Finally got around to addressing this on my hundy, and figured I'd share;
I have an 05 with <56k mi. Live in the rust belt, but I've managed to keep the undercarriage fairly clean and free of the deadly rust many cars here get. However, I know this is a battle I will eventually lose, and considering I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off, I realized I need to act now before things started to deteriorate on the undersides.
After a lot of research over the course of a few weeks, I finally settled on what has been an excellent investment (of time and $) earlier this winter, and I recommend all in the rust belt to give it a shot.
Tools:
Garden sprayer
Ingredients (available at your local Wally Mart and Home Depot. each cost <$8);
1. Linseed oil (one gallon can)
2. Mineral Spirits (one gallon can)
Mix:
1:1 mixture of both ingredients. Mix by shaking the garden sprayer tank with your hands for 10-20 seconds.
I found that one gallon of finished product (half-gallon of each ingredient) was more than enough to generously cover the important bits.
Application; (Stuff is very runny, and following these steps helps keep the drops off your skin and clothes.)
When to do it; Aim to do this 2-3 months before the snow/ice appears on roads to get the most benefit out of this, but I did so a few weeks into winter with no ill-effects.
How often should I do it; I suggest annually. The film is thin and eventually washes off with rain during the course of the year.
Is it safe?; Linseed oil = Flaxseed Oil. People eat this stuff (note the stuff you are buying is NOT food grade). Mineral spirits = Widely used organic solvent for thinning paints and degreasing.
Why these ingredients?; Your corrosion protection is from the Linseed Oil. You will find many other solutions out there with different types of waxes/oils, but Linseed oil has a low viscosity (easy to apply) and dries within 48 hours (maintains protection afterwards), something other affordable oils/waxes don't do. Mineral spirits dilute the oil and allow it to penetrate into cracks and crevices using capillary action. Eventually the mineral spirits evaporate out of the mix.
Precautions: Avoid exhaust manifold and exhaust components when spraying. Linseed oil reacts with oxygen when drying, and generates heat. If you leave a rag soaked with Linseed oil in the sun on a warm day, it will combust. DO NOT DO THIS. If you must use rags, have a bucket of water nearby and dump the rags into the water immediately after use.
Next steps: Enjoy your hundy until you can't climb into the driver's seat anymore!
I have an 05 with <56k mi. Live in the rust belt, but I've managed to keep the undercarriage fairly clean and free of the deadly rust many cars here get. However, I know this is a battle I will eventually lose, and considering I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off, I realized I need to act now before things started to deteriorate on the undersides.
After a lot of research over the course of a few weeks, I finally settled on what has been an excellent investment (of time and $) earlier this winter, and I recommend all in the rust belt to give it a shot.
Tools:
Garden sprayer
Ingredients (available at your local Wally Mart and Home Depot. each cost <$8);
1. Linseed oil (one gallon can)
2. Mineral Spirits (one gallon can)
Mix:
1:1 mixture of both ingredients. Mix by shaking the garden sprayer tank with your hands for 10-20 seconds.
I found that one gallon of finished product (half-gallon of each ingredient) was more than enough to generously cover the important bits.
Application; (Stuff is very runny, and following these steps helps keep the drops off your skin and clothes.)
- Place a plastic sheet on the ground slightly larger than your vehicle, and drive onto it.
- If you have AHC, set to high (For those w/out, I'm sure you can manage)
- Spray generously at the center of the undercarriage (between frame rails) first, from front to back
- Go back around and spray into the frame holes wherever you see one
- Go back around and spray outside of the frame rails (between frame rails and exterior edge of vehicle).
- Pop the hood open and spray all the lower areas around the engine.
- Go to every wheel well and saturate undersides and all exposed areas.
- Make sure to get the lower radiator and other harder to access parts of the front end.
When to do it; Aim to do this 2-3 months before the snow/ice appears on roads to get the most benefit out of this, but I did so a few weeks into winter with no ill-effects.
How often should I do it; I suggest annually. The film is thin and eventually washes off with rain during the course of the year.
Is it safe?; Linseed oil = Flaxseed Oil. People eat this stuff (note the stuff you are buying is NOT food grade). Mineral spirits = Widely used organic solvent for thinning paints and degreasing.
Why these ingredients?; Your corrosion protection is from the Linseed Oil. You will find many other solutions out there with different types of waxes/oils, but Linseed oil has a low viscosity (easy to apply) and dries within 48 hours (maintains protection afterwards), something other affordable oils/waxes don't do. Mineral spirits dilute the oil and allow it to penetrate into cracks and crevices using capillary action. Eventually the mineral spirits evaporate out of the mix.
Precautions: Avoid exhaust manifold and exhaust components when spraying. Linseed oil reacts with oxygen when drying, and generates heat. If you leave a rag soaked with Linseed oil in the sun on a warm day, it will combust. DO NOT DO THIS. If you must use rags, have a bucket of water nearby and dump the rags into the water immediately after use.
Next steps: Enjoy your hundy until you can't climb into the driver's seat anymore!
