Don't Ignore The Interior of The Frame Rails ~ Chassis Flush

[Beach_Bum]

I thought I was diligent in cleaning the undercarriage with the pressure washer undercarriage broom. I'll still use that tool, but it never could direct the water into the frame. I had directed water into the many holes of the frame from the hose and while that did yield results of debris flowing out, it never seemed as thorough that I would like.

I saw the chassis flush kit from Salt Shift in the past, but recently purchased the chassis flush kit from BT Offroad. Comparing the two, they are similar but at significant differing price points.

For anyone that is considering pro-longed ownership of their Bronco, best not to neglect cleaning the inside of the frame.

Results are more pronounced around the rear trailing arms.

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[HighVelocity]

No way I'm pushing that stuff out, man! It becomes structural grime in 20 years.

 

[DarthLincoln]

No way I'm pushing that stuff out, man! It becomes structural grime in 20 years.

yes, it’s the “glue” that holds the rust together!

 

[BAUS67]

Rustproofing guys up here flush the frame before they spray their stuff in it. As you know up north it is vital to get something in there before the brine starts to work, it does not take long with that shit.

I pressure washed, hosed, and painted the shit 'outta my 08 F150. Now, it took it until '24 for it to rot the frame, but it did it. Now I'm Woolwaxing everything. Stuff I have seen about it, it works. I'm "pickling" my kids 06 Escape as we speak, so it will last him 3/4 or more years. It does suck to work on, it's like working on a really greasy/oily old car, but it wipes right off.

 

[CitrusBronco]

Yeah I thought I did a good job, when I pulled my bumper the frame rail had 1/2” of sand built up.

 

[Beach_Bum]

Yeah I thought I did a good job, when I pulled my bumper the frame rail had 1/2” of sand built up.

I was surprised too about that area when I swapped bumpers. The tails of the ladder seem to accumulate debris. After I discovered the build up at the ends, I was always deliberate to flush that area with the hose. But even with all the precautions/diligence in cleaning, I was really surprised how much debris came out of the area by the rear trailing arms with this chassis flush kit.

 

[EvilJim1971]

Rustproofing guys up here flush the frame before they spray their stuff in it. As you know up north it is vital to get something in there before the brine starts to work, it does not take long with that shit.

I pressure washed, hosed, and painted the shit 'outta my 08 F150. Now, it took it until '24 for it to rot the frame, but it did it. Now I'm Woolwaxing everything. Stuff I have seen about it, it works. I'm "pickling" my kids 06 Escape as we speak, so it will last him 3/4 or more years. It does suck to work on, it's like working on a really greasy/oily old car, but it wipes right off.

There are reasons that I have NOTHING to do with vehicles from above the Mason Dixon line or that has lived on the coast.
While I was in Mass I bought 2 Toyotas, the entire floor rotted out of the Tercel... The frame rotted out on the pickup.

 

[EasternSierra]

There are reasons that I have NOTHING to do with vehicles from above the Mason Dixon line or that has lived on the coast. [bold added]
While I was in Mass I bought 2 Toyotas, the entire floor rotted out of the Tercel... The frame rotted out on the pickup.

My parents bought a used car for my sister. It had belonged for some years to a couple living near the ocean in San Francisco. The local climate is fog and wind off the ocean from April-August almost daily. Even a sea breeze on a clear day brings salt spray, as I found out when I tried to take photos on the nearby beach and my camera and lens were spotted with salt water droplets on the wind. The native coastal plants there are adapted to getting salt spray all summer long and not having it get washed off by rain until fall when the rains return.

The car was a good car, well taken care of by the previous owners, and AFAIK never exposed to road salt. Still, after a few years rust spots started showing up everywhere on the sheet metal. My parents and I never had that happen with any vehicle, but then we lived ~20 miles from the coast. So did my sister, but that car had a different history than the others.

 

[EvilJim1971]

Yup
I have seen people buy cars from the coast and cuss every time they had to work on them.
Southern vehicles have me spoiled.
I just worry about sun burned paint and faded upholstery.

 

[MDrums]

That Salt Shift kit is the same i've bought and made before to flush my boat engines. We used Salt A Way or just soap to flush out the salt from the motors.

 

[murphtron]

Using a normal hose sprayer works pretty well too. Don’t know if it works as well?! But I was amazed at the amount of dirt/sand poured out of the frame holes. And thanks for the reminder! I’ll do it again today after my recent desert trip.

 

[Nc211]

In 1997, I bought a 1994 GMC Jimmy SLT (4Door) from the local dealership. Lived in Wilmington, NC. By 1998 the paint was bubbling around the fender flares. They fixed it. Long story short, it didn’t see Y2K with me. Sucker was a rust bucket tip to tail. Turned out previous owner lived in Kill Devil Hills, NC (OBX). And I may or may not have exactly had a fully formed frontal lobe at that age living at the beach myself… In addition to the rust, if it was a rubber seal/gasket underneath, it leaked fluid. Learned that sand is a grain, never breaks down, just eats and eats and eats away. Especially when it is mixed with the Atlantic Ocean, a dozen Budweisers, Skynyrd, and a foresight that didn’t go much past Tuesday…. That Jimmy went through eye wall of a few hurricanes, sacrificed itself for some of the best memories my photo album reminds me of..

Now hold my beer, and Gimme’ Back My Bullets..

 

[2004limited]

Now hold my beer, and Gimme’ Back My Bullets..

Simple Man

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