Just got my new 2020 f150 and want try and keep from rusting for along as possible. So I am going to have the undercarriage sealed/rubberized to help with all the salt in CT throughout the winter months. There is already a bunch of surface rust starting so i definitely need to do it before this winter. Does anyone have any experience with paying a shop that do it or is it not worth the money? Or should I just do it myself. I know it'll take a while to do it myself, but I'm thinking it might be fun. Any feedback about this job would be appreciated.

 

didn’t think anyone did that anymore? Will make rust issues worse.

Checkout products like surface shield, wool wax or fluid film.

 

Do not use any rubberized undercoating. Those trap moisture and salt. I’d recommend WoolWax or Fluid Film. they make both in black so it’ll hide any rust color and make everything underneath black.

I use both. WW on the outside of the frame and suspension as it holds up better than FF. I use FF inside the frame because it creeps well.

I don’t coat the aluminum.

 

Thanks, haven't looked into it in over 20 years. Didn't know if they came out with anything better than the por-15 I used to use on my 80's cutlass's

 

Fluid Film, Wool Wax, Krowne... not a rubberized product.

 

I just spray used motor oil on the steel components. The oil film will stop rust from spreading. Yearly applications will enable you to drive the truck for 30+ years.

Anything else is just a waste of time and money.

 

There are a bunch of Fluid Film applicators in CT, I know for sure one is in Colchester. I certainly wouldnt call it a waste of money; its popular for a reason. Check out the Project Farm video on coatings, fluid film comes out near the top and is cheaper & more readily available than the winner (a CRC product I believe). My plan is to have my truck fluid film'ed and then see how it looks next summer. The rule of thumb is to have it coated two years in a row and then every other year after that. I think ill take a look and see if I can maintain it with off the shelf aerosol cans.

Another option is to find a place up north that oils trucks. Though it didn't do nearly as well as Fluid Film in the Project Farm testing, its a lot cheaper. I have a friend that makes a little family vacation out of going up to new hampshire in the fall to have his trucks coated. He swears by it, another friend swears by Fluid Film. Doing nothing is the worst thing you can do, so do some research and find out what checks all your boxes and get-r-done.

 

While I can appreciate that and I completely understand where you’re coming from. I wouldn’t go as far as to say everything else is a waste of time and money.

Woolwax will stay on in high wash areas a lot better and coat thicker than used motor oil, it’s not harmful to the environment and it also doesn’t smell as bad.

To each their own.

 

Let me clarify....,
With proper prep, a good epoxy coating would hold up well.
But who really preps every single hard to reach surface, all the angles of the frame.... I have seen a lot of undercoating jobs living in the salt belt. None that impressed me, and all of which I suspected of poor prep.

But yea if someone actually does the work, then a good quality coating would hold up well.
I should have said, paying someone is a waste of money. Odds are they arent going to do good enough work to hold up for even 5 years.

 

Thanks for all the knowledge. I will look up the wool wax and fluid film. Since that por-15 lasted longer than my cars did I am going to see if they even still make it and if they had to change the formula since all the new restrictions in the past 25 years. If they still make they probably had to change it so I will most likely go with the wool wax. Either way almost anything is better than staring at rust on a brand new truck.