Dealing with the salt.

[dhay13]

I always spray everything underneath as good as I can with my garden hose in my garage a few times every winter. On my older vehicles this meant getting up inside the wheel well lips real good. Newer vehicles have this sealed off pretty good and some have a foam insulation in there that I wouldn't want to get wet so it is trickier with newer ones. But I generally wash mine every few weeks in the winter. I will also run them through the local car wash that has the undercarriage spray to help get it clean.
And yeah, my buddy owns a prominent body shop here and said that brine is very bad on those aluminum body Fords

 

[jljbtm]

Here in the Cleveland salt belt What I've Done for years is keep my distance from the car in front of me because it's The mist that his tires put in the air that you're driving into all the time is what gets in all the nooks and crannies. [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[Beemer533]

I sell the vehicle before rust hurts the resale value too much. Then go down south and buy something that's never seen Salt...

Rinse and repeat...

I do get my vehicles under coated and it seems to help, but mostly on newer rust free vehicles. It doesn't do much to undercoat something that is already rusty...

 

[Hookedup87]

I agree with Quick Shifter. I cry a lot.

 

[GsRAM]

I sell the vehicle before rust hurts the resale value too much. Then go down south and buy something that's never seen Salt...

Rinse and repeat...

I do get my vehicles under coated and it seems to help, but mostly on newer rust free vehicles. It doesn't do much to undercoat something that is already rusty...

Be careful with undercoating. I used to use it when I was younger but have since learned it's a bad idea.

When it's in new/sound condition it's great. However as it ages it eventually will crack,. Then water works it's way in those cracks and is trapped between the undercoating and the metal your trying to protect and stuff rots out.

Ford's are notorious for this with the black coating they put on suspension components. I had a 2000 Ford expedition Eddie bauer that the rear lower control arms looked great on, till I found a crack in the coating and started poking with a screwdriver.

I wound up with a half dollar size hole straight through both sides of it. There was minimal material left holding it together. Not good.

I use a good quality paint and touch things up each spring after the winter. Works good for me, but ymmv. Just what I do.

 

[Hookedup87]

Exactly what I do GsRam. And then I’ll spray some fluid film over the top of everything and I’m good. Truck is an ‘18 and underside looks ok considering I live in NY.

 

[Beemer533]

Be careful with undercoating. I used to use it when I was younger but have since learned it's a bad idea.

When it's in new/sound condition it's great. However as it ages it eventually will crack,. Then water works it's way in those cracks and is trapped between the undercoating and the metal your trying to protect and stuff rots out.

Ford's are notorious for this with the black coating they put on suspension components. I had a 2000 Ford expedition Eddie bauer that the rear lower control arms looked great on, till I found a crack in the coating and started poking with a screwdriver.

I wound up with a half dollar size hole straight through both sides of it. There was minimal material left holding it together. Not good.

I use a good quality paint and touch things up each spring after the winter. Works good for me, but ymmv. Just what I do.

Completely agree for sure. Undercoating is really best when you can start with a rust free surface.

 

[dhay13]

I have heard bad things about undercoating too. Never had one done. And yeah, I usually get rid of mine at the first hint of rust. I usually keep them 6 years then trade them. Only one ever had bubbles that soon. My last one had bubbles on the bed side after about 4 years but they replaced the bedside under warranty.

 

[Hemi395]

Fluid Film/Woolwax/Krown/NHOU will prevent your truck from rotting out. I do mine every October and so far my 2013 is rust free living in New England on the coast.

The key is to get inside the frame rails and inside the body panels like the rockers, doors, fenders, above the rear wheel wells, etc. As mentioned most modern vehicle rust from the inside out.

 

[GTyankee]

Liquid spray is the way to go, if i still lived where it rains & snows, like Connecticut, i would take a couple of days & drive up to upstate NY or into Canada to get it sprayed by Krown.
They drill very small holes into the hidden cavity spots, then spray inside under pressure. When that is done, they use rubber plugs to cover the holes. Then just before the next winter season, have it done again, they just remove the plugs & re-spray.
It is the best $150 & 1 hour time that you can do for winterizing a pickup truck that lives in snow country where they use salt brine

This mechanic in NY makes comments about the Krown product done on his truck

 

[dhay13]

My grandfather used to squirt used engine oil inside his door panels and anywhere else he could get it into. Way too messy for me to do to my truck but he was old school and this was on his 1979 Silverado that he bought new

 

[Glen OS]

I run my vehicles through a car wash every other fill up. And I do use the soft cloth ones, always newer equipment. Also do the undercarriage wash. Have been doing it for years and it works for me. Wife's 08 SRX is still like new.

 

[Robeffy]

My grandfather used to squirt used engine oil inside his door panels and anywhere else he could get it into. Way too messy for me to do to my truck but he was old school and this was on his 1979 Silverado that he bought new

I bought a 95 Ram 1500 from the original owner, about 6 years ago. He was a farmer, and sprayed used motor oil on that truck every year he owned it.
So, we have a 20 year old truck, with original paint.
When I got it safetied, in Ontario, the mechanics freaked out. Their 1-2 year old Ram's had more surface rust ( on the frame and suspension ) than my 20 year old truck.
I am a believer of oil spray, every year.
I have now driven that truck every winter, in N Ontario, for 6 years, and still no rust. I have had it oil sprayed all but last winter, no one around here will oil spray anymore, its illegal.
This spring, I am buying the gear and doing it myself, even if I have to use new oil.

 

[Ram Vendetta]

For those of you who live in the salt belt, what do you have to do to deal with the salt in all the nooks and crannies of your vehicles?

Car washes have the undecarriage spray, I know, but what else do you folks do to keep the exposure to as little as possible, aside from garaging it?

Believe it or not, my wife would like move maybe to MI someday, and the thought of issues from the salt and such has me a bit worried.[/QUOT When weather warms up just place an oscillating sprinkler under it for a little while.

 

[Ram Vendetta]

When weather gets a little warmer place an oscillating sprinkler under it.

 

[BlueGuyRedState]

A good joke, but incorrect. When treated correctly, not an issue.

A fella I work with has an 02 1500 and an 06 2500. Not one lick off rust to be found anywhere. Same goes for the 03 Stuper Duty his dad owns. My 08 Jeep was doing well until a deer totaled it for me and I hope to keep this 18 rust free for that long.

What does your coworker use/do to keep the rust off? Going through first winter with 2018 Certified Preowned RAM - got the 8 year/100K warranty, rustproofing this spring next up.

 

[caulk04]

What does your coworker use/do to keep the rust off? Going through first winter with 2018 Certified Preowned RAM - got the 8 year/100K warranty, rustproofing this spring next up.

A good rinse out in the spring and another in the fall a week or two before undercoating. He uses a particularly thick bar&chain oil that he gets locally. Heats it up to flow in nicely and sprays liberally into all the nooks and crannies, where rust starts. His family has done that for years. He has started using FluidFilm on one of the trucks when he first picked it up, it performs just as good IMO and is easier to clean overspray/runs off of paint.

 

[Tracy in IL]

I agree with only washing once the temp is above freezing. Last thing you want is any residual moisture freezing in all those little crannies. Bad for your paint, decals, door/window trim, etc. Inside storage if you have a choice for same reasons, keeps snow/moisture/ice from getting in all the crannies. I do two thorough underbody washes in the spring once all the salt is flushed off the roads. Of course I bought rust-proofing and undercoating from the dealer when I bought my Ram.

 

[PJ Snyder]

For those of you who live in the salt belt, what do you have to do to deal with the salt in all the nooks and crannies of your vehicles?

Car washes have the undecarriage spray, I know, but what else do you folks do to keep the exposure to as little as possible, aside from garaging it?

Believe it or not, my wife would like move maybe to MI someday, and the thought of issues from the salt and such has me a bit worried.

 

[Perferd]

I bought a 95 Ram 1500 from the original owner, about 6 years ago. He was a farmer, and sprayed used motor oil on that truck every year he owned it.
So, we have a 20 year old truck, with original paint.
When I got it safetied, in Ontario, the mechanics freaked out. Their 1-2 year old Ram's had more surface rust ( on the frame and suspension ) than my 20 year old truck.
I am a believer of oil spray, every year.
I have now driven that truck every winter, in N Ontario, for 6 years, and still no rust. I have had it oil sprayed all but last winter, no one around here will oil spray anymore, its illegal.
This spring, I am buying the gear and doing it myself, even if I have to use new oil.

I'm in Ontario and there is nothing here about oil spray that's illegal. There are a TON of shops that oil spray...