Hello Folks!
I am a first time Ford owner and just recently purchased (about 3 weeks ago) a 2K7 F150 XLT 5.4L Triton SuperCab (Charcoal). At the time of purchase i also opted in for the xiamize protective coating for the exterior & interior of the truck that the dealership offers, I took it in today to get that done as a matter of fact. I am now wanting to get an undercoat done on it as well, there is alot of moisture here is Idaho and with the winters being as they are and the kind of terrain i usually drive in i thought this may be a good idea to get done. However, i dont know much about what i should be looking for when shopping around for an undercoat. I know that the dealership offers an undercoat that i think has a warranty for 10 yrs and it is about $295, but i dont know what product they use and if it is any good. I been reading through the forums and have seen that alot of people recommend the POR-15. Is this the best around? I am planning to call a few places to get some quotes but i want tobe able not to only ask the right questions but know what a good answer should be. For instance, should the undercoat be warrantied for life? how thick should the coating be, is there a standard? what underparts of the truck actually get undercoated? should i be worried about the undercoat coming off if I later on decide to pressure wash the underside of my truck? what are some of the products that i should stay away from? and what are some of the good ones? how much of the undercoating solution needs to be applied (1 gallon? 5 gallons?)? how much is a reasonable amount to pay?

Also is this something that i could potentially do myself? is there a good how-to on this somewhere? and if i could it myself then how much do I need? what do i put the undercoat on (the entire power train?)?

I would really appreciate any help that you folks could provide. Thanx!

~pman

 

I would NOT get any kind of undercoating done to your truck. When they do it, many shops apply it to EVERYTHING, and this causes lots of problems. Often, undercoating can seal in water that would otherwise drain harmlessly out and cause the vehicle to rust out prematurely. This can also cause problems with heat buildup in the exhaust, and really can not help anything.

Your truck came from the factory with all surfaces treated to last under a variety of circumstances. The best thing you can do for it is to leave it alone!

 

I bought my 05 used, and it came with the undercoating, and I like it. The only minor problem I had was when I changed my fuel filter, it was also coated. It was kind of a pain, but I had to throw it away anyways.

What happens when sticks or stones chip the underside of an uncoated truck? My undercoating has held up better than I expected!

ERIC

 

While undercoating may prevent rust in some areas, if done wrong it can seal up drain holes as Crazy001 pointed out and make matters much worse

I would not bother with the undercoat but I usually rinse the underside pretty good every month or so during winter- especially after driving on salted roads and I make sure the drain wholes aren't clogged 2-3 times a year.

Now I am looking at undercoating the wife's Mazda Tribute in a effort to quiet the interior but I will be spraying primarily in the wheel wells and spare tire pocket.

Tim

 

Thank-you for your feedback folks.
I am surprised to see that the majority of the response is towards not doing it. I was not aware that it could cause those kinds of problems. Are there parts of the truck then that i should perhaps think about having undercoated, like pilot suggested perhaps the wheel wells?

thanx!

 

If you are that concerned, the rear wheel wells would probably be the only place worth doing...stuff can fly off the tires and chip the paint. But IMHO even that's not necessary.

I have a 12 year old Blazer, and this thing has been up in northern NY and MA it's entire life. The previous owner never undercoated it, and for that matter didn't even maintain it that well. There's virtually no rust on it, and the only areas that I've found rust would NOT be undercoated in the first place, such as the inside of the rear bumper, and the bottom corners of the rear doors. The underside of it is holding up very well, without undercoating!

 

I'd vote no undercoating too, anywhere. The way the metal is prep'd these days, you don't see as many total rust outs like you did in years past. Areas with heavy salt usage still have rust buckets driven by people who probably never wash their vehicles, and undercoating will probably trap the salt and make the problem worse as others have already stated.

I'd recommend just letting it go and see how it fares. If the wheel wells get chipped up (which I'm betting won't happen very quickly), you can hit those areas with POR15 or something similar. To put POR15 on properly, you'd want to get the area clean of all loose paint anyway, which is most of the wheel well from what I've seen, so I don't think you'll be any further ahead doing it right away.