LC/LX Undercoating Rust Proof

[UnFadeable21]

So a local shop here in Minnesota just started doing this last year. They spray the bottom of your vehicle with the same substance they do with truck beds. That Rhino lining black material.

It’s around $850 bucks for the lifetime or $600 for the 5 year spray.

Do you guys think it’s worth it and would you do it? We use a ton of salt here in Minnesota during the winters. Here are some photos of their work.

Has anyone ever done anything similar to their own vehicle?

The company is called Carson Undercoating.

 

[UnFadeable21]

Here are some more photos

 

[04UZJ100]

DO NOT DO IT

Products that encapsulate your metal in a hard barrier are detrimental in the long run. They break down, trap water, and create overly aggressive corrosion cells that can go unmonitored.

You want to create a oxygen barrier to prevent rust from forming. WoolWax, Fluid Film etc are used for this. They’re not nearly as pretty but that are far more effective.

 

[UnFadeable21]

DO NOT DO IT

Products that encapsulate your metal in a hard barrier are detrimental in the long run. They break down, trap water, and create overly aggressive corrosion cells that can go unmonitored.

You want to create a oxygen barrier to prevent rust from forming. WoolWax, Fluid Film etc are used for this. They’re not nearly as pretty but that are far more effective.

This is what they say they use:

Many people always ask what we use for products. We're very transparent with our customers and happily answer that question!

For products that dry, we use cosmoline rust veto 344 and cosmoline RP-342. For a product that's considered to be a "wet" undercoat, we use woolwax lanolin. None of the products we use are rubberized and never will be.

 

[04UZJ100]

That is not what you wrote or what your after pictures show.

This is what they say they use:

 

[doru]

To the OP: that stuff is not usually done for truck beds as it is not meant for the wear caused by the loads. That coating will also get on the loads and stain them.
Yes, you can use it on truck beds that have no liner but it is waste of money as there are far better, specific products for truck beds.

Anyway, back to your question ... yes, it is a good idea to do undercoating even if you do not live in the salt belt. Some cars/trucks come like that from factory. Unfortunately ours don't and it is hard to understand why not- except for cost savings. More exactly ours are undercoated only in same strategic areas of the body, not the frame.

As for the price I have no idea if that is expensive or not.

 

[UnFadeable21]

That is not what you wrote or what your after pictures show.


View attachment 2940981

My fault and apologies.

In some photos, the finish looks smooth. In others, it looks wet and bumpy like truck lining. I thought it was the same stuff as this company also does truck lining.

 

[Mixelplix]

Woolwax is held in high regard on this forum.

Is it $600 for 5 years of application? If so, that's a steal assuming they'll be in business for 5 years.

 

[biff44]

i guess i am partial to the Woolwax products....like said, they will not trap water/salt

 

[BigDaddyMN]

Check out WoolWax® Undercoating | affordable auto solutions inc - https://www.affordableautosolutionsinc.com/woolwax_undercoating/ in Maplewood. I had them do my GX a year and a half ago with their Lifetime service. Was about $500 at the time. They go in the frame rails, door panels, etc. and do free lifetime touchups on the underside. May want to park outside for a few days and consider a tarp/cardboard underneath if you are on concrete as it drips for several days. Dripping stopped, but one year later I thought I had a leak and took it to 2 different mechanics and both told me the "leak" was just the Woolwax dripping. Not sure why it started dripping after 1 year. Both mechanics told me they sprayed it on incredibly thick and sprayed parts that don't need spraying like the transmission, transfer case, etc. Neither thought this was a problem, but maybe just excessive/waste of material.

 

[Weedhopper]

For the $500 they do it every year or just touchup? Woolwax and Fluid Film wear off over time and with car was sprays.

 

[yonah]

@UnFadeable21 it looks like that vendor sprays a cosmoline variant that is tinted black (possibly with graphite?). Not a bad thing at all. Cosmoline has been used by the US military for decades and, IIRC, was developed either by or for the military. Cosmoline will arrest any rust that is present (ensure you remove any heavy flakes with a wire brush) and prevent further corrosion. I’ve used it on my 200 and around the shop on various implements - it’s good stuff. Goes on wet and dries to a waxy film that is VERY durable. The big benefit with cosmoline is that is dries and is less messy when compared to lanolin products like Woolwax - which will always be oily (wet) to the touch. The downside is cosmoline has very little, if any, creeping ability and it does not “self-heal” - it is thus not a good candidate for interior/cavity applications (inside frame rails, doors, fenders, etc.) or areas with exposure to rock chips / road debris (control arms, etc.).

Also, recommend checking out this thread for additional info on lanolin-based undercoatings (Fluid Film, Woolwax, Surface Shield, etc.). Fluid Film was also developed by the military - I think the US Navy. These products have their place and are excellent at creeping into cracks/crevices.

Underbody rust inhibitor treatment recommendations.

forum.ih8mud.com

I recommend Repair Geek’s YouTube channel. He goes down the undercoating rabbit hole in some of his videos. BLUF - each product has its use case (lanolin, cosmoline, etc.). And whatever you do, stay away from the rubberized stuff (Ziebart); it will destroy your frame and trap moisture - as others have noted.

EDIT to add: IMO $500 is a bit steep. Around here, there are a few shops that apply Woolwax. You’re looking at $200 for a full-size SUV. Personally, I did my own application of cosmoline (CRC Rust Inhibitor), Woolwax, and Surface Shield. I spent around $300 for materials, but this was my initial “baseline” coating and I went liberal with the products.

 

[Rednexus]

Fluid Film and Woolwax are both very easy for DIY application. All you need is a gallon of the product, a $90 application gun that Woolwax will sell you, and a small air compressor (I have a 2 HP 8 gal compressor although a small pancake will probably work too). I Woolwax'd my GX and touch it up once or twice a year.

 

[RandyDaytona]

I had it done here in Duluth at ABS Auto Solutions (it's actually in Hermantown on highway 53).

They use Waxoyl, which is what my wife had done on her 4Runner at Kolar Toyota for $1200. I wasn't there to protest and she doesn't listen to me anyway. ABS did my cruiser for $500 and told me they'd do a free touch-up on my LRA tank once it was installed. But since the tank is aluminum, I haven't been in a big rush to get that part done. Probably will, eventually. But other than a trip to Maine in November, Chuck has been in the garage all winter.

As you know, MN winters will eat a car to death. Gotta have something.

 

[UnFadeable21]

I had it done here in Duluth at ABS Auto Solutions (it's actually in Hermantown on highway 53).

They use Waxoyl, which is what my wife had done on her 4Runner at Kolar Toyota for $1200. I wasn't there to protest and she doesn't listen to me anyway. ABS did my cruiser for $500 and told me they'd do a free touch-up on my LRA tank once it was installed. But since the tank is aluminum, I haven't been in a big rush to get that part done. Probably will, eventually. But other than a trip to Maine in November, Chuck has been in the garage all winter.

As you know, MN winters will eat a car to death. Gotta have something.

Yup

My sequoia is rusted to hell on the bottom.

Thinking about protecting my LC

Thanks to everyone for the inputs so far.

 

[BigDaddyMN]

For the $500 they do it every year or just touchup? Woolwax and Fluid Film wear off over time and with car was sprays.

They'll touch up the underside where it wears off from car washes, gravel, etc. Here is a video of them getting ready for a respray - . I believe the logic is that once you go inside the frame and door cavities, don't need to re-apply those areas. It's advertised some places as unlimited and others as biannual. He suggested twice a year (spring after winter, then right before winter), but here I am 1.5 years later and still haven't been back.

 

[Rednexus]

$500 is very expensive for an application. A gallon of Woolwax is $49.50, and 0.5-1.0 gallons should be enough for a full vehicle. It's such an easy and cheap DIY that I would have a hard time paying $500 for even a lifetime application, as it will take a nearly a decade to make up the cost.

 

[yonah]

They'll touch up the underside where it wears off from car washes, gravel, etc. Here is a video of them getting ready for a respray - . I believe the logic is that once you go inside the frame and door cavities, don't need to re-apply those areas. It's advertised some places as unlimited and others as biannual. He suggested twice a year (spring after winter, then right before winter), but here I am 1.5 years later and still haven't been back.

Great video and results.

Agreed - the inside of the frame, control arms, doors, fenders, etc. are all a ‘one and done’ application.

An additional option: Woolwax makes a High Viscosity (HV) product. It’s perfect for high wash areas (wheel wells, lower frame rails, control arms, etc.). Once it’s applied, it sticks like Vaseline.

 

[JeffH]

Looking for a shop in Colorado that would do cosmoline treatment. I’m to the age that I don’t want to be crawling around under my vehicle. Anyone know of a place they could recommend?

 

[mintyfresh]

Would you do the undercoating before or after you do a suspension lift?