Best frame coating treatment for rust prevention?

Does anyone have any recommendations for rust PREVENTION ? Underneath my TJ is in very great condition with only a few spots of surface rust. Id like to keep it that way for many many years. Anything I can paint or spray underneath to prevent rust from ever starting?
 
There are several companies selling their versions of cosmoline. This stuff is about as good as it gets to my knowledge. It comes in rattle cans or in bulk. When sprayed on and let cured it is excellent at being stable and holding up to salt and wet without washing easily off. You can see through it to confirm it is either working or needing a reapplication. It can be washed off with a good soapy solution unlike the hard coatings that can have rust growing behind it and you never know until it is too late. The easy lanolin based products work well too, they just need decorating every year. Both types can be applied over hard brake and fuel lines and protect the frame behind yet still allow you to work on the lines of needed. Spray a rubberized coating on like this and anything needing removal will be nearly impossible to work on. Same for the hard coatings like POR15 or Eastwoods internal frame coat. Is the cosmoline the end all of the world? I dont know. But it allows you to monitor its protection while still being removed if necessary and can last for years without having to be reapplied. That is my 2cents.
 
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Can't believe i never thought of putting cosmoline on a car. It sticks really well but can be removed without killing yourself.
 
I know this is an older thread, but I had some questions. I am currently in SoCal and moving to the northeast. I'm originally from there, but I neglected dealing with rust when I lived there. I now own a TJ and a JKUR that were both purchased out here and I'd like to keep them clean of rust. I'm familiar with Fluid Film, I've used it sparingly before.

I don't think I can afford to eliminate all winter driving, at least not for both of my jeeps - I might be able to protect one of them.

@ TJ2 - I like how your frame looks. Is boiled linseed oil toxic at all? Do you spray it literally everywhere, or just hit your frame? Also I noticed you're in Texas. Is rust really a problem there as it is in the rust belt?
 
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Gibsonfirebird12 said:
@ TJ2 - I like how your frame looks. Is boiled linseed oil toxic at all? Do you spray it literally everywhere, or just hit your frame? Also I noticed you're in Texas. Is rust really a problem there as it is in the rust belt?
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pardon my jumping in...boiled linseed is not toxic. I adopted TJ2's method a couple of years ago and have been pleased with the results. I cut boiled linseed oil with mineral spirits and spray the inside and outside of the frame (at least as much as I can reach). I haven't worried about overspray onto adjacent components. I like that it's not expensive and that I can do it easily myself. Be warned it will drip on the ground or pavement below.
 
JC123 said:
pardon my jumping in...boiled linseed is not toxic. I adopted TJ2's method a couple of years ago and have been pleased with the results. I cut boiled linseed oil with mineral spirits and spray the inside and outside of the frame (at least as much as I can reach). I haven't worried about overspray onto adjacent components. I like that it's not expensive and that I can do it easily myself. Be warned it will drip on the ground or pavement below.
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Not a problem. I appreciate the feedback. Does linseed oil "harden" or is it similar to fluid film in that it's kind of gooey/wet? Are roads salted down in VA?
 
JC123 said:
it "firms up" might be the best way I can describe it (not rock hard but doesn't remain gooey/wet) and yes roads in Northern Virginia are pre-treated with a brine solution when there is a forecast of snow
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Thank you and hope you don't mind more questions. Do you drive your TJ regularly on the salted roads? Or do you just treat it in case you have to? Also is your TJ garaged or outside all winter?
 
Apply lanoline and oil mix. You can google lanoline effects as rustproof in scientific papers
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Gibsonfirebird12 said:
Thank you and hope you don't mind more questions. Do you drive your TJ regularly on the salted roads? Or do you just treat it in case you have to? Also is your TJ garaged or outside all winter?
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I treat it every fall. it is not garaged. we don't get as much snow as the northeast so there are only a handful of times each winter the roads are typically treated. I don't go out of my way to avoid them but I don't go looking for them either.
 
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@Gibsonfirebird12
I live in the NE and my TJ is a daily driver year round. Just turned 70k miles and it's been a Long Island car all its' life.
I treated the inside of the frame with fluid film after making sure it was clean of all debris. Outside is treated with POR 15.
Zero rust concerns.
I wash it in the hand car wash during the winter and with a sprinkler under the rig in summer when it sees beach duty. This year I am going to put a flat top coat over the POR 15 just to take the shine off.
 
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MikekiM said:
@Gibsonfirebird12
I live in the NE and my TJ is a daily driver year round. Just turned 70k miles and it's been a Long Island car all its' life.
I treated the inside of the frame with fluid film after making sure it was clean of all debris. Outside is treated with POR 15.
Zero rust concerns.
I wash it in the hand car wash during the winter and with a sprinkler under the rig in summer when it sees beach duty. This year I am going to put a flat top coat over the POR 15 just to take the shine off.
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How often do you wash it in the winter? Do you use a high pressure or low pressure wash?
 
Gibsonfirebird12 said:
How often do you wash it in the winter? Do you use a high pressure or low pressure wash?
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Probably once a week or every other. Depends on the weather.

I use the drive in self wash booths. They have both high pressure and low pressure and I use both. Since treating the inside with FF l avoid high pressure inside the rails and I don’t get really close the rails with high pressure. I do try to wash everything I can get to.

I also added drain holes to the bottom of the rails fore and aft of the CA mounts. Did that before the rails were treated.
 
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MikekiM said:
Probably once a week or every other. Depends on the weather.

I use the drive in self wash booths. They have both high pressure and low pressure and I use both. Since treating the inside with FF l avoid high pressure inside the rails and I don’t get really close the rails with high pressure. I do try to wash everything I can get to.

I also added drain holes to the bottom of the rails fore and aft of the CA mounts. Did that before the rails were treated.
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I did the same on mine as well (drain holes).
 
Gibsonfirebird12 said:
I did the same on mine as well (drain holes).
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FWIW, I just got off the phone with Eastwood since I'm trying to sort through the best products to protect. Given I was discussing the inside of the frame, this is what they recommended:

1) Mechanical removal of rust (I'm going to use the braided steel with chain on the end turned by a drill to beat it all up and get the particles so small they can be blown out with an air compressor).
2) Spray Acetone inside the frame
3) Internal Frame Coating (the one with the extended wand and spray tip (not as strong as Rust Encapsulator, but you can't get the Rust Encapsulator in the frame)
4) Use something like Linseed Oil or Fluid Film annually.
 
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