I heard the new 2017 Super Dutys have a powder coated frame....So should you undercoat it if you live in the north east? Thanks

 

Do you plan to own it for more than a few years?

Its the underside of a vehicle. paint (powder coating) will get scratched, and it will run in the norther states. My local Ziebart charged 250 to undercoat mine. annual inspections and touch ups are a nominal fee.Looking under it they seems to have gotten a good layer on everything that was not cast aluminum, Spins, or gets HOT (transmission, transfer case, drive shafts, and exhaust). The even got a good coating on the bright yellow plastic bump stops. Only issue I had was I had to remove their material off the rating sticker on the hitch.

 

The frame on these trucks is electro-coated, not powder-coated. What that means is that the black paint on the frame is an ultra-thin paint applied to the inside and outside of the frame using electric current and possible mixed with a chemical which further promoted adhesion and corrosion resistance. The advantage of the e-coat is that its thinness combined with the electric current application allows it to absolutely coat every possible nook and cranny on the inside and outside of the frame. Traditional paint and powder-coating cannot achieve that. However, traditional painting and powder coating can be applied in a thicker coat, which may offer better protection in the areas it can cover.

Ford and RAM e-coat their frames. GM continues to paint them traditionally and apply a wax coat. Wax can self-heal for minor scratches, but can also be easily removed over time just from driving in the winter or off-road. Most would agree the e-coat process is superior frame protection.

That said, I live in NH and just Fluid-Filmed my 2017 Super Duty. Fluid film is kind of like a wet wax and will need to be re-applied yearly at least in the areas that are "high traffic" for road debris. The advantages? It's $35 per gallon; the spray gun and various wands can be ordered from the company directly for about $150. Undercoating shops will typically charge $150 for a Fluid Film undercoating in my area for a full-size truck.

The advantages of Fluid Film are it is less toxic (based upon sheep lanolin plus other chemicals); it won't drip like a traditional oil undercoating, it doesn't smell horrible, and it won't swell up rubber moldings and weather stripping like oil will. It doesn't affect electric connections.

Since these trucks are all aluminum except for the axles, suspension, frame, etc...I only sprayed the steel items. Frame was my focus, along with the axles, leaf springs, coil springs, brake lines, etc.

 

You'd think it would be part of their process to mask or cover any certification or rating labels?

 

I did the full Ziebart treatment. Rust-proof, undercoating, diamond gloss and seat protectant.

It always worked for me in years past.

 

I dint know what they use now but I had a Brand new Nissan Ziebarted and 1 year later I noticed blistering on my rocker panels on both sides. Back then they used a black spray on rubbery substance. I touched the blister and my finger went through the rocker panel and a few gallons of water poured out.

Ziebart Sprayed their gunk and covered the drain holes on the rocker panels CAUSING THE RUST!

I took it back to them and they refused to repair the damage they created but only offered to refund my original cost. I took it to Nissan and they refused to repair under warranty because the drain holes were clogged with Ziebart “protectant”.

I have used thin film Boeshield T-9 https://boeshield.com/automotive-motorcycle/ with excellent results on aircraft, cars, motorcycles and trucks. It’s safe for aluminum and steel and won’t harm rubber or plastic.

 

It's not "Ziebart's" fault, it's the untrained bone-head that applied the coating incorrectly.

 

I don’t agree. The Ziebart store hired and “trained” the employee. The Ziebart employee sprayed inside the rocker panels with Ziebart product which clogged up the weep holes.

My issue was that the Ziebart store did not take responsibility for causing the rust on my car. They only refunded the price I paid. Their “limited warranty” only covered rust repair up to the cost of the treatment. Their solution to my rust problem was to refund the cost of the treatment.

Try to find a copy of the current rust warranty online. I can’t.

 

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the the panels rusting though in just a year, even if they were holding water, that sounds like some high grade stuff.

Thankfully, when Aluminum oxidizes, it does not rot the way steel does.

 

Coastal South Florida salt air and crappy steel used in Datsun/Nissans in the 70’s and 80’s

Aluminum may not rot the way steel does but aluminum will corrode. I’ve own airplanes for 35 years parked 5 miles from the ocean. Proper treatment annually with good thin film products works wonders.

I’ve seen untreated aircraft suffer from inter-granular and exfoliation aluminum corrosion of Wing spars cause damage that made aircraft unairwothy and not worth the repair cost.

 

Has anyone who has treated the new Super Duty frame with Fluid Film seen any adverse reaction to the factory coating? I know it says that it may degrade some existing coatings.

I've used it on my Toyota truck frames to avoid the corrosion issues they seem to be plagued with. I avoided using it on my 2007 Super Duty because I thought it would affect the waxy coating that was on that frame. Just wanted to see experience with the 2017 Super Duty frames.

Thanks!

 

I just sprayed my 2017 F-250 (which I just bought a few weeks ago) but last year I sprayed my 2017 F-350 dually with Fluid Film (bought October 2016). I saw nothing amiss with the frame coating; the truck was in to the dealers for routine service several times and the dealer staff never said there was any problems, either.

I have also used Fluid Film on many Super Duty trucks in the past: a 2012 F-250 XLT, a 2015 F-350 Lariat, a 2016 F-350 XLT, and a 2016 F-250 King Ranch. None ever showed any problems from the Fluid Film.