about rusting from underneath the coating. If there already is some type of rusting, I would just apply a type of "fluid film" or whatnot, but hold off on the permanent type of rubberized spray. If interested I will post a link below of what I purchased and applied on my truck.

RUSFRE Black Rubberized Spray-On Undercoating​

Chemically-formulated to effectively prevent rust and protect your vehicle's underside. Creates a barrier against the elements. Also reduces noise levels by deadening sound. Flexible, soft undercoating covers effectively and is resistant to chipping, cracking, and peeling. Sprays evenly and...

www.tptools.com

 

[Taz56]

what product are you looking to use...

something along the lines of a FLUID FILM, can easily be sprayed off in the spring with hot water and detergent...
some others are more of a permanent style coating.

that said, something like SALTS GONE would be a good wash and rinse type product.

i had a 1990 Chevy truck, super clean ride that had the Ziebart coating done when purchased new...i had the truck in 2005, the coating was intact and doing its job SO WELL, that i hated having it. you could not do anything without being black head to toe after any wrenching, wiping or parts swapping. it worked, it was permanent ( in terms of not washing away)...but was a pain for maintenance.

but in reality...spray everything but the brakes surfaces and exhaust.....

Had not gotten as far as "what product", like I mentioned new to this and am more curious than anything.
But I saw your reply "spray everything but the brakes surfaces and exhaust." and that was good.

Now to pick a product. Nothing that is going to leave black crap all over if I need to do something (or have someone else do it). So a clear product is in my future.

 

[Stormin08]

Krown Rust Control | Contact Us | Krown Rust Control

Have questions or need support? Contact us for expert help with rust protection, vehicle maintenance, and customer service.

krown.com

this may be a good start

 

[Stormin08]

for my truck... i regularly use a chassis detail product that is penetrant based...
CLASSY CHASSIS from Shine supply....
my thought is, it cleans, protects and penetrates. So much to the point, that i have gallon containers of WD-40...and use a pump style sprayer to apply. let is sit and soak, creep and go where it needs to...ever notice the newer trucks frame rails tarnish and turn brown....not this truck.

get a good salt rinse, let dry and apply...