Rust proofing from road salt

aidanm

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 18, 2023
Messages
180
Location
Virginia
I’m going to be starting college later this year and will be moving to Michigan from Virginia with my TJ. I’ve already used both of the rust oleum spray products and am not sure if this will truly help with preventing rust from the road salt or if there is another product. If anyone has any ideas they would be greatly welcomed. Also any ideas to get the road salt off after a drive would be greatly appreciated. Trying to keep the frame as rust free as I can like it is now.
 
Eastwood frame coating inside and out on the frame, then spray everything underneath with some Surface Shield and pray.
Option #2. Leave it with me in Charlottesville before you move. :unsure:

Z4wy8-hcpEx_.jpg

Michigan TJ rust pics.
Rust Michigan.jpg


Rust Michigan2.jpg
 
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I also live in the rust belt so this is my plan…
The TJ frames tend to rust from the inside out so big thing is keeping the inside clean…
How to clean your Jeep Wrangler TJ frame
Rather than using the Eastwood I plan to use Fluid Film as unless you have the inside 100% rust-free the Eastwood will just trap the rust underneath and continue to spread.
I was also planning on drilling drain holes in the frame however after happeneing to run into this in the FSM I’m having second thoughts…

D08D470F-A854-41F1-A0AF-7587F5FCE73C.jpeg


For the frame exterior I plan to wire brush any loose rust, spray with Rustoleum Rust-Reformer, topcoat (maybe, not sure if the Rust-Reformer will really need a topcoat yet) then Fluid Film again.
 
I also live in the rust belt so this is my plan…
The TJ frames tend to rust from the inside out so big thing is keeping the inside clean…
How to clean your Jeep Wrangler TJ frame
Rather than using the Eastwood I plan to use Fluid Film as unless you have the inside 100% rust-free the Eastwood will just trap the rust underneath and continue to spread.
I was also planning on drilling drain holes in the frame however after happeneing to run into this in the FSM I’m having second thoughts…

View attachment 395551

For the frame exterior I plan to wire brush any loose rust, spray with Rustoleum Rust-Reformer, topcoat (maybe, not sure if the Rust-Reformer will really need a topcoat yet) then Fluid Film again.

Re: drainholes:

The risk of rust is much greater than metal fatigue. I would 100% drill drain holes. The best option would be to leave your Jeep at home in the winter here and buy a disposable car for that.

Driving a car you want to keep for a long time in the winter salt just won't work. Jeep TJs seem especially bad at this.
 
I also live in the rust belt so this is my plan…
The TJ frames tend to rust from the inside out so big thing is keeping the inside clean…
How to clean your Jeep Wrangler TJ frame
Rather than using the Eastwood I plan to use Fluid Film as unless you have the inside 100% rust-free the Eastwood will just trap the rust underneath and continue to spread.
I was also planning on drilling drain holes in the frame however after happeneing to run into this in the FSM I’m having second thoughts…

View attachment 395551

For the frame exterior I plan to wire brush any loose rust, spray with Rustoleum Rust-Reformer, topcoat (maybe, not sure if the Rust-Reformer will really need a topcoat yet) then Fluid Film again.

I also was planning on drilling a single hole in the bottom of the frame at the lowest point. That document you attached says not to drill holes in both the top and bottom.....I could indeed see holes in the same location top and bottom being an issue.....but maybe not so much with just the bottom?
 
try LPS corrosion inhibitor if you don't like how fluid film stays wet or you dont find the coating thick enough to resist a power washer.
 
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Got it. Yeah I taped up the frame holes too. The mess was on me and the adjacent floor. I had to end up putting a zip lock bag around the canister.
 
Re: drainholes:

The risk of rust is much greater than metal fatigue. I would 100% drill drain holes.

That’s kinda what I figure, plenty of guys have done it without issue so I probably will bite the bullet.

The risk of rust is much greater than metal fatigue. I would 100% drill drain holes. The best option would be to leave your Jeep at home in the winter here and buy a disposable car for that.

Driving a car you want to keep for a long time in the winter salt just won't work. Jeep TJs seem especially bad at this.

100% agree. I’ve only been out of high school for 4-1/2 years so I don’t feel that I’m at the point of affording a second vehicle but I am fortunate enough to have a company truck so I really only take my TJ out once or twice a week right now, sometimes not at all.
But with our winters I’d definitely like to get a winter beater down the road, something with a longer wheel-base and full-time 4WD.
 
I also was planning on drilling a single hole in the bottom of the frame at the lowest point. That document you attached says not to drill holes in both the top and bottom.....I could indeed see holes in the same location top and bottom being an issue.....but maybe not so much with just the bottom?

Ohhhh I actually hadn’t read it that way, I was thinking top OR bottom but not doing both makes sense.
 
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The internal frame coating comes with the hose. I tape up all the frame holes really good and it still makes a mess. ;)

View attachment 395562

the fluid film wand will fit into the doors. pull 1 of the plastic pegs holding the rubber molding and the wand will fit in there to treat them as well.

if you have windshield riser molding remove a screw and shoot those risers too. it'll settle down onto those comers of the windshield that love to rot.
 
That’s kinda what I figure, plenty of guys have done it without issue so I probably will bite the bullet.



100% agree. I’ve only been out of high school for 4-1/2 years so I don’t feel that I’m at the point of affording a second vehicle but I am fortunate enough to have a company truck so I really only take my TJ out once or twice a week right now, sometimes not at all.
But with our winters I’d definitely like to get a winter beater down the road, something with a longer wheel-base and full-time 4WD.

Yep - I know what you mean. I DDed my TJ from age 16 to 26. The rust created it's own (large) drain holes for me in the frame. I'm still fighting the good fight with that Jeep 11 years later. I like that you read the FSM and follow the rules - thats good in the other 99% of situations. I think the problem is we are trying to do what vehicles are not designed to do. They design them for 10 year lifespan and we expect them to go 20+.
 
best solution to rust proof in Michigan...keep it in one of these and leave it

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Seriously, you probably won't need a car too often, if you're going to one of the bigger schools. You can realistically limit the use. If you do need to drive it, wash it often. I try to wash my vehicle once a week, minimum. Get a membership to a car wash at a level that includes the underbody blast. What college are you going to?
 
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My DD is 10 years old. I have a monthly carwash pass and go about every other day. Subframe and bottom door seams still look like a 10 year old salt driven vehicle.

I think the problem is more often than not, it picks up salt driving back from the carwash to the house. Even if the roads are dried out, they are still covered in salt powder and the car gets blasted with salt powder/dust as you drive it. It's all in the air....like how things rust within close proximity to the ocean.

Has to be better than not washing it though.