Opinion on driving our cruisers in the winter / rust prevention

[Mike NXP]

Curious how many of you cruiser folks out there keep driving your trucks all winter long or do you park the rig and try to keep the salt stuff off ?
I was down at a body shop today and the guy was all, I don't even drive my cruiser in the winter! lol, so it got me thinking

I'm lucky enough now where I have a few vehicles and can just sacrifice my highlander to the salty conditions, but its kind of lame thinking my cruiser will just sit around because I'm paranoid of rust...The highlander is a champ on hard back ice but wont do well in a big snow storm.....

I was about to sell off my cruiser snow tires but went the opposite route and jut got a second set of wheels instead. I was getting ready to mount the snows on these new rims but now I'm thinking, IDK, maybe not...

I decided to give a local undercoating guy a try this October, he has some oil based stuff he will spray around the underside with.... This is something else that I sort of went back and forth on because I'm worried about that stuff having any negative affect on my rubber.


So anyway all of that being said, in your opinions is it really that bad to drive around on our roads all winter?

 

[3_puppies]

wife drives the 100 and I use the 62 series all winter
the amount of salt mixed in with the sand is anywhere from 6%-15% depending on the road, higher % on passes versus city
the mag chloride, juice or slime, that is the questionable stuff

 

[Mike NXP]

wife drives the 100 and I use the 62 series all winter
the amount of salt mixed in with the sand is anywhere from 6%-15% depending on the road, higher % on passes versus city
the mag chloride, juice or slime, that is the questionable stuff

Interesting. We seem to be getting nothing but the slime up here for past several years. The 'liquid lines' seem to get laid down often.

 

[90WT]

I tried FluidFilm last year on the 40. Worked well.

I drive all my rigs in the Winter. If I didn't, my cars would only be on the road 4 weeks out of the year.

 

[jayp2]

woolwax or oil undercoat

nh oil undercoat products have worked well for me but its an annual application to keep the cancer at bay

 

[Mike NXP]

I tried FluidFilm last year on the 40. Worked well.

I drive all my rigs in the Winter. If I didn't, my cars would only be on the road 4 weeks out of the year.

Yeah good point . I've been doin fluid film as well but its such a bitch without a lift in gravel driveway..the rig came from Vegas in 2017. Its sad how much its rusted since then even with constant cleaning and prevention spraying.

woolwax or oil undercoat

nh oil undercoat products have worked well for me but its an annual application to keep the cancer at bay

Sweet , thanks for the tip . Im going to pay someone this season to get it done. Looks like this guy mentions the use of NH oil

Glacier Undercoatings

Protecting your vehicles undercarriage and body from rust and corrosion caused by the chemicals used on our roads in the winter months.

www.glacierundercoatings.com

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

I drive my 40 all year, every weekend I drive up to Lost Trail pass to ski, sometimes 3-4 days in a row. Around November I spray the entire underside of the 40 with 4 cans of fluid film, paying special attention to the rust prone areas like the rear sill and all the seams. There's a couple of spots of rust showing through and a couple that I really need to address before winter arrives.

Front fender specifically.

 

[jayp2]

Yeah good point . I've been doin fluid film as well but its such a bitch without a lift in gravel driveway..the rig came from Vegas in 2017. Its sad how much its rusted since then even with constant cleaning and prevention spraying.



Sweet , thanks for the tip . Im going to pay someone this season to get it done. Looks like this guy mentions the use of NH oil

Glacier Undercoatings

Protecting your vehicles undercarriage and body from rust and corrosion caused by the chemicals used on our roads in the winter months.

www.glacierundercoatings.com

Any oil based product is best applied before it gets cold out....end of summer is best because the warm temps allow it to seep/spread into tight spaces and you need to spray the inside of the frame channels (they have tools/hoses to accomplish this)

O2 is required for existing rust to continue to fester so if you have a small blister on the body you wont have the time to address consider using a sealer on it.....nail polish will work and comes in more colors that I can see with my genetically impaired male eyes (last GF was pissed about that "donation" to the truck)

 

[Mike NXP]

Any oil based product is best applied before it gets cold out....end of summer is best because the warm temps allow it to seep/spread into tight spaces and you need to spray the inside of the frame channels (they have tools/hoses to accomplish this)

O2 is required for existing rust to continue to fester so if you have a small blister on the body you wont have the time to address consider using a sealer on it.....nail polish will work and comes in more colors that I can see with my genetically impaired male eyes (last GF was pissed about that "donation" to the truck)

Good tip, I've got it scheduled for mid-September. Hoping the applicator doesn't just douche everything down ( electronics, rubber, ect. )

 

[AirheadNut]

I drive mine all winter. The small amount of rust that it had when I bought it 7 years ago has definitely grown and will need to be addressed sooner than later. I've used Woolwax on the undercarriage to help keep the rust at bay and it seems to do the trick. Thicker than Fluid Film, sprays on nicely and creates a pretty thick waxy coating that doesn't make a mess when wrenching on stuff.

 

[jayp2]

Good tip, I've got it scheduled for mid-September. Hoping the applicator doesn't just douche everything down ( electronics, rubber, ect. )

I've never experienced an issue with electrical connections or rubber in the 12+ years I've been having vehicles oil undercoated

Expect a couple drips and occasional smoke if something drips onto hot exhaust but its not an issue

The first time they did my 1-ton it was over the top....smoked down the road like a continuous coal roll.....not that bad but......you get the picture

 

[elkun1]

don't forget to use one of those spray nozzle on a tube that gets inside the frame. i've used fluid film, woolwax and lps. is one better than the other i have no idea, the main thing is to use one of them. this is good timing to remind me to put the 02 taco on the lift and do it.

 

[elkun1]

I drive my 40 all year, every weekend I drive up to Lost Trail pass to ski, sometimes 3-4 days in a row. Around November I spray the entire underside of the 40 with 4 cans of fluid film, paying special attention to the rust prone areas like the rear sill and all the seams. There's a couple of spots of rust showing through and a couple that I really need to address before winter arrives.

Front fender specifically.
View attachment 3708619

you'll have to bring the old girl back this way for another 40's only run. we'll find a trail that'll polish that fender right up and get rid of the rust for you lol. just remember to leave the roof rack at home this time. that was a fun run. also it almost looks like you've done a little customization on your front bumper

 

[rkymtnflyfisher]

also it almost looks like you've done a little customization on your front bumper

Yeah, a little customization by a deer early one morning!

 

[AirheadNut]

Here's my Woolwax application last fall, still need to do another for the upcoming winter season.

 

[Mike NXP]

Here's my Woolwax application last fall, still need to do another for the upcoming winter season.
View attachment 3710184

View attachment 3710185

Dang, yeah looks good. I've been doing the fluid film thing for a while but it's just a mess and I hate dealing with it.

I've also been a bit paranoid about this s*** getting on anything rubber, like bushing, brake line ends, and all that good stuff ...Should I not be too concerned about that? It looks like you just blast it all over .....well I suppose its all still better than nothing and letting all the winter crud soak in.

I'll post some pics of the coating in a few weeks after its all done

 

[AirheadNut]

Dang, yeah looks good. I've been doing the fluid film thing for a while but it's just a mess and I hate dealing with it.

I've also been a bit paranoid about this s*** getting on anything rubber, like bushing, brake line ends, and all that good stuff ...Should I not be too concerned about that? It looks like you just blast it all over .....well I suppose its all still better than nothing and letting all the winter crud soak in.

I'll post some pics of the coating in a few weeks after its all done

According to their FAQ page Woolwax should not cause any accelerated deterioration of chassis/suspension rubber components, though they do caution against spraying it on any open cell weatherstripping, as it will soak in and swell the rubber.

I blasted everything underneath with the exception of the brake rotors and exhaust. A year in and all is good. I'll be in Kalispell sometime in September to apply another coat to the LC as well as a couple of other vehicles. You're welcome to swing by and check it out while the vehicle is up on the lift.

One other big plus to Woolwax is that it doesn't smell nasty.

 

[Mike NXP]

Awesome, thanks for that offer.

Yeah that's a good point. It's probably the softer rubbers like weather seals and what not, that are more prone to swelling / damage from oil based products.

Thanks for all the info from the Mud community.

PS- Airheadnut that Snowcat is bad ass, cool to see folks trying to keep that stuff alive

 

[Mike NXP]

Ended up paying a local shop to apply some NH oil. Glacier undercoating in whitefish if anyone in the area is wondering. He did a good job and was careful around all the rubber bits.

Wish I didn't have to drive it home in the rain and my muddy road but otherwise looking forward to having this for the upcoming winter

 

[geo5]

@rkymtnflyfisher @AirheadNut what is y’all’s sprayer setup?

I used 6ish cans fluid film last winter on my 100, thinking since I’m doing 2 vehicles this winter might look at a volume system. Plus I’m dying for an excuse to upgrade my air compressor.

Below are the worst spots in my 450, might need a professional to address these babies