Undercarriage rust with no protection
- Thread starter arehman11
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Good to know! I think I may have seen you driving around. I'm on the KS side in JoCo.
Guys, I'm on the right side of the state 
and was thinking of FF this weekend.
I haven't bought it yet, but is the application it really that bad? Dripping or just over spray everywhere.
Since it just got cold I'll have to do it in the garage but don't want to make a huge mess.
Also, once on the frame is it sticky...ie will it attrach more crap (salt dust and dust in general) than it's worth?
and was thinking of FF this weekend.I haven't bought it yet, but is the application it really that bad? Dripping or just over spray everywhere.
Since it just got cold I'll have to do it in the garage but don't want to make a huge mess.
Also, once on the frame is it sticky...ie will it attrach more crap (salt dust and dust in general) than it's worth?
Coming from the road salt capital of Northeast Ohio, this will be my first winter in the 4 runner but I applied the Fluid Film liberally based on past experience.
I had used FF on my Jeep Wrangler and anywhere that I had sprayed had no rust. I was light on my spray near the axle U joints and those had surface rust by the end of winter. I would wash every 7 - 10 days. Based on my experience, it does not take much road salt on the undercarriage parts to rust.
I did pressure wash off the FF in the spring (because it looks dirty as heck by then) and reapply in the fall.
I had used FF on my Jeep Wrangler and anywhere that I had sprayed had no rust. I was light on my spray near the axle U joints and those had surface rust by the end of winter. I would wash every 7 - 10 days. Based on my experience, it does not take much road salt on the undercarriage parts to rust.
I did pressure wash off the FF in the spring (because it looks dirty as heck by then) and reapply in the fall.
Crocket
Member
I was on the fence between Fluid Film and Corrosion Free rust protection. Since there are no dealers locally here in Toronto that spray Fluid Film that I could find (meaning I'd have to crawl under the truck in my driveway and do it myself, which was not very appealing given the low temps we are now seeing and the mess it would inevitably make) I went with Corrosion Free, which gets really good reviews too. As always the real key is getting someone decent at spraying it, which I think I did as he let me walk around the truck with him as he was spraying it and took my.....requests and observations.....in stride :lol: 
Crocket
Member
In my research for what product to spray the 4Runner with, many other online forum guys were doing this with good results. Think I will try it too in the spring.
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<<<<
Senior Member
South JoCo, even though I've many mods such as Schrockworks sliders, TRD wheels and Aluminum skidplates I blend in well with stock 4 runners. Just the way I want to stay (no lift). What do you drive?
Guys, I'm on the right side of the state
I haven't bought it yet, but is the application it really that bad? Dripping or just over spray everywhere.
Since it just got cold I'll have to do it in the garage but don't want to make a huge mess.
Also, once on the frame is it sticky...ie will it attrach more crap (salt dust and dust in general) than it's worth?
It will attract stuff, but that is what it is supposed to do and this way it won't get on your frame.
It is pretty messy, I layed down some clear plastic sheeting and made sure to extend beyond the length of the vehicle. I then covered the wheels and tires with plastic. I lowered the spare and covered it too.
I purchased 4 cans from Lowes and the 360 degree sprayer attachment from ebay. I stuck the 360 attachment in each hole I could find on the frame and emptied 1 and a half bottles inside the frame rails. I then sprayed the outter areas of the frame and my suspension and also the underbody as well. It does drip, but it isn't terrible. My suggestion would be to cover your glass as well, I didn't and the attachment shot out of the hole a couple of times and sprayed in the air and the FF got on my glass and cleaning oil from glass is not fun. I also wore a Tyvek paint suit, gloves, googles and nose/mouth mask. Overall I spent about an hour from start to finish.
I have a 17 TRD Off Road in Mag Gray with all the OEM pro bits, wheels added. So basically looks like a stock Pro and some Rigid fogs in place of the OEM ones. I live in PV at the moment, but the wife and I are in the process of starting a build on a new house down south by BVW where she went to school.
Bossman
Senior Member
After doing my research, and having been a previous Rust Check customer on my old Celicas, I decided to go with Corrosion Free rustproofing on my 2011 4Runner (that I bought used in May 2016).
https://corrosionfree.com/
I had the underbody "U" package that treats the frame, gas tank, fuel and brake lines, parking brake cables, and wheel wells.
It is a no-drip, eco-friendly application.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvv86Kcn5Js
https://corrosionfree.com/
I had the underbody "U" package that treats the frame, gas tank, fuel and brake lines, parking brake cables, and wheel wells.
It is a no-drip, eco-friendly application.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvv86Kcn5Js
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JizMachine
New member
I used 3 cans of fluid film to do my '17 frame in my garage, didn't really make much of a mess. Most of it sticks to the metal. We'll see how it holds off the rust.
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Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
Beaumont67
New member
arehman11 - I have my vehicles properly undercoated, with a wax-oil product...every fall.
- and I don't ever drive them through a winter car wash ... I avoid it, for a reason
Southern Ontario uses tons of road salt & liquid calcium in winter...to melt road ice.
- local car washes don't use clean-fresh water
- the recycled water is full of a high solution of liquid salt
- from all the slush melted off the other previous vehicles, to go through the auto wash
- and this can accelerate rust IMO
This approach has work very well for me, in a severe rust belt climate.
- I kept the body mint on a used '88 Pathfinder once, for 14 years of ownership...only oil spray undercoating
- and I don't ever drive them through a winter car wash ... I avoid it, for a reason
Southern Ontario uses tons of road salt & liquid calcium in winter...to melt road ice.
- local car washes don't use clean-fresh water
- the recycled water is full of a high solution of liquid salt
- from all the slush melted off the other previous vehicles, to go through the auto wash
- and this can accelerate rust IMO
This approach has work very well for me, in a severe rust belt climate.
- I kept the body mint on a used '88 Pathfinder once, for 14 years of ownership...only oil spray undercoating
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alphabeast
New member
Road salt (or some form of it) mixed with moisture is going to vastly expedite the amount of rust you get on the undercarriage. Seems like a pretty obvious statement, but this would explain some of above comments on the varying degrees of rust.
As far as FF goes, I didnt think it was messy at all. I used a 20 gallon compressor, and the FF kit. Sprayed on roughly 3/4 of a gallon with very little dripping and "overspray". Try to avoid getting it on the exhaust (which is almost impossible). The one negative (in my opinion) is the FF funky smell. You garage may smell like FF for a week and no one will park next to you for awhile either
As far as FF goes, I didnt think it was messy at all. I used a 20 gallon compressor, and the FF kit. Sprayed on roughly 3/4 of a gallon with very little dripping and "overspray". Try to avoid getting it on the exhaust (which is almost impossible). The one negative (in my opinion) is the FF funky smell. You garage may smell like FF for a week and no one will park next to you for awhile either
Jono.ful
New member
4 years of northern Alberta winters (snow on the ground from mid October to late April typically) produced minor surface rust around some of the welds and anywhere I had dragged anything across rocks.
This will be the first winter since I por15'ed the outside of the frame and what not, so I'll have to report back on that. I also picked up some fluid film that I've been meaning to spray inside the frame, but I have yet to find the time.
This will be the first winter since I por15'ed the outside of the frame and what not, so I'll have to report back on that. I also picked up some fluid film that I've been meaning to spray inside the frame, but I have yet to find the time.
Did you cover your exterior glass? I swear I had overspray on my glass and maybe I am just being paranoid but it feels like my glass just will not look as clean as before even after repeated cleaning.
Beaumont67
New member
Throw an old bed sheet, over the windows, keeping the oil spray-mist off / and wash glass with vinegar.
- oil residue shouldn't be that bad, given a little care & neatness in application
Oil undercoat, doesn't degrade glass.
Sorry to hijack this thread!
I tried looking for the most relevant thread to post this in, as I don't have new thread posting privileges just yet...
What do you think of the rust under this 5th gen? It's a 2011 with 172,xxx miles from Maine, but is in California now. I asked the salesman regarding the undercarriage and he sent me these pics. I've never lived in a place with salted roads before and have no idea if this is something I should walk away from or if this amount of rust is not a big deal.
Thanks for the help!
https://flic.kr/s/aHsksKJ18M
edit: I guess I can't post pictures either?
I tried looking for the most relevant thread to post this in, as I don't have new thread posting privileges just yet...
What do you think of the rust under this 5th gen? It's a 2011 with 172,xxx miles from Maine, but is in California now. I asked the salesman regarding the undercarriage and he sent me these pics. I've never lived in a place with salted roads before and have no idea if this is something I should walk away from or if this amount of rust is not a big deal.
Thanks for the help!
https://flic.kr/s/aHsksKJ18M
edit: I guess I can't post pictures either?
sandcrawler
Senior Member
i live in Maine and can say that's not exactly walk-away-right-now terrible given the conditions here, however, it is in considerably worse shape than my 2010. if i lived in CA i'd pass on this one and wait for the right car to surface more local to me.
take that for what it's worth. generally speaking, you want to import a California car to Maine—not vice versa!
