Rust prevention in winter climates

[vicorjh]

Another option to consider is cosmoline on the underbody. Maybe also for the box frame rails. It is relatively thick and may not self flow into pinch seams or tight locations. A less viscous cavity wax could be more appropriate for some areas.

In essence, these are waxes in a solvent that will firm up but stay soft after curing. Will have a longer service life than a lanolin application. Some formulations may include secondary anti-corrosion chemistry. This is not a rubberized type of undercoating.

Downside is that your vehicle will small like a box of Crayons for a week or two.

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[Discusman68]

I’ve been using touch free car wash over a year to do underbody and then get the dust off before hand washing. Doesn’t seem to be an issue with my soft top

 

[vzqhsg]

I didn't know Ziebart still existed!

Yep...not as many dealers, at least not in MI, but they are still there.

 

[Vern0n]

I’d recommend looking into Krown

 

[lakesinai]

Yep...not as many dealers, at least not in MI, but they are still there.

I had them (Ziebart) do inside a steel box frame boat trailer for me, and it lasted 20 years including salt water use. Nice stuff. I didnt think cars needed rust proofing anymore, but maybe if I was still in Upstate NY instead of SC, I'd think differently.

 

[SoDak1623]

I go to a local place that uses wool wax. The owner does the application and is very thorough. He sprays inside rocker panels and everything. He recommends getting it redone yearly and if you bring back your receipt every year you get it at half the cost of the original application, which was around $290 for my bronco I believe. Its had plenty of washes and has seen some good off roading and the coating has remained with no surface rust that I can find. It's well worth the cost when the idiots in our cities and highway department love dumping as much salt as they can during winter.

 

[Aliass24]

Sprayed my f150 almost 6 years ago with Amsoil HD metal protector underneath used about 2 cans and still looks brand new and I’m in the northeast and have seen tons of road salts. Did the bronco a year ago and same thing.

 

[vzqhsg]

This was my 1995 Suburban that I sold in 2017. I kick myself for not keeping it and selling my TJ. It had Ziebart and respray every third year or so. This picture was from 2011, but it looked the same in 2017. Honest!! Like a dope I didn't take any pictures the day I sold it.

 

[Fridge]

In my experience living in a climate that usually at least some snow for almost 6 months a year is that under coat and the active cathodic protection system from the dealership is absolutely magic. i had it done to my wife’s 2012 F-350 when we bought it new and my 2015 didn’t have it and the 12 didn’t have a spec of rust anywhere when we sold it to the dealership in 2022. My 2015 had rust that formed from paint chips around the fenders by 2020, both had the same wash regimen from new so I had the same done to my bronco. Time will tell now.

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