Looking for some advice for the best undercoating to use on frame and suspension/differentials /axles. What have others used and had good luck with? I plan on some wire brush time and want a durable paint or coating. Thanks for your thoughts.
Advice on undercoating
- Thread starter YakTJ
- Start date
I used the eastwood frame coating available in matt or glossy for the outside of the frame.Then used internal frame coating and lots of fluid film.I cut the end off the eastwood internal frame coating 18" wand they give you to do the frame and used the wand on the fluid film cans . It works great for tight places and use the short red one from the can for short tight areas.
TJ2
TJ Expert
For best result, do your best to flush all the rust cruds in there first, then surface wire brush, wire brush, wire brush, then "chemically degrease" the f-out of it.... NO shortcuts or you will just waste your time and money.
Here's my experience so far living in salt riddled New England and a first gen Tacoma.
If you have access to a compressor, buy a cheap harbor freight sandblaster/soda blaster with a local feed system at the gun and clean up areas desired. Media blaster steel will give you the best results for adhesion when using something like POR or Chassis saver. Personally, go for chassis saver, a lot less proprietary prep and pre cleaners and cheaper. Epoxy like finish when it cures. Don't use it any place that sees sunlight because it's not UV stabilized and will chalk and crack.
If you have to wirebrush then clear rust off affected area and then use a red scotch pad to "blend" the bare metal into the nearby factory finish. Then clean, and clean, and clean. And curse yourself for not media blasting and clean some more. Then apply chassis coating as before.
Let the paint cure sufficiently and then powerwash your chassis. Then grab a gallon kit of fluid film from Napa or amazon (also sells a super cheap gun with flex wand) and find a pancake compressor, find some clothes you don't care about and a hat and start buttering that frame and components. Use a lot of it. Appreciate the smell of it now because room temp it smells pretty good, until the exhaust starts burning off the over spray when you start driving then you'll realize that smell is going to be in your nose for weeks. Use the wand to hit the frame internals. Use a brush when needed. Admire your handywork. Drive around collecting neighborhood dirt onto your sticky oily frame. Every few weeks rinse the undercarriage off with cold non pressurized water out of a hose or a gardening wand.
Last thing I'll mention, there will never be another repair you perform on your car that will involve you crawling under that won't end with you ruining clothing or getting absolutely filthy. It's worth it though, exhaust guy told me last winter that he's never seen a Tacoma with a frame that clean before.
Oh! And for the love of god don't use tar or bedliner or rubberized undercoating! Heat cycles will cause any hard coating to develop (micro)cracks that will soak up water and concentrate it's cancerous effects on your sheet metal.You won't see it until it blows through the pan.
Also take into consideration that if you do see a bedlined frame or rubberized finish on pan components that isn't factory, realize that any paint application requires a thorough cleaning and full degreasing. What do you think the odds are that the person crawled under there for hours if not days cleaning years of gunk off their chassis prior to painting?
TJ2
TJ Expert
My method: "MacGyver" style and it was very effective. I used a 3/8" flex twisted metal cable at least 3 ft. long and hookup a steel rough hard bristle on one end.
Drilled some 1/2" dia. bottom holes, removes the skid plates bolts then I flushed it with a powerful air hose. Chucked one end with a hand-drill and inserted the bristle into the side holes, then powers spun it with the drill as I stroke it in and out. I also inspected it thoroughly by inserting a camera probe so I can concentrate to work on the right spots in there. Repeated the process several times until I was satisfied. Did that for a couple of days on weekend and took out about half a gallon of rust scales.
I used boiled linseed oil though. Covered all the holes with a duck tape, then spray - filled it with BLO. Drove it hard off-road trails one morning with my wife, then drain it on the woods thereafter. I parked on the road for a week.
[QUOTE="TJ2, post: 179504,
I used boiled linseed oil though. Covered all the holes with a duck tape, then I parked on the road for a week.[/QUOTE]
That's where i failed.....my garage floor was a mess after a week. Lol
I used boiled linseed oil though. Covered all the holes with a duck tape, then I parked on the road for a week.[/QUOTE]
That's where i failed.....my garage floor was a mess after a week. Lol
TJ2
TJ Expert
I used Por-15 products (Paint Over Rust). They have a great 3-step system with a cleaner, metal prep, and rust preventive coating. I used it about ten year ago and then re-did it about 4 years back. It comes in different colors and is pretty easy to apply and they even sell a spray can for a nic top coat. I never expected it to last for about 6 years but I really didn't need to touch it up at all. You can buy it all over the internet. For me ebay had some great deals starting at just $25 for the kit. I definitely recommend it.
I spent the better part of my father’s day under the Jeep with a wire brush and wheel. Got myself filthy. Definitely wishing I went the media blast route.
Anyway, you mentioned cleaning prior to undercoating with Chasis Saver, which I’m planning to use. Any method you’d suggest? I was going to go to the spray booth and use the engine degreaser option.
I also bought the glossy by accident. Any suggestions for what to spray over it to make it more of a flat black? I bought a few cans of 3m rubberized undercoating. Bad choice?
There’s a off-road shop nearby that applies NH Undercoating. I might just let them do it to avoid wasting another day dealing with it.
Anyway, you mentioned cleaning prior to undercoating with Chasis Saver, which I’m planning to use. Any method you’d suggest? I was going to go to the spray booth and use the engine degreaser option.
I also bought the glossy by accident. Any suggestions for what to spray over it to make it more of a flat black? I bought a few cans of 3m rubberized undercoating. Bad choice?
There’s a off-road shop nearby that applies NH Undercoating. I might just let them do it to avoid wasting another day dealing with it.
If you don't have any rust, drill four 1/2" holes in the bottom of the frame rails and paint the frame and everything else with stop rust paint. Nothing else is needed.
USA. They ship free too.
When I put into cart - shows a charge:
| Eastwood Internal Frame Coating Aerosol Black | $19.99 | 4 | $79.96 |
| Subtotal | $79.96 |
| Shipping & Handling (Ship Method - Ground) | $36.60 |
| International Fees | $18.65 |
| Gift Cards | $0.00 |
| Grand Total | $135.21 |
Found this on their site:
CANADIAN ADDRESSES
Shipping is calculated based on weight and location using current FedEx rates.
Certain oversized items (e.g. abrasive blast cabinets), and very heavy items are subject to additional charges. Please call Customer Service at 1-800-343-9353 for a shipping quote.
"International Fees" represent all estimated brokerage fees
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