New Truck rust proofing, undercoat, etc.

[bigtuna81]

Hi all

Bought my first brand new truck about a month ago, always bought used before. I got a new F150 and I love it. I was wondering what is everyone’s opinion on undercoating and rust proofing. I called Ming Auto and they can do both with a paint and glass protection for $750 as a package. The undercoat and rust proofing are $300 on their own. I have already 3M taped the front. I keep my vechile for a while and I’m planing on 10 years at least for this one. Any thoughts, opinions, or other company suggestions would be great.

TUNA

[CaberTosser]

I'm curious about rust protection as well. I have been long contemplating a custom order Mercedes Sprinter van for my company and I have also been thinking about color-matched Line-X around the lower sills and other spots subject to heavier wear & tear. I thought that stuff would make a great liner for wheel wells too. I've seen some of the color match bed liner jobs Line-X has done and they looked fantastic, one being a metallic red and another in a metallic bronze.

[EZM]

I seriously have to ask myself if "rust proofing and undercoating" isn't just a scam and cash grab.

I bet 99% of the trucks out there don't get it done, and yet you hardly see any trucks "rusting out" like they did in the old days.

The technology of treatment of sheet, primer coats and factory finishes, and their ability to hold up to rust/corrosion has come a long way since the older generations of vehicles.

But I'm no expert - just suggest you save your $750.

[CaberTosser]

I have noticed in some of my previous VW's that factory rust protection involves a wax sprayed into body cavities through various ports and holes. The wax would even be 'draining' out through some access ports, presumably where it was sprayed in from.

[TROLLER]

Personally think it is a waste of money. I agree with EZM the way they protect the new ones now is nothing like in the 80 or 90's. The whole body is dipped in a vat of primer and then electric charges go into it to make sure every inch is covered.

My last new truck was an 03 Duramax and when I sold it last yr there was no rust on it anywhere top or bottom.

Money well spent on linex for the box and 3m for the hood and front part of the fenders.

[35 whelen]

I'm in the process of buying a new Ford have had my 06 since brand new never rust coated it or anything just maintained it and washed it lots underneath still in great shape

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[dodgeboy1979]

Originally Posted by bigtuna81

Hi all

Bought my first brand new truck about a month ago, always bought used before. I got a new F150 and I love it. I was wondering what is everyone’s opinion on undercoating and rust proofing. I called Ming Auto and they can do both with a paint and glass protection for $750 as a package. The undercoat and rust proofing are $300 on their own. I have already 3M taped the front. I keep my vechile for a while and I’m planing on 10 years at least for this one. Any thoughts, opinions, or other company suggestions would be great.

TUNA

ford is aluminum box, no rust worries there

[liar]

not sure if rust proofing does any good , but i do know that keeping the drain holes open under the fenders and doors does wonders for preventing rust . if they plug off with mud they hold grit and moisture in allowing the rust to destroy the vehicle .. also , i had a truck undercoated once and they sealed off these holes . i cut them open and had no problems so if you get it done , make sure to check . water will get in , it has to have a place to get out .

[Arty]

I never had my ford undercoated before I drove it off the lot, and it stayed pretty clean of rust for the next 7 years or so. Then the little rock chips all started to open up and the whole frame and anything else steel underneath is now totally covered with rust at twice that age. Same thing happened to the powder-coated trailer frame I had. It was good for awhile, then the salt got at the rock chips which always shotgun the underneath of a vehicle.

I doubt it will become a structural problem for at least another 10 or 20 years, but it would have been a good idea in retrospect. Of course the other risk is getting a bad undercoating job where water is trapped underneath, because somebody pressure-washed the chassis just before spreading the goo on.

[10aciousB]

From what I've been told when I bought my last new truck, rust proofing and undercoat is a complete waste of cash. And I was told this by the guy selling it to me. All it accomplishes is making your money their money. Most of it flakes off within a year or two from the constant barrage of road debris. I've never had it done, and I've never had an issue. Trucks are trucks. If you're using it to do truck stuff, it wont stay shiny new for long.

[hayseed]

I bought an 08 Dodge 3500 with 40,000km on it. It was not rust proofed, but the entire chassis and fenderwells were sprayed with line x.

Had it for 4 years and was really impressed to say the least. And trust me, that truck had been on a lot of gravel, and rig moves from here to Gp.

Not sayin run out and do it, but on that truck sure held up.

It's the only one I have had it on, so just one opinion on one truck.

[Arty]

Looking at this analytically, you could probably get a high-durability paint to last a good 5 years under heavy rock-pitting and salt exposure, or 10 years of medium use. Then have to strip and sand-blast the frame, or just grind and stabilize rust spots, before reapplying another coat for the next several years.

But I'm not sure I'd do it right away when new. If you wanted to get rid of the truck after 5 years, there wouldn't be any point.

I had a two-part gloss Endura industrial system put on a bumper several years ago, and it's easily still good as new. Much better than the powder coating which was on before. I'd certainly be interested in putting that same system on all the prepped frame surfaces. Not sure how I feel about stripping everything off my truck frame for blasting however.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I have noticed in some of my previous VW's that factory rust protection involves a wax sprayed into body cavities through various ports and holes. The wax would even be 'draining' out through some access ports, presumably where it was sprayed in from.

If done proper, the whole rust proofing thing is a great idea (when I say proper I mean actually linex'ed, mudflaps, ect...taken off and all holes greased/waxed, ect, ect, ect. Someone who goes all thru it and a proper job. Well worth the money if you're keeping the truck.
Getting it done at a dealership or some of these other places that run them in and out for $750....not so much.
Kinda like paying a dealership an extra $500 for paint protection. Pretty expensive wax.....

[fordtruckin]

Bought my truck used and it had the whole undercoating thing already done to it. Personally whenever I have to work on anything I can’t stand it. The most frustrating is changing out fuel filters because the fuel turns the undercoat to a hunt tar and it gets everywhere.

[gunluvr]

Got my new GMC's box lined before I took it home (Reflex? Linex?) $500 but worth it. A beat-up box interior says everything you need to know about how a truck was treated for a potential buyer.
Factory rust prevention measures have evolved but you still see some 6-8 year old trucks with awful rust damage above the rear wheels. Most of that could have been prevented by frequent washing out mud between panels. About the only way to do that is by removing the taillights.
Dealer rust-proofing is mainly a scam. Like Scotch-Guard and clear coat protection... pft.

[Lefty-Canuck]

One thing it does help with is road noise suppression.

LC

[dale7637]

Let’s put it this way.. I own a dealership, and I pay out of my pocket to have it done on any of my personal vehicles. If done right, it’s worth every penny.

[Suzukisam]

I never did it before. But recommend it now that the are using the liquid crap on our roads. All those liquids are a salt base and then they add the calcium to make it work in colder temps. And it is very corrosive on aluminum trucks.

[liar]

Originally Posted by gunluvr

Got my new GMC's box lined before I took it home (Reflex? Linex?) $500 but worth it. A beat-up box interior says everything you need to know about how a truck was treated for a potential buyer.
Factory rust prevention measures have evolved but you still see some 6-8 year old trucks with awful rust damage above the rear wheels. Most of that could have been prevented by frequent washing out mud between panels. About the only way to do that is by removing the taillights.
Dealer rust-proofing is mainly a scam. Like Scotch-Guard and clear coat protection... pft.

your are correct about the rust above the rear wheels . it rusts from the inside out . on my dodge and toyota i can wiggle up behind the cab and blast it clean from there . its a messy job but worth the results . i have never tried taking out the tailights .
like i mentioned earlier water is going to get into these places and if there is mud to hold it or if the drain holes are plugged , then water+grit + time = rust .

[Arty]

Originally Posted by Suzukisam;3787971[...

it is very corrosive on aluminum trucks.

Salt solution itself is not corrosive on aluminum metal, because the Al2O3 'rust' on the outside of aluminum is extremely protective of everything underneath. Metal marine yacht hulls are almost all made from welded aluminum now, and are seldom even painted despite sitting in salty seawater their whole lives.

The problem is galvanic electrolysis, when you have another metal in contact with the aluminum in the presence of salt solution, creating an electric circuit like a battery. The aluminum metal wants to give up its own electrons more than some other less active metal like steel. When it does, the aluminum metal dissolves.

The remedy is either total electric isolation between the two metals using some insulator like teflon and keeping things relatively dry, or putting an even more active metal in the loop like zinc. Then the zinc will give up electrons and slowly dissolve before the aluminum or steel does. That's why some bolts or tools or wire is zinc-galvanized, and why seawater boats have a few zinc hockey pucks bolted on everywhere, regardless what other material they're made of. Just swap out the dissolved pucks every couple of years for a few bucks and you're protected from corrosion.

If aluminum bodies are 'rusting out', chances are high there's some electrolysis going on between 2 kinds of metal because of bad design or bad construction, not simple corrosion.

[Suzukisam]

City of edmonton adds calcium to the mix. That is hard on aluminium. Bc uses beat juice not calcium. Costco uses potato juice added for thier parking lots. Lots of different chemicals and ideas being tried out there. Protect your investment the best you can. Go look under an aluminum transport trailer frame. They corrode really bad it’s sad but nobody but yourself cares about your investment. Look at the aluminum tab or snowmobile trailers some of them are corroded within 5 years and can’t be used anymore. I don’t care what they use on the roads you will never know till it’s to late. Better safe then sorry

[ditch donkey]

Waste of money.

Sales girl at ford- do you want the undercoating package?

Me- why?

Sales girl- oh, because it protects your truck!

Me- do you strip the truck down, pull the brake, fuel, and oils lines out of the way, pull wiring harnesses off? I can see dust on the frame now. Do you clean the frame so it adheres well? Or do you just spray the easy spots?

Sales girl- we don’t do any of that but I can assure you the job is done correctly.

Me- I would do it, if you offered it as a factory option, done on a bare frame. But not now.

[Suzukisam]

Originally Posted by ditch donkey

Waste of money.

Sales girl at ford- do you want the undercoating package?

Me- why?

Sales girl- oh, because it protects your truck!

Me- do you strip the truck down, pull the brake, fuel, and oils lines out of the way, pull wiring harnesses off? I can see dust on the frame now. Do you clean the frame so it adheres well? Or do you just spray the easy spots?

Sales girl- we don’t do any of that but I can assure you the job is done correctly.

Me- I would do it, if you offered it as a factory option, done on a bare frame. But not now.

To funny. Look for a better deal then at dealership. On the flip side do you remove your drywall before you paint it ?

[ditch donkey]

.

[ditch donkey]

Originally Posted by Suzukisam

To funny. Look for a better deal then at dealership. On the flip side do you remove your drywall before you paint it ?

No, but I remove the light fixtures, switch covers, and baseboards so that I can paint ALL of the drywall.

[Arty]

Originally Posted by Suzukisam

[..]adds calcium to the mix. That is hard on aluminium. [...]

Calcium solutions just stick more, because calcium doesn't dissolve in water like sodium salt does. (i.e. chalk doesn't dissolve much, but table salt dissolves real quick). And it constantly absorbs water from the air, so it keeps metal damp or wet a lot longer. That will rust steel longer, and maintain galvanic solutions between dissimilar metals longer.

The only ways the natural protective aluminum oxide covering is broken down is by acidic washes or when sealed away from oxygen so it can't regenerate itself. Otherwise aluminum problems you see are galvanic. Particularly between aluminum and stainless or mild steels or other nickel alloys. There's lots of mild or stainless steel in trailers, even mostly aluminum ones.

When you have galvanized steel brackets bolted to aluminum frames using stainless bolts, what's going on is the zinc first depletes itself as it's designed to do. Then the aluminum starts to dissolve itself against the exposed mild steel bracket cores and the stainless bolts. And as soon as the exposed mild steel sees some water and oxygen, red rust starts blistering up too.

[Penner]

The rust proofing they do (Ming) is more than just an undercoating. Rust inhibitor is also sprayed into the panels. The glass protectant is unbelievable so much so at times I do not need the wipers going. Their standard shine waxing product so far I'm undetermined at this time, a deep waxing for sure, true test will be how long it lasts. I have heard very good things about the ceramic coating they offer however which is a step up from the standard shine. Expel rock guard seems to have done its job this past winter. Had it all done at Ming which was a first for me. So far pretty satisfied.

Undercoating in my opinion and from my own observations makes a significant difference particularly if you hit gravel roads every now and then. the coating takes it from the gravel not the paint. I had it on last 2 trucks and all of the trucks I came across of similar model year and similar mileage had rust on the fenders and mine did not. My last truck was a 09 with 190k on it, I used it daily, and I sold it late last year, rust free.

For me, wheel wells and lower rocker panels absolutely, remainder of vehicle not so much. As another poster mentioned, undercoating does cut down on road noise as well. I would not get it done thru a dealer, they just add a mark-up on to it.

[Element]

I’ve been having my aluminum F150 sprayed the last couple of years with the Krown spray and so far so good. It seemed like a more effective option than any of the dealer coatings or linex. It’s $150 and has to be done each year. My 2002 f150 started to rust pretty good so trying to avoid the same fate.

[Suzukisam]

Don’t believe me or anyone else on aluminum bodies. Google it and you will see all manufactures from Audi to ford have massive TSB on premature corrosion problems. So don’t buy into that aluminum does not have problems. It did in the 80’s when GM tried it and it does still today. It is all about better fuel milage not longevity.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

Originally Posted by bigtuna81

Hi all

Bought my first brand new truck about a month ago, always bought used before. I got a new F150 and I love it. I was wondering what is everyone’s opinion on undercoating and rust proofing. I called Ming Auto and they can do both with a paint and glass protection for $750 as a package. The undercoat and rust proofing are $300 on their own. I have already 3M taped the front. I keep my vechile for a while and I’m planing on 10 years at least for this one. Any thoughts, opinions, or other company suggestions would be great.

TUNA

thats who I went through for mine. Great work

I spent 60K for my truck...I don't want it to look like it's ready for the scrap heap anytime soon.


I know I'll never see the 60K again, but when my for sale pics of the same truck looks better than most, 10 years or so after the fact, then that will be all the worth while of the few hundred upfront, maybe I'll get a few hundred more for it than the next guy.