Undercoating - worth the money?

[NDanecker]

With over $40k invested and plans to keep this truck till I retire (well, almost) I need this truck to last as long as it can.



I've undercoated my previous new purchase and am wondering if its really worth it.



I live in New Jersey. While we don't have the harshest winters we do get snow and have to deal with salty roads.



Do you guys say DO the undercoating or NOT DO the undercoating?



If so, which brand?

 

[Udaloy]

One of my old trucks was a 1991 Dodge that the original owner had undercoated, and also had yearly booster sprays done. I sold that truck to a friend, and it's doing good. We have so much salt on the roads, it isn't funny. I say it's worth it. I don't have a preferrence for a brand though.

 

[NSperduto]

Boy, that's a loaded question. I'm also in NJ, up in Hunterdon County. I think that alot of the new trucks are just made out of better sheet metal than previous times. My buddy swears how great Ziebart is. I ask him why. He answer was he had a 98 Ram with 110k on it and it never rusted. Then I answer him, well I have a 98 Dakota with 170k on it and it never rusted either and I didn't use Ziebart. My truck also stays parked outside and get's driven in every snowstorm.



I have no plan on undercoating my truck. I may paint the rears because I don't like looking at the surface rust, but it's not a structural problem. I am lucky in that I have a lift so I do my own service, so if the underside body starts to rust, I will know it and do something about it.



Nick

 

[PJ]

My answer is NO! It will trap the salt and moisture on the truck and also give D/C an excuse to void your warranty

 

[John - K5AWO]

I had a '65 Plymouth undercoated with bitumastic. Where the frame was clean of oil, it stuck like a welded joint. Under the fenders where the rocks kept pelting it, it would flake off in a few years. Salt & water crept in under the edges and doesn't dry off.



It is a two edged sword. I like the undercoating because of noise reduction ( helps a lot ), but if you don't watch it for breaks, it can make the rusting situation even worse.



No under coating, and attention to washing the under body from dirt & debris works fine too. My dads '72 Impala did not have any undercoat. He never washed it. The whole rear end nearly rusted off. I had to replace the trunk floor and both rear fender inner skirting.

 

[DJaquez]

Having lived in Colorado when they salted everytime it snowed I found that taking time to wash the undercarriage worked just fine and I didn't have a rust problem although I owned my ferd for 10 years.



Each to thier own. I like to think about it in the following manner: If undercoating give you peace of mind - then do it. You are the only one who can answer if you will be second guessing ( :-{} ) this decision for years to come.

 

[midlife crisis]

Go see Jost in Wall Twp on 34. Formerly a Ziebart dealer, they still do the process. Every vehicle I own, and my co trucks get the Ziebart, done correctly of course. This doesnt mean you dont wash the undercarriage after a salt dose, or regular retreats arent necassary. They are. Call me a believer.

 

[HPagel]

I'll be headed to Jost in a few weeks. My 89 Dakota has Ziebart. Living near the ocean, 250+k, hauling wet scuba gear and lots of salt and sand still no rust. 93 Dynasty no rust. 94 Ram no rust. (Although some of the undercoat was washed off with a fuel leak and there is some rust on that part of the frame rails)

I have had rust buckets in the past ..... but not since Zeibart. Maybe they are using better sheet metal ..... I don't want to take the gamble with this investment.

Besides ..... Mama says"This is your LAST $$$$$ truck!" So I have to make it last.

 

[Blakers]

Around here - NE Ohio and NW Pa - many folks have their trucks sprayed with oil every year. Several places around will drill your doors and other places that are hard to get to and spray oil into everwhere they can, then put plastic plugs in the holes.



Used hydraulic oil works great. One place rebuilds trannies and uses the used ATF for spraying under trucks. The oil works better than undercoating and is cheaper. If applied in late summer, when everything is nice and dry, the oil will soak up into all the seams and joints. And, if you have any rust starting, it will soak into that too. Most places charge between $35 and $50.

 

[Jeff]

I think it's worth it...

1995 w/ 151K on the clock. Ziebart when it was brand new for around $300. Did my yearly updates for $40. So far I have had

almost $9,000 worth of paint jobs (driver door, front left fender, both rear quarters) No hassles, no deductables. Everyone sees my truck and the can't belive it's almost 10 years old. As many know. . Ohio/Michigan winters is hell on trucks. I will admit that I have other vehicles that are same age (1995) that don't have a spot of rust. I would have never put that amount of bobywork into the truck if those bills were getting paid out of my pocket.

I hear that Z-Tech is a pretty new company with a good product and warranty also. To each his own. Jeff

 

[Dean Upson]

As Jeff says, to each his own. I feel it isn't necessary and have never seen any real conclusive proof that it works. I have always considered it a dealer add-on along with the "special treatments" on the finish and interior.



Dean

 

[Blakers]

Has anyone ever tried one of those electronic - anode/cathode - anti-rust gizmos? They use them on pipelines, boilers, ships, etc. , and they seem to work on those.



Blake

 

[Iguide]

By Pbjonson2

My answer is NO! It will trap the salt and moisture on the truck and also give D/C an excuse to void your warranty.



Unfortunately Mr Johnson doe not know what he is stating here. Undercoating DOES NOT void your warranty. I researched it with my dealer and D/C. In addition Mr. Johnson lives in Oregon which has very different weather conditions than we do in the northeast. I had a 96 extend cab one of the first that D/C produced. Also any applicator that applies undercoating that does it when there it moisture underneath is someone I would be skeptical of. A true pro preps. his work before beginning.



I did not undercoat that and after five years I definitely was seeing some rust in places on the body never mind frame etc. I started to deal with it then with oil & grease but once it has started with out protection it is like closing the barn door after the horse is out. I would not have gotten rid of that truck but my wife was forced off the road one day when she was in it , totaling it. That is how I ended up with the 03 CTD I have now. Learning from my past experience and also planning to keep this truck for an EXTENDED period of time I decided to get it under coated with Tuff Coat. Which does not dry & crack like many of the other under coats.



As to if you should or not, that is up to you. For me & I seem to have the same idea as you, in keeping it for an extended period of time. It was a no brainier. Never mind that in the long run it will keep up the residual value more.

 

[DPKetchum]

Undercoating was given up SEVERAL years ago. When I was with Nissan the salt states WERE not the issue. Islands and coastal areas is were the rust issues were. With the new metals being used rust through is a thing of the past. In fact the rust proofings were the rockers are drilled and filled caused more rust then leaving them alone. Nissan as well as other auto makers did some big studies on rust. Undercoat is a waste of money now. Two decades ago it wasn't.