The frame damage post got me thinking about rust prevention. Wondering what people are using and spraying with. DIY or over the counter. Saw a post about mixing used oil and diesel fuel 50/50. I remember a post on a different thread about using Fluid Film. What are you using to prevent vehicle rust?
Washing your vehicle frequently in the winter that has an undercarriage wash would be helpful.
I remember a post on a different thread about using Fluid Film.
I have heard of people using this product. Personally I have not used anything.
I do not drive the vehicle once the freeze/thaw cycle starts in this area if I don’t want it to rust – without exception.
Some applications or procedures temporary delay the inevitable and have a bit of merit, while others are complete snake oil. Even the “coatings” that keep the solutions off are going to chip or erode away from movement, rocks, gravel, sand, water, etc. Washing the under side to remove some of the solution likely helps slow down the process some but won’t stop it.
Good regular car washes help a lot.
The places with a hand wand you can get at a lot of areas that hold slush and salt.
I love a good early spring thunderstorm. Take the truck for a ride in the rain. Water gets in everywhere to wash out salt. 
Other option is move South. 
Arizona.
Nothing, I’ll be trading it in long before the frame starts rusting that bad.
Fluid Film guy here, people think my 2015 F-150 is 2021 its so clean with zero rust. 4 cans the first time and one can a year for touch up. Best money spent.
Fluid film for me. 2012 suburban with 200,000 miles. Zero body rust.
Other option is move South.
They still have problems with rust if they are near an ocean. Not to the level as we do, but if they spend prolonged time in close proximity to the ocean they will rust.
X3 on the fluid film. I don’t worry too much about the frame. On steel body panels, I coat the the inner fenders, inside the cab corners, and inside the rockers. Spots your going to typically see rust bubbles first. These are areas that no automatic carwash will ever clean out. Flush those areas out occasionally with a hose and re-coat. Rust is going to occur eventually no matter what you do, but I’ve had good luck with delaying that for quite a while.
I want to add that most newer trucks have those felt wheel well liners and those seem to keep down the salt from even hitting the inside of the fenders. The other areas are another question.
I have used fluid film for a long time. My last truck had 120k on it 8 years old. Not a spot of rust
Fluid film works great for the insides of doors and rockers.
Fluid Film is amazing. Yes, it takes some work to do it the first time, but 2013 and 2011 vehicles in my garage have ZERO rust anywhere.
I’ve coated mild steel machine parts or other metal fab work that I just couldn’t find time to paint and even after years of sitting in the elements as bare steel, the Fluid Film is still working.
For less than $100 for the first treatment, there’s no way to go wrong with coating the vehicle.
Are you guys spraying this stuff on the body or just the frame and if yes on the body leaving it on there?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>MX1825 wrote:</div>
Other option is move South.They still have problems with rust if they are near an ocean. Not to the level as we do, but if they spend prolonged time in close proximity to the ocean they will rust.
Sorry I didn’t specify.
I would not live near the coast. Our Midwest storms are bad enough. No hurricanes for this guy.
Are you guys spraying this stuff on the body or just the frame and if yes on the body leaving it on there?
Full under coat all jams and rockers. Spray and leave it. Use a actual paint sprayer at a buddies house on his lift
I would not live near the coast. Our Midwest storms are bad enough. No hurricanes for this guy.
Id rather deal with what we have to deal with than what they do for sure.
Does anyone use fluid film on their boat trailers? Would that make sense at all?
FWIW, most Car Dealers offer the undercoating when they sell new vehicles. You can have it installed on any vehicle, just no warranty. Couple hundred bucks I would guess.
Does anyone use fluid film on their boat trailers? Would that make sense at all?
Yes you could do that. A good pressure washer takes it off but not just dipping it in the lake
Arent rockers rusting from intrusion from the backside? Isnt that nearly impossible to spray any product on/in to get any protection from it? I have a hard time believing spraying it in the door jams is very effective because to me the rust starts normally from behind/underneath.
Vast majority of body rust on a vehicle is coming from the back side. The rockers, cab corners, doors, etc. will usually have rubber plugs you can remove and spray the product inside. You’ll want to flush them out first.
I pulled the plugs on my doors and rockers to get it in there. Order a super long straw from Amazon to get into the corners.
Arent rockers rusting from intrusion from the backside? Isnt that nearly impossible to spray any product on/in to get any protection from it? I have a hard time believing spraying it in the door jams is very effective because to me the rust starts normally from behind/underneath.
Spray the insides through all plugs and holes available. Just like Dave said.
Another Fluid Film user, works great
For under body and frame I buy the Black fluid Film, looks great once done
Fluid Film everywhere. Took off my inside door panels and sprayed after I put in soundproofing material. It is going to be my last truck so I went a little overboard. Also did the inside of my tailgate.
2006 Toyota Tundra; 2009 GX470. Fluid Film inside all body and door panels, tail gait, hood, etc.. I do this every other year.
I now use PB Blaster Surface Shield for a yearly coating of everything underneath the truck, including inside bumpers, on-and-underneath the spare tire, and inside the frame rails, etc.. It doesn’t wash off easily from road spray like Fluid Film does. The underside of my trucks are clean of rust.
They both have developed a nice coat of the oils covered with road dust over the years which is impenetrable by chemical road treatments and water.
I asked my mechanic if he minds working around it, and he said, “no problem – it sure beats working on a rusty vehicle.”
Vehicles treated this way will not rot out from under you while they are still running perfectly 20+ years down the road (including our chemically treated winter roads).
i make my own and put it in a pump up sprayer. paint thinner/mineral spirits, transmission fluid and a little bit of wax from toilet wax rings. i break up pieces of the wax and let it soak in the paint thinner until its disolved then add tranny fluid to it.
the stuff you buy in the cans works good but its expensive and doesnt really go that far
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