To rustproof or not to rustproof....that is the question.

[CReinhardt]

So I've got my brand new (29 miles) diesel Ram in my garage and am deathly afraid that it will catch terminal cancer during the winter. I've heard the theory that leaving it alone is better than having holes drilled into sheet metal, yet, I have friends that had their vehicles Ziebarted and haven't had a touch of rust after many years of ownership. I'm not about to shell out the cash without knowing that this is indeed effective. I hear that it's about $500. 00 for rustproofing . I would appreciate any input offered. Thanks!!

 

[RKelly]

Well, here's my philosophy (for whatever that's worth)?????

I bought mine new, and immedietly did two things 1) applied two coats of NuFinish to all paint, chrome, opened the doors & applied to everything I could reach, opened the hood, applied to everything painted I could reach.

2) bought some cheap black spray paint, and painted everything on the bottom of the truck (axles, frame, front end parts, everything except the drive shaft & exhaust). I even painted the radiator, seeing as that's were all that salt mist from the guy in front of me on the highway ends up.

I do this a couple of times a year, and I always make sure one of those times is right before the white stuff starts to fly. The truck is 2 years old. Absolutely no rust, door jams look like new, and the underneath is in great shape.

Total cost for two cans of spay paint & bottle of NuFinish,... about $15.

ray

 

[MidwestMotorman]

application

Any rustproofing or environmental protective is only as good as the application. If the surface is not prepped right, one can actually make things worse. I did not have mine done for that reason. I make sure I periodically wash the underside of the vehicle and inside the rear boxsides. No problems after two years.

 

[Spaceace]

Warranty

I remember seeing a warranty problem. Look further

 

[Ramafid]

The use of galvanized steel has almost eliminated the rust problem on sheet metal unless you scratch through to the bare metal. I wouldn't do the rust- proofing treatment. IHMO it is just a waste of money.

 

[Barnstormer]

I agree with Ramafid. Double sided galvanized steel body panels eliminate most corrosion problems. Over time, some rust proofing treatments peel and bubble creating pockets that retain moisture and actually promote corrosion. Given reasonable care, your Ram will continue to look great for a long, long time.

 

[Dieselnerd]

I doubt that you will find any more salt than here in Minnesota in the winter. Mine is 5 years old and has no rust and has not been rustproofed. The key is to keep the salt washed off especially on the underside.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Some folks here in the Northeast like to spray automatic transmission fluid all over the place under the truck... it works wonders... but makes a HUGE mess and is very illegal here in Massachusetts.



Matt

 

[dodger22]

Check out Krown Rustproofing. Not sure if it's available in the U. S. or not but this is one that has been tested against Ziebart and the like and it comes out on top. Some rustproofing is like a rubber coating, the problem is it dries out over time and moisture and rust forms between the body and coating. Krown rustproofing is a non-toxic oily substance and can be applied if the body is wet. This stuff "creeps" into crevices etc. To maintain the warranty it has to be applied annually, the cost for the SB was $120. 00 (Canadian pesos eh)? This price remains the same for all subsequent years' applications.



When I was getting my truck done, the owner of the franchise was telling me that many of the utility companies were actually extending the in-service life of their vehicles because the bodies were not rotting out like they used to without the rustproofing.



He showed me an older model Ford - maybe '85 that has been rustproofed all these years and there was not a spot of rust anywhere.



Hope this helps.



Richard

 

[MidwestMotorman]

amsoil

I know one fellow (an amsoil dealer) who said that the amsoil spray grease makes great rustproofing. He had it on for two years and it did not shrink, crack, peel, or harden. He had it all over his first generation in the underbody and inside the boxsides. He had replaced 90% of the panels on the truck due to rust, and he wanted to keep the truck looking great agian forever. It may be something worth looking into.

 

[roycrown]

Personally, I would vote for rustproofing. Don,t know what it is like in other states in the winter, but here in PA, they use "anti-skid", which is salt mixed with gravel. The gravel seems to get bigger every year also. As you drive down the road the gravel blasts away the paint, like sandblasting, then the salt eats away at the bare metal (yes, it will eventually blast thru galvanizing). Penndot LOVES to spread this anti-skid and is not in anyway conservative with it. If it is October thru April, there will be anti-skid on the road reguardless. My neihbor has a 2001 Q. C. , less than one year old, and it has visible rust on it, both outer body and underneath. He has full length running boards on for rock protection, and took a long time installing big ugly (but protective) flaps for prevention, but all for naught, as the anti-skid got to it. It is going to the body shop soon as he can't stand to look at it. Nice looking truck too, but my eyes also go straight to the rust.



Rustproofing, at least in PA, simply cannot hurt.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

Salt drifts

I went throught the northest in January. Those states have salt DRIFTING across the roads. New York and Massachusetts were the worst offenders. I was glad to get back to Iowa were we have liquid de-icer on the majority of the roads instead of salt.

 

[CReinhardt]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have heard of that rustproofing that is more oil based and soaks into the metal. I've also heard you can pick it up in 1 gallon pails. Anyone know what it's called?

 

[Extreme1]

It is petrolium based. It doesn't soak into the metal but (as mentioned above) it wicks into seams etc.



Galvanized panels might be enough in the south but salt (ionic, eh?) will wick into places that most fluids can't. This includes spot welded seams. Over time it will attack the unprotected edge of the weld and rust will be the result. I had the door bottoms fixed on my 94 Ram 2 years ago. The seat base it rusted most of the way up to the seat from salt wicking up around the seat bolts. In the winter you can see the salt stains on the carpet.



The solution: Go to your local Ziebart (or other) rust proofer and ask how much for an undercoat job with no warrantee. You don't need it because all they do is give you back a small part of your money anyway. A local place here said $100 for undercoat.

 

[BRobertson]

rustproofing

I use LPS3 that I buy in the gallon size. I then use a common spray bottle to apply it. We have used this on aircraft for many years. It is the only thing that I have seen that will last thru many immersions on amphib. float parts.

 

[CReinhardt]

I bought a product called Rusfre that is the oily type that was described earlier. My dad used it and said it works well. I'll let you all know in about 5 yrs!! I'm planning on keeping my diesel for at least 20 yrs. With a little mechanical ability and help from you guys. Thanks again!

 

[Jeff H]

Question you gotta ask your self is. How long do I wanna own this truck. It does nothing for resale.

In the winter my truck looks like a salty cracker. When spring rolls around I wash and wax the truck. Looks good as new. I do not have rust proofing at all.

 

[CReinhardt]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I just wanted to let you all know what I did in my rustproofing efforts. I took a few ideas from the posts and incorporated them. I first cleaned the underside of the truck (frame, body, etc. , not the exhaust or the drive shaft) then painted it with black rust-oleum spray paint. Then, gave it a good coat of rus-fre. Long live our trucks!

 

[Blakers]

My truck is a 95 and has no rust! And it spent its entire life in northeast Ohio - we have salt mines here so it is cheap and they use it like it is. So it is a wonder to me how it stayed so good - not sure what the previous owner did.



But for added insurance I had the whole bottom, in the doors and in the tailgate sprayed with oil. I've done this before with other trucks and it works. I like hydraulic oil, but used ATF will work. Motor oil is ok, but the detergents in it allow it to be washed off easier. If done when the truck is completely dry, the oil will get into all the seams where you want it. Even if it washes off some, it stays in the seams.



From past experience, undercoating works for about 5 years, then dries up and gets brittle, trapping moisture underneif, making it worse than nothing. I would recommend spraying old undercoating with diesel fuel every year with a fruit sprayer to keep it soft.



Blake