Winterize your 4runner

T

tvbuster1

New member
Hey guys, I wanted to make a thread to share ideas on how you prep your 4runner for winter. I live in New England and it can be rough on the truck.

Normally I give it a thorough wash and wax, vacuum and clean the interior, also I spray WD40 on the frame and the inside of the rear bumper to prevent water/snow from settling and rusting.

Anyone have any tips?
 
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Not a bad idea really. I've done a spray down on the chassis with some motor oil myself. We have a few heated & indoor car washes here between eastern Washington & northern Idaho that I'll go to and spray the road grime out.

What I need to do is pick up some good rubber floor mats that are deep enough to handle the melting ice and snow that refuses to be kicked off the boots before climbing in.
 
Instead of using WD-40 because it washes off easily here in New England. You should try this Fluid-Film
It's a little pricey but it lasts a lot longer then WD-40.
It sprays like a liquid but sets up waxy, so it gets into all the cracks and crevices on the frame and bumpers.
 
cfranck1 said:
Instead of using WD-40 because it washes off easily here in New England. You should try this Fluid-Film
It's a little pricey but it lasts a lot longer then WD-40.
It sprays like a liquid but sets up waxy, so it gets into all the cracks and crevices on the frame and bumpers.
Click to expand...

Meh,
I bought 4 cans of fluid film on recommendation from here a couple years ago, and I have sprayed it on lots of things like my hood actuator, battery terminals, various little spots that I cleaned up from rust but couldn't paint, and I have not been very impressed with it. I sprayed it on some bigger parts too like my axle housing, and it didn't work that well. I vote for just hitting a self service wash place, or with your hose periodically throughout the winter, every week if you can. It doesn't stay below freezing long enough here to not be able to do that.
 
that's true, even just hosing it off once a week or every other week helps. But one other thing I usually do is clean the battery off with baking soda and then apply some vaseline over the terminals to protect them
 
X2 on the fluid film, and I give it a good wax, leather treatment, check my block heater and battery warmer. this year I might put a little cover over my external tranny cooler, I thought the tranny ran too cold last year.
 
Try 'LPS3', It's From the maker of LPS1 lubricants. LPS3 is a very thick aerosol spray (caramel colored) which when applied to a clean dry surface will bond and keep out corrosion. I work on Boeing and Airbus aircraft for an airline. We use A LOT of this product and it works very well. Not really that cheap, but it beats having to address rust/corrosion issues come springtime.
Here's a link:http://www.lpslabs.com/product_pg/corrosion_pg/LPS3.html
 
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You could just do several layers of undercoating. I used 2 layers of rust converter which also acts as a primer, followed by 3 layers of rust oleum rust proof enamel. It should last a few winters easily. Then Ill just re-apply it again every few years or so.
 
I too, vote for Fluid Film. I also agree with Nelsonmd about the fact it doesn't stay on some parts. I mainly spray it inside the frame, especially just in front of the rear wheels. Like every other product on the market, it has its place in the garage.
 
I Send mine to a place that sprays a military grade rust inhibitor on it, then you go all winter without washing it, come summer wash the frame as truck good and it looks like new. Still no rust anywhere . It's an 04 that's never garaged
 
I just stock up on hand warmers because my heater does not work. 6am in washington during Winter is pretty cold..
 
Several coatings of rustoleum flat black paint followed by 2 coats of rustoleum rubberized undercoating. Cost me about $20 and should last me at least 2 winters. The rubberized undercoating is great because it gets into all the little cracks and fills them in or covers them up.
 
I h8 rusty cars. I bought a gallon of fluid film last year and the gun for it off ebay. Did two cars had a tiny bit left. Just don't wash with soap til spring.

I have also disolved lanolin in paint thinner and sprayed that on. It dries a little more waxy that way.

The thing about undercoating is; the super rust buckets I've seen were undercoated. It cracks up and holds the saltwater in there and creates maximum damage.

Painting? that takes forever. Different subject.
 
How about checking coolant and it's freeze rating?

Changing out summer washer fluid for winter.

Using the proper oil. 5w-30 (or whatever the manual suggests) helps cold starts.

Check (possibly load test) battery.

Put in a winter survival kit in the vehicle. Boosters, food, candle, blankets, tool kit, spares if you have them, etc.

Check spare tire pressure and that the chain/drop assembly works.

etc.


If this is more about keeping your truck shiny? Just POR15 the underbody.
 
I just clean mine like normal inside and out and then,make sure all my fluids are where they should be and throw the ice scraper,brush and blankets back in the truck.
My best winter mod was getting the garage cleaned up so my truck will actually be inside this year.
 
shmabs said:
one04fourrunner,

Any idea on the product they use to spray your truck?

Mike
Click to expand...
It is called carwell, i found the products online but they use 3 different ones in the process. I bought the aerosol cans online and use them on everything. I even spray my satellite dish before winter. Has yet to rust! and i can still adjust it perfectly .
 
another vote for lps3 ..... that stuff does not come off, we use it to ship our 4 ton high precision machines across the Atlantic , the number of days i spent on weldments with mineral spirts trying to get the stuff on the other side made me a little re-****ed from the fumes and a true believer in the product...
 
Winterize

I pull one of those "back and forth" lawn sprinklers underneath. It's amazing how much salt ant dirt pour out. The oscillating movement gets into everywhere and by pulling it underneath you stay dry.
 
I pull one of those "back and forth" lawn sprinklers underneath. It's amazing how much salt ant dirt pour out. The oscillating movement gets into everywhere and by pulling it underneath you stay dry.
Click to expand...

thats the best! works great on mud also.

i recently did a tune up on mine, fluids, coolant. cleaned TB and IAC. greased the drive shaft. i should have done a brake fluid flush.
 
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