For you guys in the Rust Belt, how do you guys manage the rust from road salts?

Fine, you go right ahead and do that. Driving mine in the winter for just 10 years rotted out the frame, torque boxes, fenders, rear boxed support, floor pans, B pillar cavities, and rocker seams. Doing a complete restoration now with a new frame and lots of tub repairs. I'm guessing the OP would like to keep his TJ cancer free.

Even with regular rinsing and FF or other treatments? This is the question I keep coming back to is whether or not diligent cleaning and treatment will mitigate this kinda thing... I DD mine and so parking it for the winter isn't an option. I know it goes through at least a couple weeks total of road treatments, salt and brine and whatever else, each winter. But I also always try to rinse it and clean it with the hose at home whenever the opportunity presents itself and I always apply/reapply FF when I'm done.
 
I've own my LJ since 2009, never consistently parked in the garage, and only did if doing some sort of work that required to be on jack stands.

With that said, just be mindful, and stop at a car wash once in a while to wash off any road salt, especially on and around the frame and underneath.

No need to spray a coating or anything like that, but you can. Just don't park on snow banks and remember to wash it now and later again.

It's fun to wheel in the snow, just wash it down afterwards, especially if you are in a shopping mall parking lot that has lots of road salt.
 
2 things,
Heat is a catalyst and accelerates rust.
Water is required to for rust to work.

Park outside or at least in a cold unheated space.
Never add water. Wash is as infrequently as possible during winter.

I wash mine a few times throughout winter, to get road salt off. Obviously dry as well, but been doing this on all my cars forever, including my rust free LJ that I have owned since 2009. I do have surface rust, but that's all, nothing more.
 
the only real and Best way is frequent car washes. I get the unlimited car wash package at my local automatic car wash for 20 bucks a month. There are times I run through it three to four times a week sometimes more than once a day. You have to get the car wash with the under spray to get the salt off.
 
the only real and Best way is frequent car washes. I get the unlimited car wash package at my local automatic car wash for 20 bucks a month. There are times I run through it three to four times a week sometimes more than once a day. You have to get the car wash with the under spray to get the salt off.
That’ll be difficult with a soft top, no?
 
the only real and Best way is frequent car washes. I get the unlimited car wash package at my local automatic car wash for 20 bucks a month. There are times I run through it three to four times a week sometimes more than once a day. You have to get the car wash with the under spray to get the salt off.

That may work for the body but that won't clean the inside of the frame at all, if anything you're making the frame damp enough to keep the salt active. You'd be much better off cleaning it yourself and flushing out the frame.
 
That’ll be difficult with a soft top, no?

Yes.. Sorry. I have a hard top in the winter. If you have a soft top then just manual spray the best you can.

Or would a touchless car wash be ok with an under spray??

..I dunno, never tried in the summer with my soft top on
 
That may work for the body but that won't clean the inside of the frame at all, if anything you're making the frame damp enough to keep the salt active. You'd be much better off cleaning it yourself and flushing out the frame.
Sure, but no one is going to do that every few days in the winter. And road slush will make it damp inside, much more than the car wash.

Car wash. From Decades of driving in the salt covered Michigan roads
 
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Sure, but no one is going to do that every few days in the winter. And road slush will make it damp inside, much more than the car wash.

Car wash. From Decades of driving in the salt covered Michigan roads
To each his own by I can promise you I will keep my dry and out of the salt as much as possible. The ONLY time I will wash mine is when it is already wet from the road slush. The last couple years I for the most part quit taking it out if there is any salt at all on the roads.
 
the only real and Best way is frequent car washes. I get the unlimited car wash package at my local automatic car wash for 20 bucks a month. There are times I run through it three to four times a week sometimes more than once a day. You have to get the car wash with the under spray to get the salt off.

Been too nervous to run it through even with my hard top on. No problems with letting it get pulled through on a track?
 
Been too nervous to run it through even with my hard top on. No problems with letting it get pulled through on a track?

I take mine through at least once a week in the winter. Depends on the roads sometimes more. Only problem I have encountered was it beats up my front license plate and bends it all sorts or directions.
 
After I went through the rust repairs on one I purchased ( frame etc ) I fluid filmed,drilled frame drain holes drove it and have parked it for the winter.It is a 2000 and my winter beater is a honda civic.There are lots of beaters out there.In my opinion the jeep tj was made for a 4 wheel drive purpose and works well.But it was built at a cheap price point and after spending 3 months under mine I could see why salt destroys it easily.If you have a good rust free one either decide to watch it rust from under you and then try and find another one as good (good luck) or buy a beater.Just my opinion.Mine is in the garage dripping with fluid film .I have had mine for 3 years.If I find down the road one like yours I will jump all over it.I live in rust belt ontario ,canada.
 
Sure, but no one is going to do that every few days in the winter. And road slush will make it damp inside, much more than the car wash.

Car wash. From Decades of driving in the salt covered Michigan roads

I do as you do and my LJ is a-okay after 15 New England winters.

Been too nervous to run it through even with my hard top on. No problems with letting it get pulled through on a track?

I've gone through only touchless car washes with my hard top and all was good. I generally do not stay for the entire drying period though, and if I am concerned I will bust out a leaf blower, or an air blower, or a drying towel to alleviate my concerns.