Calcium chloride and frame rust

[LouM]

I believe that good undercoating will definitely slow the rust progression on a vehicle. I'm a believer in the products from Waxoly the vehicles that I have had them use that product on have had minimal rusting and none were the product was applied. Nuts and bolts could actually be loosened and removed the heads hadn't been corroded away. It does require reapplication were the grit and gravel from the tires has abraded the initial application and were the taller grass and brush has rubbed it off. In my several decades of cussing the various rust causing materials applied to the roads it works the best of what I have tried.

 

[EMANRESU]

Since corrosion rate rises with temp, I wait for thaws to manually hose down the undercarriage.
Automated car washes are no match for manually flushing/twisting the hose nozzle around and up/into areas that no car wash can flush adequately.
Brine solutions now used on roads appear to accelerate corrosion and brake degradation.

 

[2003F350]

Since corrosion rate rises with temp, I wait for thaws to manually hose down the undercarriage.
Automated car washes are no match for manually flushing/twisting the hose nozzle around and up/into areas that no car wash can flush adequately.
Brine solutions now used on roads appear to accelerate corrosion and brake degradation.

While that's true, anything you can do to get at least most of the salt off is better than doing nothing. Especially for vehicles that are kept in a garage, as many people on here do.

 

[BenchTest]

Since corrosion rate rises with temp, I wait for thaws to manually hose down the undercarriage.
Automated car washes are no match for manually flushing/twisting the hose nozzle around and up/into areas that no car wash can flush adequately.
Brine solutions now used on roads appear to accelerate corrosion and brake degradation.

Agree, manual washes are worth the effort over automated. They aren't convenient, comfortable, or able to be done by rolling down a window and punching in a code, so most don't do them. Some can't because of physical limitations, and I get that. Most are just washing their cars for the "pretty" aspect and not the preventative.

 

[Tominator223]

They used to sell a lil thingy ma bob. That you hook to the frame that takes power and I think it reversed polarity or something that stop/s rust. It was on a car show I watched like 20yrs ago. May have been 2guys garage. Probably still available

 

[BenchTest]

They used to sell a lil thingy ma bob. That you hook to the frame that takes power and I think it reversed polarity or something that stop/s rust. It was on a car show I watched like 20yrs ago. May have been 2guys garage. Probably still available

That would be impressed current cathodic protection. Not a viable alternative on a vehicle.

 

[blackbetty14]

get a waterbroom attachement for a pressure washer. Roybi makes one on wheels and run it under the truck to wash it off. Used motor oil works decent as well as all the big name stuff like fluid film etc.

Alot of people miss the body panels and typically the hood. The hoods are aluminum and they trap water in the front above the headlights and grille. It corrodes from the inside out and you get the paint bubbles. Happened on my 2014 express within 2 years. On my 18 I sprayed fluid film in the hood openings at the front and I had that for 6 years no hood bubbles. I did the same on my 2024 BTS when I got it. I also try to get into the rocker panels and above the wheel wells in the back. ALso the front shock/strut bolts that poke into the engine bay. What I hate about coated trucks is they are super messy to work on.

 

[MD Sledhead]

Fluid film or some other grease-like undercoating works great. Had my 2014 done and it was in fantastic shape. Make sure they spray frame (inside too), underbody... in the bedsides (take the rear lights out), in the rocker panels, inside doors and bottom rear of cab.
Had my 2024 done as well.

I know many won't believe this, but they use more salt (calcium chloride) and brine where I live than anywhere else in the united states. Over 82 tons per lane mile in one winter. To compare, the UP of Michigan uses less than 24 tons per lane mile in a 300" winter.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Fluid film or some other grease-like undercoating works great. Had my 2014 done and it was in fantastic shape. Make sure they spray frame (inside too), underbody... in the bedsides (take the rear lights out), in the rocker panels, inside doors and bottom rear of cab.
Had my 2024 done as well.

I know many won't believe this, but they use more salt (calcium chloride) and brine where I live than anywhere else in the united states. Over 82 tons per lane mile in one winter. To compare, the UP of Michigan uses less than 24 tons per lane mile in a 300" winter.

Nope, I believe it, especially if the MD means what it might mean. In which case I've driven those roads for decades. I can't speak for all of PA but my county has used enough salt and cinders *dropped on dry roads* that my AT tires would break traction.

 

[MD Sledhead]

Nope, I believe it, especially if the MD means what it might mean. In which case I've driven those roads for decades. I can't speak for all of PA but my county has used enough salt and cinders *dropped on dry roads* that my AT tires would break traction.

I slid in our Jeep Grand Cherokee last week on US RT 40 just across the PA line.
Our interstate 68 in MD is white as a sheet after an inch of snow. It's ridiculous!

 

[Curmudgeon]

I slid in our Jeep Grand Cherokee last week on US RT 40 just across the PA line.
Our interstate 68 in MD is white as a sheet after an inch of snow. It's ridiculous!

I've been out in the panhandle many times for work-related travels. Fortunately I had a little say in where I went and when, and I knew enough to be out there in warmer weather. I caught some flurries one night though. Put that job off until late spring.

 

[mdc1990zr1]

Fluid film or some other grease-like undercoating works great. Had my 2014 done and it was in fantastic shape. Make sure they spray frame (inside too), underbody... in the bedsides (take the rear lights out), in the rocker panels, inside doors and bottom rear of cab.
Had my 2024 done as well.

I know many won't believe this, but they use more salt (calcium chloride) and brine where I live than anywhere else in the united states. Over 82 tons per lane mile in one winter. To compare, the UP of Michigan uses less than 24 tons per lane mile in a 300" winter.

Very good point. Take the tail lights out and spray in there. My fleet trucks all rust back there. I also put the spare tire in the bed. Everything down there stays wet with the spare on there and rusts.

 

[GTyankee]

Back when i was still in Grade School & Junior High
My Grand Parents bought The boats called Buicks, it seemed like every 4 years they bought a new Buick.
They had no garage, but the older Buick became the Beater.
They did not drive much, they mostly took a Sunday Drive, if the weather allowed it.
All 10 of their children went to see them !!
Pack up the car, we are going to Grandmas

 

[Dusty]

"i believe Ziebart requires you to go back every year to get it touched up. If you don't it voids whatever warranty they may have."

Correct. Mine was Ziebart undercoated when new and is now 6 1/2 years old. They did some touch up spraying last year for the first time. Have yet to find any rust on the underbody and no adherence issues, either, even though I go through the car wash 3-4 times a week.

The rustproofing is only done to interior body panels and I'm pretty sure the material is 3M Cavity Wax Plus #8852.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 124444 miles.

 

[GTyankee]

The rust buckets that i have seen, were trucks rear fenders, where the bed & fender come together.

On the older trucks, the rear cab corners & the rocker panel were the rusted places

 

[Dan Topp]

I grew up on a farm in Rusk County Wis and we always sprayed thinned out drain oil on the undersides of vehicles and equipment. It is why I still do it but with 4 posts is much easier. I spray all bushings and seals first with white lithium. Can’t remember the brand I switched from because more came out and down my arm to these two

 

[Dan Topp]

Also I would see my dad drill holes to get oil in. Haven’t gone that far but should. With the ram I have,with the lift there’s access way up under the fenders and bumper.

 

[quickster2]

Undercarriage washer I made for the spring once the salt is washed off of the roads. You can now buy it off of Amazon. We also get our vehicles Krown'd periodically with touch up in between with Fluid Film & CRC Marine Corrosion sprays. As others have said, make sure you pull the tail lights out and coat between the inner & outer panels generously.

 

[Wild one]

Long before there was any of these oil spraying places,we had a neighbour who used to save all his used oil/gear fluids etc in a 45 gallon drum,and in the fall he'd cut it with a mix of diesal and gas,then spray it everywhere on his vehicles.
It seemed to work as his vehicles usually didn't rust as bad as alot of neighbours vehicles did.That was back when frames were still C channel,so they were easy to coat

 

[62Blazer]

My last truck was 16 years old when I got rid of it. Live in the rust belt in the midwest, we don't get a ton of snow but they coat the roads in salt or pre-treat them with calcium chloride slurry if there is any chance of snow in the forecast. I kept up on maintenance and cleaned it a lot. Mechanically it had zero issues and ran great, but started having rust issues. The rust was causing mechanical issues as I had to replace the brake lines, fuel lines, trans cooler lines, trans shifter linkage, rear diff cover, etc.... because of rust. Frame was pretty solid and the only body rust was at the rockers.
On my current truck (2016 model that I bought used in 2019) the first thing I did was buy the equipment to do a full Woolwax undercoating. This is the same oil/wax based concept as Fluid Film and NHOH. The majority of the time during the initial coating was getting inside the frame, crossmembers, body panels, etc.... From my experience rust starts from the inside and works it way out. Also concentrated on any seams, body panel junctions, places were parts of the frame bolted together, etc... Bet I spent 4-5 hours during the initial coating. Do a touch up a couple times a year and usually only spend an hour or so. Not like the coating inside the doors gets washed away or anything! There are some areas that are exposed to water spray and stuff from the tires where the coating gets washed off, but retouch them. For almost a 9 year old truck I will say that the undercarriage is almost spotless.
I do not like the coatings like Ziebart, or other tar or paint based thick coatings. From my experience as soon as a edge cracks or peels it lets water seep in behind the coating and causes accelerated rust.