Road salt and rust suck

[Augiedoggie]

Northeast US winters are brutal on our vehicles body parts and frames. My 2003 GMC has its share of rust and previous rust surgery has extended its service life long beyond normal expectations. I fabricated a spray nozzle for pressure washer to rinse the nasty ice melter from underneath vehicles. Not sure how much it actually helps but feel better for trying. I crawled under truck this morning for a good rinse off with high pressure and my four way rinse nozzle.

 

[RobertC]

Spring cleaning

With those nozzles, I bet that shit blows everywhere when you're up under there !

 

[superflea]

I usually just flip my truck over, only downside is I usually have to set my beer down.

 

[Triley41395]

Northeast US winters are brutal on our vehicles body parts and frames. My 2003 GMC has its share of rust and previous rust surgery has extended its service life long beyond normal expectations. I fabricated a spray nozzle for pressure washer to rinse the nasty ice melter from underneath vehicles. Not sure how much it actually helps but feel better for trying. I crawled under truck this morning for a good rinse off with high pressure and my four way rinse nozzle.

After you clean it and its completely dry, like a week without rain. Spray the whole underside with a combination of lanolin, mineral oil and mineral spirits. Equal parts of each works but I usually add a little extra lanolin. I just mix it in a weed sprayer and spray away. Spray everything, floors, frame, top of the tank, suspension, absolutely everything. I try to avoid the exhaust in the front but everything else.

 

[Augiedoggie]

I’m in the process of replacing rusted rear bumper. The rear tires shoot snow and slush rearward when driving. Shit collects under there with gravel and absorbs moisture and holds it there. Pressure washing underneath left a huge pile of rust afterwards. I will scale that shit off frame and treat with rust encapsulation goo. Removed tow hitch and sandblasted that rusty bastard too. Prime and paint and install with new chinesium bumper next week

 

[Augiedoggie]

After you clean it and it’s completely dry, like a week without rain. Spray the whole underside with a combination of lanolin, mineral oil and mineral spirits. Equal parts of each works but I usually add a little extra lanolin. I just mix it in a weed sprayer and spray away. Spray everything, floors, frame, top of the tank, suspension, absolutely everything. I try to avoid the exhaust in the front but everything else.

Funny you say that. I sprayed rust out of frame channel and currently have electric leaf blower connected to hose inside frame channel drying it inside. Truck will remain inside until it is completed. Left the wife’s car out in the weather for a few days

 

[Augiedoggie]

Connected garage exhaust hose to leaf blower and let it run for the day. Reckon shop vac would also work. Damn whirring sound is going to disturb my nap….
This is close view of my home brewed pressure washer undercarriage washer nozzle

 

[sparkwizard]

I use Fluid Film on outside tools. I'm not in the salt and the stuff is pricey, but store brand cooking spray is pretty effective, too at controlling rust.

 

[superflea]

Boy I gotta tell you the stuff they put on the roads is wicked. I had a Dodge Ram that had an aftermarket bumper. It basically dissolved in one season. I now have a 96 Powerstroke that I have been dressing up and I put a cover on it and have not drive since mid-fall. You can see the lines from the calcium cowshit stuff on the roads. When they wear off I'll drive my truck.

 

[scrappybunch]

I'm not in the epicenter of the rust belt (NJ) Working at a GMC dealer, have sent many 2018 and newer vehicles to the scrap yard. My 20 yr old Honda gets fluid film every Fall. No significant rust so far. Plan is to drive this one until death do us part. Cannot stand any new vehicle, way too much useless crap to break.

 

[Davis]

Ya salt sucks man. I’m in Utah in the mountains where it is used avidly also own a body shop and see tons of vehicle casualties.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Sometimes when people drain their pools, the water runs down the street and I get spots on my mug guards.

 

[Kyminibiker]

Boy I gotta tell you the stuff they put on the roads is wicked. I had a Dodge Ram that had an aftermarket bumper. It basically dissolved in one season. I now have a 96 Powerstroke that I have been dressing up and I put a cover on it and have not drive since mid-fall. You can see the lines from the calcium cowshit stuff on the roads. When they wear off I'll drive my truck.

yea even here in se ky its terrible, the brine they use is just unreal. its gets EVERYWHERE, every seam, metal to metal contact like lines on frames etc It eats year round. I brought my truck from s la up here, might have driven it in the salt and slop 3-5 times. rockers and cab corners are goin fast but i use fluid film on the fuel and brake lines and all around the abs cluster. so far so good, i hit the hinges, door hinges etc with the stuff too.

 

[cl350rr]

I bought my wife a 2010 Subaru Outback from Carmax about 4 years ago. It came from Connecticut and I had a good idea what I was in for but she fell in love with it. I have since replaced the exhaust system, the entire rear subframe and suspension, complete front suspension (2 days of cutting and grinding to get the control arms out), and I am preparing for replacing the front subframe. The body shows no sign of rust, the engine and trans work fine and we have gotten our money out of it so far. Gotta love road salt.

 

[superflea]

Sometimes when people drain their pools, the water runs down the street and I get spots on my mug guards.

Does that cause a FLAP with the neighbors.

 

[jeep2003]

I just did two chevy pickup fuel pumps because the top rusted off. Cut a hole in the rusty bed and get it done. Our 99 tahoe is getting bad. The frame is quite thin and perferated in the back. Im surprised the axle hasnt folded yet I was chipping at the barnacles on the diff got 1/2" deep and I stopped it could be rust all the way through for all I know but its still holds fluid.

 

[Augiedoggie]

still pissing around with my old rust bucket GMC Sonoma. I wanted to make sure that rust didn’t weaken my trailer hitch attachment to truck frame. Rust had eaten several holes in rear bumper and I didn’t want problems towing my trailer as hitch shares frame mount with bumper. My new toy hauler/ghetto camper is more valuable than my piece of shit 23 year old truck. Removed hitch and brought to local sandblaster shop. Bare metal and primed and repainted hitch. I removed truck bed with hydraulic engine crane for access to underside of truck. While I had bed off I figured it was good opportunity to replace fuel pump. Used pneumatic needle scaler and wire brush to clean heavy frame rust and coated the bastard with Eastwood rust treatment. Used internal frame coating in underside of truck bed and inside chassis and painted the entire underside of bed and rear frame with vinyl bed liner spray. Stuff costs same as undercoating and is much more durable. Also fabricated reinforcement brackets for tow hitch….just for additional peace of mind. Better safe than sorry. I don’t want to be that guy winching my trailer out of the woods instead of towing it….

 

[Augiedoggie]

Used this stuff to coat truck bed crossmembers and inside truck frame. Aerosol can uses a tube with an omnidirectional spray nozzle on the end of 24” or 36” tube. Coats and encapsulates rust and stops or slows rust down. I used 8 cans of this shit already. Hopefully I can slow rust down and wear out the rest of the truck before it rusts out. We’ll see…..

 

[RobertC]

still pissing around with my old rust bucket GMC Sonoma. I wanted to make sure that rust didn’t weaken my trailer hitch attachment to truck frame. Rust had eaten several holes in rear bumper and I didn’t want problems towing my trailer as hitch shares frame mount with bumper. My new toy hauler/ghetto camper is more valuable than my piece of shit 23 year old truck. Removed hitch and brought to local sandblaster shop. Bare metal and primed and repainted hitch. I removed truck bed with hydraulic engine crane for access to underside of truck. While I had bed off I figured it was good opportunity to replace fuel pump. Used pneumatic needle scaler and wire brush to clean heavy frame rust and coated the bastard with Eastwood rust treatment. Used internal frame coating in underside of truck bed and inside chassis and painted the entire underside of bed and rear frame with vinyl bed liner spray. Stuff costs same as undercoating and is much more durable. Also fabricated reinforcement brackets for tow hitch….just for additional peace of mind. Better safe than sorry. I don’t want to be that guy winching my trailer out of the woods instead of towing it….

I know this is off topic, but let's see some pictures of your toy hauler Augie.

 

[Mr. Pink]

I had planned on hanging on to my 2011 Ford Escape until the wheels fell off.
That day came sooner rather than later.
The vehicle has been very reliable, and I rarely needed to climb underneath.
While doing an oil change recently I spotted four holes in the unibody frame large enough to stick your hand in!