Rustproofing and Undercoating

[regal81455]

So the local place to me will do both for $500. They use Transtar products.

The UC is rubberized. The RP is wax-based.

Is it typical to do both? Does the price seem fair for both?

 

[MoparBrent]

So the local place to me will do both for $500. They use Transtar products.

The UC is rubberized. The RP is wax-based.

Is it typical to do both? Does the price seem fair for both?

You don’t have both done. The terms rustproofing and undercoating are the same thing and $500 is the biggest ripoff ever.

Do not under any circumstances let them put a rubberized undercoating on your truck. You may as well send it straight to the junkyard after it’s applied. It was trap moisture against everything and your frame and will rot your truck out quicker than leaving it bare with no protection. Ontop of that good luck ever doing any maintenance to your truck or even finding a mechanic willing to work on your vehicle once it’s applied.

Always stuck to an oil/wax based coating such as Krown/Fluid Film/Woolwax. They will continue to creep into the metal and provide a very good coating while not causing any negatives

 

[Rado]

I agree I to have heard a lot of bad things about the rubber under coating ! Stick with Fluid Film, Krown , about 150$ to 200$ apply once a year recommended

 

[BOWERSFJ]

I’ve read mentions of dealers voiding warrantees for undercoating, obviously as it relates to the issue ... I’m here in OH, smack dab in the middle of the rust belt, and the home of too much road salt ... Fluid film, and to a lesser cheaper, messier end, oil spray, are king around here ... Oil spray for $60, fluid film $100-$125 ... FF is worth the extra money ... Should be able to Google your area, and a shop with reviews should pop up


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[Burla]

dyi fluid film, small investment upfront, dyi every year. See before and afters on two trucks bought at same time, one with FF one w/o it, at @Hemi395 has that somewhere.

The stuff works if done right.

Stay away from rubber, salt get behinds it and then what? Remove it, way fun?

 

[Michigan BIGHORN]

I agree with all if the above. I, like BOWERSSFJ live in the land of too much road salt here in the U.P. of Michigan. I have a 2011 and am going through the process of stopping the rot myself. I'm applying Corroseal to all the areas showing rust once they're prepped properly. Bought that on Amazon for around $50 a gallon. Once cured the Fluid Film will get applied, picked up 2 gallons at my local Advanced Auto for around $60 for both gallons after some decent discounts. If you go the AA route I advise to buy it online and then go pick it up because if you buy online you can usually find a code for 20% - 25% off but you only get that online and will have to pay full price if you walk in the store and purchase it. Doesn't make sense but I don't make the rules. At any rate as stated above DO NOT apply a rubberized undercoat. Spend the little extra to do it right because it will save you $$ down the road. Case in point, $1800 estimate to replace rockers and cab corners that are showing signs of rust or $150 to do it myself properly and that includes the cost of the spray gun and fogging nozzles.

 

[Hemi395]

DO NOT use rubberized undercoating!!

 

[Hemi395]

Oil based undercoatings work much better:

 

[Burla]

DO NOT use rubberized undercoating!!

they should literally outlaw that ****...

 

[pacofortacos]

I have hard undercoating and soft rustproofing.
Working on it is NOT an issue and no one complains about it.
Now with the grease type undercoating on my last truck, yeah no one, not even me, wanted to crawl under there.

Where I live it is humid all year around and they use brine + salt in the winter. Brine is 100 times worse than just salt, it eats everything.

The GM frame issue is well known as far as undercoating it with a hard coating - not so on the RAM.

 

[Hemi395]

I warned my mechanic when he did an alignment last time. When I picked the truck up I expected him to be pissed off that he got covered in Fluid Film and dirt. But he was ecstatic at how easy everything came apart and how easy it was to align. His exact quote was "damn thats a nice truck to do an alignment on".

IMO I'd rather get covered in oil/dirt working on my truck than have it rot out from under me...

 

[Burla]

Fluid film is kitchen safe, non toxic, not like grease at all. Closer to vegi oil if anything. Kind of a sweet smell to it. They say it is lanolin, my guess would be fake lanolin as I don't know we have that large of a source of real lanolin, but that is just a guess for sure.

 

[Mister Luck]

Old timers use gear oil or linseed oil mixed with kerosene super flammable

I like rust mort rust converter in two steps the paintable type over the non paintable then spray a little clear coat
https://www.semproducts.com/

 

[SitKneelBend]

Krown service cost the same as a DIY Fluid Film kit and they spray it for you. Don't park it in a nice driveway for a few weeks though. It drips like crazy. Great coupons on the annual reapplication too. If you start it within the first year of new vehicle ownership and continue annually, they guarantee against rust.

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[skirider]

Fluid film kit. After you invest once in kit. All you have to by is gallon. And a gallon will last a couple seasons for sure

I do it once really good before winter and then touch up in spring

Oh and this is on wifes. Jeep. My trucks ruined. From ziebart junk. But still do fluid film. It does slightly remove tar over time which is a good thing

 

[regal81455]

I'll be honest I'm pretty shocked by the responses I'm getting. It was my understanding that rubberized UC was ok as long as the metal it was being placed on wasn't already rusty/rusting. Not something you put on a 10yr old vehicle but new, sure why not. Can't be any worse than bare, right? I mean I'm sure you have to keep up with it but isn't that the case with the wax based stuff too and from what I was gathering and what I've read these two terms are not the same - they have two different functions and two different places of application. Together they are supposed to work well together - almost all of you say that's not the case but according to several articles online they both have their places under a vehicle. I'm rather conflicted about this now... guess I've got alot more research to do.

And yes, I almost always do things myself but this is a messy job that will be done better by someone that has a lift available to them and I'm in a place in my life where it's money I can afford to spend with someone to do the grunt work for me... I'll end up passing this along to someone regardless of what I choose to do. Atleast, that's how I feel about presently.

 

[BOWERSFJ]

There’s the responses ... Now the choice is yours ... Chose wisely ...


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[MoparBrent]

I'll be honest I'm pretty shocked by the responses I'm getting. It was my understanding that rubberized UC was ok as long as the metal it was being placed on wasn't already rusty/rusting. Not something you put on a 10yr old vehicle but new, sure why not. Can't be any worse than bare, right? I mean I'm sure you have to keep up with it but isn't that the case with the wax based stuff too and from what I was gathering and what I've read these two terms are not the same - they have two different functions and two different places of application. Together they are supposed to work well together - almost all of you say that's not the case but according to several articles online they both have their places under a vehicle. I'm rather conflicted about this now... guess I've got alot more research to do.

And yes, I almost always do things myself but this is a messy job that will be done better by someone that has a lift available to them and I'm in a place in my life where it's money I can afford to spend with someone to do the grunt work for me... I'll end up passing this along to someone regardless of what I choose to do. Atleast, that's how I feel about presently.

I mean ultimately the choice is yours. We gave you the information and the right choice (Not rubberized). And yes, a rubberized undercoating will rust out a truck faster than leaving it completely bare. I live in Northern Ontario, Canada where they throw salt/brine crap around like it’s going out of style. I’ve seen the destruction that rubberized garbage does to the unfortunate people that don’t know any better

 

[regal81455]

Understood. I appreciate all the responses received.

 

[mtwofeathers]

I agree I to have heard a lot of bad things about the rubber under coating ! Stick with Fluid Film, Krown , about 150$ to 200$ apply once a year recommended

Fluid film seems to be a better solution for stopping rust.