How can I clean salt off my frame?

tennant

tennant

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Messages
144
Location
Connecticut
Just drove my jeep on the roads in New England. Has some residue on the sides. Is NOT wet. Roads just have that same salt/sand residue but now it’s probably all over rig. What to do immediately?? What to do tonight and what to do in the next few days??

Best way to clean and ensure i don’t leave stuff for potential rust in future
 
My first TJ was an Ohio Jeep, bought while I was working a project up there.

As a rule, I hit the do-it-yourself car washes about twice a week, during the Winter, where road salt abounds in Ohio. As long as you spray the under-belly real good with the spray wand, you're good. There's likely more extensive approaches that folks take up that way, but I found that spraying the under-belly weekly (frame, axles, wheel wells, etc) kept the rust away.
 
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Good to know. Any recommendations on timing on when the jeep comes in contact with salty roads. It seems to be dry is kid it is even dirt, not sure. But to play it safe i want it off. But cannot do it until tomorrow. Am i being too anxious or is waiting another day with whatever sitting on it?

Jeepers-n-Creepers said:
My first TJ was an Ohio Jeep, bought while I was working a project up there.

As a rule, I hit the do-it-yourself car washes about twice a week, during the Winter, where road salt abounds in Ohio. As long as you spray the under-belly real good with the spray wand, you're good. There's likely more extensive approaches that folks take up that way, but I found that spraying the under-belly weekly (frame, axles, wheel wells, etc) kept the rust away.
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tennant said:
Good to know. Any recommendations on timing on when the jeep comes in contact with salty roads. It seems to be dry is kid it is even dirt, not sure. But to play it safe i want it off. But cannot do it until tomorrow. Am i being too anxious or is waiting another day with whatever sitting on it?
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You should be good overnight.

Also, about twice a month (during Winter, when road salt abounds), I'd crawl under the Jeep and spray all components with WD-40--a nice preventive measure (I would do so after my under-spray dried, i.e., the day after spray-washing the under-belly).

*To conserve WD-40, you can spray down a rag, and simply wipe-down everything with a rag; the WD-40 lasts longer this way. However you want to spray the WD-40 directly onto the tighter spaces, where a rag will not go.
 
tennant said:
Just drove my jeep on the roads in New England. Has some residue on the sides.
Click to expand...

What you see on the sides should be the least of your worries. Spraying that stuff off of EVERYTHING hidden underneath at the self service car wash is your best bet. I'm not sure how much Fluid Film, or anything else, will help unless you can get everything clean and dry before using it but it can't hurt.
 
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Buy a bug sprayer, after you wash the jeep, fill the bug sprayer with drain oil and soak the bottom, including the inside of the frame. Just keep it off the exhaust. And dont be so paranoid...
 
tennant said:
sarcasm?
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Sorry but I hate these comments "Get a for sale sign and think of a price for it. Look for your next one in the south, and don't ever drive on the salted roads again ;) " I know they are meant with a "curve" but for someone really dealing with the "salt belt" that you don't it is not helpful...

These are comments from people that don't live in the salt belt.... Relax.... If your Jeep was pretty clean prior;,you have plenty of time to save it.... The Salt Belt Sucks.... but it is not the Apocalypse....

The real issue is not the salt; it is an issue but.... sodium chloride requires fairly high humidity levels to wick moisture from the air. In the cold dry air of winter, there isn't enough water in the air for the sodium chloride crystals to dissolve in. Which means it stays crystallized & does relatively less harm to your vehicle prior to being washed off.... It is the Magnesium Chloride....

Magnesium Chloride however mixes with water readily at low levels of humidity. So even in a dryer time like winter, the coating of magnesium chloride will use moisture out in the air and combining with it to form the water/salt combination that is corrosive to our vehicles... So unfortunately, even water is your enemy....

So if you live in CT (which I do), or New England, or the salt belt.... stop listening to people that don't (no disrespect; but we aren't going to stop driving & we can control the government; the crap they are putting on our roads & destroying our environment with is part of our lives...) do what you can (& sleep at night)... Wash your vehicle (Jeep) with a power washer (self service car wash is fine).... Make sure you wash everything & flush well with clean water including the frame.... try to pre-treat & repeat treat with Fluid Film (or similar) & you will be fine.... I have vehicles from 1974 that I own that drive on CT roads & are survivors... (4 of which are from 2004 & older that I run all winter).... Just stay on top of the maintenance....
 
Superduty71 said:
Sorry but I hate these comments "Get a for sale sign and think of a price for it. Look for your next one in the south, and don't ever drive on the salted roads again ;) " I know they are meant with a "curve" but for someone really dealing with the "salt belt" that you don't it is not helpful...

These are comments from people that don't live in the salt belt.... Relax.... If your Jeep was pretty clean prior;,you have plenty of time to save it.... The Salt Belt Sucks.... but it is not the Apocalypse....

The real issue is not the salt; it is an issue but.... sodium chloride requires fairly high humidity levels to wick moisture from the air. In the cold dry air of winter, there isn't enough water in the air for the sodium chloride crystals to dissolve in. Which means it stays crystallized & does relatively less harm to your vehicle prior to being washed off.... It is the Magnesium Chloride....

Magnesium Chloride however mixes with water readily at low levels of humidity. So even in a dryer time like winter, the coating of magnesium chloride will use moisture out in the air and combining with it to form the water/salt combination that is corrosive to our vehicles... So unfortunately, even water is your enemy....

So if you live in CT (which I do), or New England, or the salt belt.... stop listening to people that don't (no disrespect; but we aren't going to stop driving & we can control the government; the crap they are putting on our roads & destroying our environment with is part of our lives...) do what you can (& sleep at night)... Wash your vehicle (Jeep) with a power washer (self service car wash is fine).... Make sure you wash everything & flush well with clean water including the frame.... try to pre-treat & repeat treat with Fluid Film (or similar) & you will be fine.... I have vehicles from 1974 that I own that drive on CT roads & are survivors... (4 of which are from 2004 & older that I run all winter).... Just stay on top of the maintenance....
Click to expand...
I do live where the roads get salty and treated. My TJR that I previously owned was garaged when that stuff hit the road. That’s the only preventative measure to take. If your gonna drive on it hose it off and hope for the best. There is a reason people claim the miles arnt what kills the TJ its the rust that will.
 
Starrs said:
I do live where the roads get salty and treated. My TJR that I previously owned was garaged when that stuff hit the road. That’s the only preventative measure to take. If your gonna drive on it hose it off and hope for the best. There is a reason people claim the miles arnt what kills the TJ its the rust that will.
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I promise no disrespect at all.... but again.... I just do see the help in this type of comment...

"Get a for sale sign and think of a price for it. Look for your next one in the south, and don't ever drive on the salted roads again ;) "

Again... I know they are meant with a "curve" but for someone really dealing with the "salt belt" ... & even if you do... it is not helpful.... I get it was in sarcasm.... but to OP didn't which is why he questioned it.... Post #6.... Not everyone can garage there Jeep when adverse weather hits... it's why some people own theirs... (so you drove a vehicle you didn't care about on those days???)

Again, I didn't mean any disrespect in my last post; so please don't take it that way.... It not my style at all.... Just didn't address the real concern of the OP... I bow out... my apologies...
 
like they said hose it down often. stick the wand in your frame holes and blow out what you can. a coat of oil can help as well.
having drain holes in the frame is a big 1. what gets in, needs a way out.
next yr b4 salt season find someone that sprays fluid film, there are a 1/2 dozen guys around me (FB marketplace) that do it for under 100$.

and this is a friendly forum, and you need to expect someones gonna bust balls now and then.
to most this question is just as obvious as, what do i do if i have dirt on my hands?.............................WASH IT OFF.
 
If you know of a car wash with a lift, get it in the air and pressure wash the hell out of it. I do that all the time. Lift and clean that is. I have made a blood oath with Bel-Shamharoth to keep my rigs off of New England roads. Nie Wieder.
 
Superduty71 said:
Sorry but I hate these comments "Get a for sale sign and think of a price for it. Look for your next one in the south, and don't ever drive on the salted roads again ;) " I know they are meant with a "curve" but for someone really dealing with the "salt belt" that you don't it is not helpful...

These are comments from people that don't live in the salt belt.... Relax.... If your Jeep was pretty clean prior;,you have plenty of time to save it.... The Salt Belt Sucks.... but it is not the Apocalypse....

The real issue is not the salt; it is an issue but.... sodium chloride requires fairly high humidity levels to wick moisture from the air. In the cold dry air of winter, there isn't enough water in the air for the sodium chloride crystals to dissolve in. Which means it stays crystallized & does relatively less harm to your vehicle prior to being washed off.... It is the Magnesium Chloride....

Magnesium Chloride however mixes with water readily at low levels of humidity. So even in a dryer time like winter, the coating of magnesium chloride will use moisture out in the air and combining with it to form the water/salt combination that is corrosive to our vehicles... So unfortunately, even water is your enemy....

So if you live in CT (which I do), or New England, or the salt belt.... stop listening to people that don't (no disrespect; but we aren't going to stop driving & we can control the government; the crap they are putting on our roads & destroying our environment with is part of our lives...) do what you can (& sleep at night)... Wash your vehicle (Jeep) with a power washer (self service car wash is fine).... Make sure you wash everything & flush well with clean water including the frame.... try to pre-treat & repeat treat with Fluid Film (or similar) & you will be fine.... I have vehicles from 1974 that I own that drive on CT roads & are survivors... (4 of which are from 2004 & older that I run all winter).... Just stay on top of the maintenance....
Click to expand...

Use the self wash car wand and spray the whole undercarriage. Get up into the recesses of the rear, front and sides. Spray water into the big holes in the side of the frame. I used to do this at least once a week during the salty winter months. If you have a hard top and there is a drive thru car wash nearby, with an undercarriage spray, do this as well. When spring/summer arrives, follow the 'How To' thread on properly cleaning and treating the inside of your frame as well as drilling additional drain holes in the rear. I did all of the above, coated the interior of the frame and then sprayed generous amounts of Fluid Film under the whole carriage, inside the frame, etc. before it got cold. There is now a protective coat on the whole undercarriage, inside the frame and in all of the recesses. I also bought big round plugs for the large holes in the frame that will stay on all winter. In the spring they will be removed and the undercarriage/inside frame will be pressured washed and rinsed with clean water. Hope this helps.

The pics show the TJ having all surface rust removed along with application of industrial auto body product used for undercarriage protection.

20190509_164814.jpg


IMG_6757.jpg
 
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is that masked off for painting or fluid film? most of whats masked (2nd pic) i allow to also be covered with the protectant.
 
someguysjeep said:
is that masked off for painting or fluid film? most of whats masked (2nd pic) i allow to also be covered with the protectant.
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That was masked off for surface rust removal and coating early summer 2019. I had already cleaned and coated the inside of frame before it went through this. After the whole undercarriage was coated I drove all summer and it cured properly. The Fluid Film was sprayed on this fall using a compressor and spray gun with flexible wands.

20190509_164756.jpg
 
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First off- most pay carwashes recycle their water. They have a tank to let the dirt settle out, but not anything in solution (salt). Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride are both salts.

Ask any perspective car wash if they recycle their water and I can almost guarantee two things.
1) they will tell you no.
2) they do.

The salt you see isn't the problem. It's the salt you don't. And many northern states are now using what they call a "brine" they spray on to the roads. In order to keep it from running off the road they add binders such as beet pulp juice or molasses to keep it stuck to the road. And your Jeep.
The best you can do at this point is flush out everything with a garden hose. High pressure can push the salts farther up into nooks and crannies. Flush everything underneath like you are trying to get a dead skunk out from there. Then let the Jeep air dry in a heated garage for 2-3 days and then coat everything underneath with Fluid Film. Bar oil, waste oil, and similar are better than nothing, but not as good as FF.
You can go online and find the nearest NHOU (New Hampshire Oil Undercoating) and they will get everything. Inside the doors, inside the frame, etc. with their product. And they give you a warentee. If you are going to continue driving your Jeep (any vehicle for that matter) in the salt belt this may be your best solution. They require you have them re-coat every 2 years, but it's far cheaper than replacing your Jeep 1 rusted out piece at a time.
 
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