Good day everyone, since the new body’s are Aluminum and should last a really long time what’s everybody’s putting on the frames to keep them rust free? I live up north where the highways get coated in salt way too often. Lol. Thanks

 

Fluid Film. Apply in October and be careful to not do any underbody flushes using soap. Use it on the SuperDuty and Wrangler in salty northern IL and works great.

 

Ya I’ve had good luck with it in the past on my Excursion. Thanks

 

I did Fords undercoating on my 19. 3 winters in the salt and it still looks good.

 

I had Krown applied the day after I brought the truck home last month, although due to the aluminum I had them skip the drilling of the body panels. So far I've been impressed - the product is still creeping around filling crevices some weeks later.

I plan on getting it freshened up in the fall as this is a plow truck and will be seeing the worst of rust promoting conditions.

 

I have never heard of Ford undercoating. Is that a Motorcraft product that you do yourself?

 

2 years ago i started applying black Woolwax to the frame/underbody in the fall just for this reason. It's a little dirty and when you work on your truck it'll get on you, but there isn't a speck of rust underneath. I highly recommend Woolwax, it's very similar to Fluid Film but a little thicker so it doesn't wash off as easily from road spray.

 

Been using fluid film for nine years and it works as advertised. Our last two all steel trucks looked like they came off the showroom floor after 5-6 winters.

Even with the aluminum bodies I'm still coating everything just for that piece of mind. My dad's f150 had been through three winters (he doesn't drive it much in the winter but it has seen salt) and the body is spotless underneath even without any type of rust preventer.
ETA. Fluid film now comes in black if you prefer that. I don't see the point unless you never drive off the pavement because the dust will turn everything brown anyway but it's nice to have the choice.

 

When i finally get a new rig I'm going at it in 2 ways: First, I'm going to hit as much of the steel components- frame, axles, steering, etc. with the 3M spray undercoating. Then fluid film to the entire underside. Used this strategy 2 winters ago on my old truck and it's holding up great to northern Ohio conditions. This in addition to PPF to some critical areas.

 

I just bought an undercarriage spray for my pressure washer. Keep salts sprayed off. Besides the black frame paint seems like it doesn’t need much help, its pretty tuff.

 

Some easy to apply, consumer available, DIY corrosion inhibiting options available in rattle cans, include, but are not limited to, and in no particular order of recommendation or preference:

LPS-3 Heavy Duty Rust Inhibitor (remains somewhat tacky, MIL Spec and NSF approved, pleasant smell)

CRC 3-36 Aviation Grade (not plastic safe, flammable)
CRC 3-36 Technical Grade (Plastic safe, thin viscosity, more of a lubricant than a long term inhibitor)
CRC SP-350 (not plastic safe, flammable, industrial, might be hard to obtain)
CRC SP-400 (extremely flammable, industrial, might be hard to obtain)
CRC Marine Heavy Duty (extremely flammable, reviewed quite favorably in long term comparison tests by various YouTube'rs over other more popular products like Fluid Film, Cosmoline, Krown, etc)

There are literally hundreds of hats in the ring reaching for consumer wallets while promising corrosion inhibition. Marketers of consumer targeted products have no trouble making their brand names known, so I won't redouble their efforts in this post.

Instead, I will mention a company called Daubert Chemical, who with 157 different formulations of corrosion protection coatings for the transportation industry (not counting the portfolio of corrosion inhibiting additives developed for inclusion in the formulation of other coatings), emerges as a leader in automotive production corrosion protection. Most of these products are not available to the consumer, but a few are, and I will mention one in particular, because it is what I use on turn of the century Ford trucks that had wax based frame coatings.

Daubert Nox-Rust® X-121B is recommended by both GM and Ford (Ford Internal Reference / Toxicology Number 196380) for recoating truck frames repaired in the field, and is conveniently available in aerosol rattle cans. The B means black, so this is a pigmented, flexible, but not rubberized product. It is a solvent based thixotropic wax-gel compound that sticks and stays put after curing. It is designed to coat unpainted, unprimed, bare steel (such as coating weld repairs).

I discuss this product because I have experience with it, and wanted to use that experience as a way to introduce a company that doesn't advertise to consumers, because it is geared toward serving the transportation manufacturing industry. With 156 other corrosion inhibition / protection coatings produced by Daubert Chemical, there may be a different product more appropriate for general underbody protection and painted frames. Daubert produces about 15 different cavity waxes, as an example. I'm of the opinion that any product produced by Daubert that is available to the consumer will likely be developed with the same scientific diligence designed to satisfy OEMs.

 

Wow thanks everybody. That gives me a bunch of ideas. I might do some sort of undercoating than some fluid film after I’m thinking.

 

I forgot to mention SEM products cavity wax...great product for all the little holes in a body and frame...

 

NHOU is supposed to be a great product.

 

The dealer did it. They want to sell undercoating, tbe clear bra, paint sealant etc.