Got a rust free F-150 and I'd like it to stay that way for as long as possible. I bought a gallon of Fluid Film which I will apply once it warms up a little, but should I put something beefier over that? There's Rubberized coating, Polyurethane coating and a host of others, heard stories of some actually retaining water.
I bought my C-1500 from Georgia about 10 years ago, had I sealed it better it wouldn't be rusty now and I wouldn't be selling it.
Also, the F-150 has plastic plugs on the rocker panel implying something was done before, how do I shoot sealant through a 3/8" hole and distribute it evenly within the cavity?
Thanks, Dan
I did spray can rubber coating on my truck frame. It lasted a couple years. Not super impressive, but it needed something and it was cheap and easy.
I'm interested in hearing answers to the second question. I just welded bedside patches on my truck, but I don't have a plan for sealing the inside yet.
My 2016 Chevrolet Silverado was bought new 25 months ago and the frame had some sticky crap on it that I avoided. After 2 years of calling on a few rock quarries and 2 Chicago salty winters my mouth drops when I get underneath and see how much rust has started.
My retired quarry buddy says the limestone and dust suppression spray is brutal and to suck it up and expect it.
As Neal Young sang.......
https://youtu.be/i6RZY4Ar3fw
I've tried both the rubberized undercoating and bed liner spray can products.
The wasn't impressed with the rubberized undercoating at all. Maybe I didn't prep well enough or something but I couldn't get it to adhere worth a damn. After it dried, I could scratch it off with my fingernail. I did two coats. This was in rear wheel wells in a Super Duty work truck. Within 3 months it looked like poo due to the rock chips.
The bed liner in a can I used on the grill and frame of my Wrangler. I sprayed it on waaaay to heavy on the grill, in the humid Florida summer, then hung in up in my not ventilated garage to dry. It was still tacky 4 days later. It eventually cured all the way through. It took a beating from bugs, sand and gravel for 7 years. It looked just like it did when I sprayed it on (it faded a bit thanks to the Florida sun). I used it on the frame to cover up some scrapes from a bolt on rock rail install. I used two light coats (learned my lesson from the grill) and made sure the surface was clean. It came out really well. It looked great after 7 years as well too.
As far as holding moisture against the surface; I'm not sure. The bedliner didn't flake off of the frame so I'm guessing it didn't rust under there.
I think they make spray wands specifically for applying Fluid Film up into rocker panels. There were a few conversations here about that but I can't seem to find them now.
If you use rubberized undercoating, it needs to be underneath the fluid film. It only sticks to clean paint or bare metal. Anything dusty underneath will give water retention behind the undercoat, and thus hidden rust. Eastwood sells a fluid film like product in aerosol cans with 18" spray wands that work OK. They also have a self etch primer with similar wands, if you are certain you are spraying into bare metal cavities. If the truck appears to have cavity plugs now you should assume the previous applicant was fluid film type product.
Just bought a remarkably rust free 2004 silverado in pennsylvania. It was 2wd, so no winter plowing which helps. When I asked the seller how he kept it so clean underneath he said fluid film every fall. Looks like it did the job, will be buying a couple cans for next fall.
Any coating like paint, undercoat, or bedliner will not be perfect. It will let moisture behind it and then one day you'll realize that behind the pretty paint is raisin bran flakes. For as much moisture as they keep out, they retain whatever gets behind them. That's why fluid film and Krown are so effective. Their purpose is to soak into pores of the steel and creep into corners and then their oily/waxy nature displaces and repels water.
I did Krown, mostly because I didn't have the time to do it myself and Krown had a retailer a few miles from me. I have been very happy with both the appearance and the protection.
Mine is a 94 Mazda and this is its first winter ever. It was a FL snowbird truck.
In general rust is caused by dirt that accumulates in the nooks and crannies of the underbody and remains damp also unpainted surfaces like door panels. Make sure all drain holes are open.
So keep it clean. A spray wash of the wheel wells etc is a big help.
Drive through puddles.
Stay off dirt roads.
Fluid film or make up some home-made waxoyl.
So this is probably a dumb question.
Does Fluid Film (or Krown) make everything sticky underneath or is it more oily? The latter I can handle, the former is a non-starter.
It makes everything oily. I had a lot of small pebbles and whatnot stick to the frame, but it would come clean with a nice wipe off. Also makes washup easier because its slippery and stuff does not stick.
