Thanks. The Surface Shield I got from Home Depot this week has a female top like the Fluid Film in your photo. Note that HD's price was much better than Amazon....six cans for $53 at HD vs. $71 at Amazon. Both with free shipping.
Rust proofing from road salt
- Thread starter aidanm
- Start date
Thanks. The Surface Shield I got from Home Depot this week has a female top like the Fluid Film in your photo. Note that HD's price was much better than Amazon....six cans for $53 at HD vs. $71 at Amazon. Both with free shipping.
hardtailpan
TJ Enthusiast
My TJs don't see winter duty here in Mass, but my old 3rd gen dodge ram does. I bought it when it was a few years old, and it's 18 now. Originally I used to run it through the undercarriage washes as often as possible after the roads were salted. A few years later a buddy of mine and I bought the fluid film guns and a 5 gallon pail of the stuff and started doing that to our vehicles. It's really been amazing. I have an 18 year old 3rd gen Ram in Massachusetts and the frame is perfect. I didn't start doing it in time to save the bed, but I replaced it with one from Texas and now it's floating in fluid film. I also bought some body plugs for the inside of the rocker panels. I fluid film inside them and then replace the plugs. I've also been known to take the door panels off on occasion and spray in there. I really coat the living hell outta the poor thing.
Boogieman makes a good point: it does wash off, but another poster had the right answer, you don't wash it after you fluid film it. Not until spring. It doesn't come off all that easy though, running it through puddles and such it holds on pretty well, but I try to avoid this as much as possible.
Now, it does have a bit of an aroma, but its not horrible, and it makes working underneath it very, very messy.
I have no idea what the dude from Minnesota is using, I've never tried it, but that LJ frame does look nice, and if he's been able to keep it that nice for that many years while seeing winter duty in Minnesota, that might be worth checking out as well.
Boogieman makes a good point: it does wash off, but another poster had the right answer, you don't wash it after you fluid film it. Not until spring. It doesn't come off all that easy though, running it through puddles and such it holds on pretty well, but I try to avoid this as much as possible.
Now, it does have a bit of an aroma, but its not horrible, and it makes working underneath it very, very messy.
I have no idea what the dude from Minnesota is using, I've never tried it, but that LJ frame does look nice, and if he's been able to keep it that nice for that many years while seeing winter duty in Minnesota, that might be worth checking out as well.
It sounds as though you simply won't need the adaptors for this project.
My LJ was originally from Arkansas. I had given up on finding a rust-free TJ/LJ when I found it and when I saw the condition of the frame, and considering that it was also mechanically sound, I bought it.
I used Fluid film until the winter of 2021-2022 when Surface Shield became available. Unlike Fluid Film, Surface Shield does not wash off with a pressure washer alone. Those frame plugs have also helped tremendously.
My experience with fluid film is that you are not supposed to wash it and if you do you are not supposed to use high pressure, just soft light pressure and touch up afterwards with more film. That being said a direct high pressure wash might wash off 75% percent of the film, but you will never be able to remove it completely unless you use a towel or rag. So consider that before fluid filming areas you may need to work on later.
I just finished applying the Suface Shield to the inside of my frame. Since my frame has had the full Safe T Cap repair, the only access I have is through the front and rear drainage holes and one hole mid way up the rear trailing arm. I used a 24" and 30" wand from Woolwax. It was a huge mess. I think I got enough in the frame, but lost a ton at the cap on the can. I've read about others having this same issue. I think the problem is after removing the cap that comes on the can, I couldn't get the cap on the wand to seat as firmly as the factory cap. The caps appear identical, I'm just not sure what the trick is to get it to seat firmly. When I used the SS right out of the can with the factory cap, there was no leakage.
If there is a trick/tip for getting the new cap to seat firmly, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
Edit: I figured out what the problem is. The female part of the cap that comes on the SS can is ever so slightly smaller (1/16" or less) than the caps on the various wands that are available (I have ones from Eastwood and Woolwax). This allows the original cap to fit snugly enough to prevent leakage. I'm working on a way to make the wand caps fit tighter. I'll share if I come up with something.
If there is a trick/tip for getting the new cap to seat firmly, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.
Edit: I figured out what the problem is. The female part of the cap that comes on the SS can is ever so slightly smaller (1/16" or less) than the caps on the various wands that are available (I have ones from Eastwood and Woolwax). This allows the original cap to fit snugly enough to prevent leakage. I'm working on a way to make the wand caps fit tighter. I'll share if I come up with something.
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