Hey all, so with the onset of winter and some recent issues I have had personally, I would like to hear everybody's tactics to combat the winter salt. I use the open bays at the car wash weekly to blast the exterior and undercarriage even though they are dirty again five mins later. I also do a nice winter prep of the exterior. I had the undercarriage spray coated which has proven to be well worth it thus far and would highly recommend to you all. My biggest concern as of now is the engine bay...what does everybody use to clean this area? Any thoughts, techniques or suggestions would be great for both the exterior and bay!

 

I just clean the engine bag thoroughly each spring.

The most important parts to keep from rusting (that'll easily rust) are the inside bottom of the doors, the rear wheel wells and the inner tailgate lip.

I coat the bottom lip of the doors with grease and blast them with the pressure washer at each washing. Same with the tailgate.

For the wheel wells, you MUST spray the topside out or they'll rust. You can only access that area when looking up from under the rear bumper at each side. You can spray the actual wheel wells and coat them all you want, but they'll still rust out.

The rust starts where the metal meets (there's also foam there they'll hold moisture and salt) on the topside of the wheel well.

 

I have some rust on my driver side wheel well which was there when I bought the truck, everything else was good, I treated it and it hasn't spread going to repair in the spring

 

The PO probably never rinsed the topside of the wheel well out. Surprisingly, most don't.

I've seen a lot of 09-14 trucks in my area that have real wheel well rust starting as well.

 

How do you clean the engine bay in the spring?

 

I do it all by hand. I apply fluid film on any exposed metal parts in the fall too. I wipe it all down with a degreaser and simple green. Then apply a trim dressing.

I'd never take a hose or pressure washer to it.

 

Awesome I'll make sure I try that once the weather warms....in June haha

 

My rockers are inner bedsides are all coated with fluid film. I have rear fender liners installed as well as the rubber fender skirts on the front which are popular on here. I also had the fender lips and corner where the rear door on my super crew meets the cab corner bed linered. It was getting sand blasted under there. I ran a thin rubber casket around the edge of rear fender lips and held it on with 3m super trim adhesive. The edges of the fender lip seem to chip easily. This stopped that. When I go to the car wash every time the weather goes above freezing so probably once a week, I go through the automatic touch less side that has the undercarriage wash. Then I go over and manually wash out the inner fenders and hit the rockers too. It Sucks living in the rust belt. I will also never purchase another truck that doesn't have a plastic fender flair installed oem like the fx4s have.