crayon-like substance underneath the wagon

[Land Speeder]

I'm sure this isn't unique to 80's, but since it's an 80 i'll start here... in fact I've never seen it on another rig period, including 80's....
My junk has some sort of enormous film on the underside that almost has the feel of a crayon. I tried taking pictures of it but you can't tell... It's on everything and in nooks and crannys so if someone ran over something then they must've dipped into it.... a huge pool of melted crayon?
it's holds "mud color" horribly so I'm trying to get rid of it with a pressure washer. but it's extremely slow going...
Is this something that northern salt road rigs get? We have no need for it down here.
You can literally dig your fingernail into it and it feels like crayon. Does anyone have any idea?

 

[JohnnyBee]

I am currious too. I bought an 80 that was from New York and it had that stuff everywhere, it still does. i got alot off with brake parts cleaner and an angle grinder with a wire brush wheel. if that helps.

 

[beaufort-fj60]

that's odd... I've noticed a lot of crayon type wax around lately also..

 

[Land Speeder]

I would leave well enough alone if it wasn't for the fact that it holds mud like nobody's bidness... the entire underside of the truck is the color of south alabama red clay and it looks horrible especially in the wheel wells... When the outside of the truck gets all clean and nice and the frame rails are clay colored...

I got the gas tank cover good last night... and this crap starting flaking off in chunks. The cool thing is that the tank cover looks practically new now... I'll try to get a shot if it with my iPhone and show you that... but here is a pic of what the frame rail looks like... a normal car wash can not remove the stain... only a high pressure hose can and it basically removes a layer of the film substance.

 

[Ihasfip]

Is it not rubberized undercoating?

D

 

[Land Speeder]

Is it not rubberized undercoating?

D

Don't know. Does ruberized coating usually hold mud and never let it go?

 

[ortayga]

i guess that Volkswagon used a wax like substance for undercoating on some of their cars to keep the sound down and it smelled like crayons when it would get hot.

 

[Unarce]

OP - Are you talking about the black coating covering most of the underside?

 

[Land Speeder]

OP - Are you talking about the black coating covering most of the underside?

I am talking about "a coating" but definitely not "the coating" found on all 80's... I've been under quite a few 80's, this being my third owned... this is not a normal coating found on these.

Not only does this coating cover most of the underside, it's in nooks and crannys as described above. I'm going to crawl underneath at lunch and take some pics as best i can and give a slide show of it...

 

[Ebag333]

This stuff is under both of my rigs. I've left it as it will help protect against rust, rocks, etc.

 

[Land Speeder]

But how do you keep it clean??? once it gets muddy, it's impossible to clean without pressure washing it, which is actually removing it...

And what exactly is it (brand name and product name), in the event i want to re-coat the underside?

 

[Ebag333]

You don't.

I haven't had any issues pressure washing it, but I don't stick the pressure washing wand at full blast right up against it.

You won't get it all out, no way no how. When I went through some red clay ("some" being a large under-exaggeration) the bottom of my truck was colored orange for months. Some parts still are.

The easiest way is to turn on a sprinkler under your truck, and leave it running for a while. That'll leave you with a pretty clean underside, and a muddy driveway.

You can recoat it with any normal undercoating product. If I was going to redo mine, I would actually use one of Second Skin's products, probably their Spectrum. That will act as an undercoating to protect against rust, and it performs amazingly well as a sound dampener. Kill two birds with one stone.

 

[hawaiicruz]

Mine's covered with it, I thought it was from the factory

 

[Land Speeder]

Pics are on thier way....

You don't.

I haven't had any issues pressure washing it, but I don't stick the pressure washing wand at full blast right up against it.

You won't get it all out, no way no how. When I went through some red clay ("some" being a large under-exaggeration) the bottom of my truck was colored orange for months. Some parts still are.

The easiest way is to turn on a sprinkler under your truck, and leave it running for a while. That'll leave you with a pretty clean underside, and a muddy driveway.

You can recoat it with any normal undercoating product. If I was going to redo mine, I would actually use one of Second Skin's products, probably their Spectrum. That will act as an undercoating to protect against rust, and it performs amazingly well as a sound dampener. Kill two birds with one stone.

Your mud ain't like South Alabama/ South Georgia mud... our mud also doesn't come off with a water sprinkler either, tried too many times.

Mine's covered with it, I thought it was from the factory

i sure hope not... it's on everything... I even remember throwing an aussie in the rear a year before this was mine and it was sprayed over the inspection plate.... nasty...
Heckler has a 97 from the NE, and it did not have this gunk on it... worked under that truck many a times...
This truck came from Atlanta where is was raised until it got to Auburn, AL

 

[UltraFJ40]

But how do you keep it clean??? once it gets muddy, it's impossible to clean without pressure washing it, which is actually removing it...

And what exactly is it (brand name and product name), in the event i want to re-coat the underside?

Don't know what it is, but you could always use old faithful. ('cept in flat black of course)

 

[Land Speeder]

PEEP THIS

Notice how clean the gas tank WILL be...

Below... not bare metal you see... that last layer appears to be the original paint of the frame rail... but still VERY sticky from this crap.

 

[Ebag333]

Your mud ain't like South Alabama/ South Georgia mud... our mud also doesn't come off with a water sprinkler either, tried too many times.

No, our clay is probably just as bad or worse.

It took me 3 trips to the car wash using their high powered sprayer and hot water, and then basically stabbing the clay with it to knock it off to get it off.

There are areas that I have given up on as the only way to effectively clean them would be to flop the rig.

Whenever I work under my truck I get a face full of clay crumbling down on me, it's so bad that I've started wearing a face shield because of it.

i sure hope not... it's on everything... I even remember throwing an aussie in the rear a year before this was mine and it was sprayed over the inspection plate.... nasty...
Heckler has a 97 from the NE, and it did not have this gunk on it... worked under that truck many a times...
This truck came from Atlanta where is was raised until it got to Auburn, AL

Some of what you are describing may be a combination of dirt + oil turning into a thick mess that coats everything.

Your friends truck may not have it on there because the original owner may not have opted for it, or it may have been removed at some point in time.

 

[Land Speeder]

PS: Where ever you see clean, it's been hit with the 2500 psi pressure washer... where ever you see red, it's been hit plenty oh times with water, purple power, etc.... just not the pressure washer...

Spent an hour under there last night... intend to spend even more time tonight...

 

[UltraFJ40]

That is some pretty nasty stuff. Never seen anything in that quantity.

Maybe it was a dealer option (rust proofing of some sort).

My only guess would be to hire an unemployed teen to run the pressure washer and apply krylon in the end. dunno:

 

[Land Speeder]

seriously bag? You've never heard of Gerogia Red Clay? You seriously think there's something worse? I'm not gonna even try to argue with you on that front... let's just say there's shirts about it...
http://www.achfonline.org/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/IMG_0706-2.jpg

do a google on Georgia Red Clay (some will be dirty but mostly legit hits)


So you think this crap is factory? or a factory option? It's definitely rubbery cause there's huge chunks on my driveway still and will be more tonight, so the rubbery texture leads me to believe it's not oil or residue from non-cleaning... Cory told me that he tried cleaning it quite a bit with not much success.