rust proofing

[Darian Key]

Hey guys, i have a 97 explorer xlt, 2wd 4.0 ohv with 158,000 miles. It is an original Michigan car and it came from my uncle who passed away. Anyway even being a Michigan car this is most likely the most winter driving it has seen, ever! Just this winter. So it is completely rust free, still has most of the factory black paint on the frame, and completely rust free everywhere else. I want to undercoat the underbody with paint on Bedliner but my real question is would it be a good idea too Bedliner the inner wheel wells and rocker panels? I plan on keeping this truck for a long time because its been in the family since it was new but it was RARELY driven in winter. I commute 70+ miles a day bad weather or not and all this snow/salt and below 0 temps is crazy. I know it will make it fine this winter but explorers like to rust the hell out up here. I haven't been able to wash it in the last few weeks so snow, salt, and below zero temps are giving me that feeling that its slowing rusting out as I speak. She'll be fine till spring but any input would be nice, thanks! As soon as it reaches 30 or so I'm cleaning it, I'm too paranoid lol

 

[my98nnj]

Google POR-15 it's the best out there.

 

[c.mike]

Google POR-15 it's the best out there.

I second that, best rust product I have ever used. Pretty remarkable stuff

 

[pbnj22]

2wd in Michigan snow?? Couldn't get away with that here in Minnesota !!

 

[Darian Key]

Ive heard of por 15 but its a bit on the steep side but I'm sure is worth it. And it made it just fine in the last few snow storms, last storm had 15 inches and didn't get stuck once. It has all terrains though so that's probably why.

 

[Darian Key]

Now that I just looked at the por15 price its not bad at all. I thought it was 100+ for 2 quarts. I was wrong.

 

[joney]

I realize this is an OLD thread, but thanks to posters - you may still be active here! AND I think spending say a max of $150 on rustproofing my XLT frame is a good investment, in a snowy/salty winter environment.

 

[CDW6212R]

The under coating and bedliner materials are a top coat, many rust proofing products will be also. POR 15 is also a great top coat. But those are ideal for a brand new vehicle, or after treating existing corrosion. The rust that kills cars is mainly what grows from the inside out, it gets into body seams or openings in the body(holes built in for mounting clips of trim etc). Then once inside, it spreads farther in and grows in all directions.

So for any used vehicle, just coating over existing rust etc, does not reduce the damage there. It does reduce some damage by sealing new moisture from getting in to the metal. But ideal would be to attempt to reduce the corrosion and rust that has begun, before coating/sealing over the surfaces.

It's a matter of degree. If you only seal it up, the old rust will still be there and grow fast. If you treat the accessible rust first, and then seal it up, the lesser amount of rust left behind, it will grow at a much slower pace.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

It's a matter of degree. If you only seal it up, the old rust will still be there and grow fast. If you treat the accessible rust first, and then seal it up, the lesser amount of rust left behind, it will grow at a much slower pace.

^^^^ Totally agree. There is no such thing as “rust-proofing.” The best you can do is to slow it down.

Good luck with this.

 

[94Eddie]

IMO, it is best to use a product like Fluid Film or something similar every fall to prevent rust and stop the rust from advancing that is already there. You need to use something that penetrates to all exposed areas like the inside of the frame rails, door jams, tail gates etc. Also, I recommend using something that you can apply annually in the fall before the roads are salted. Anything like bed liner will accelerate rust because water and salt will get under this coating (you CAN'T stop it) and it will just sit there and rust the steel away. By the time you know your frame etc. are rotted away it is too late to do anything about it. Look up YouTube videos about various fluid coatings and how they need to be applied. I have seen people who live in the Rust Belt apply Fluid Film annually to new vehicles and 4-5 years later there is very little signs of rust. It also stops rust from advancing on older vehicles. Fluid film is inexpensive and there are other brands that basically do the same. Many shops in the Rust Belt areas apply these liquids for reasonable prices. To do it right requires the vehicle to be on a lift and access holes drilled (they get plugged with rubber seals) in critical spots to make sure all areas get treated properly.

 

[J_C]

IMO, it is best to use a product like Fluid Film or something similar every fall to prevent rust and stop the rust from advancing that is already there. You need to use something that penetrates to all exposed areas like the inside of the frame rails, door jams, tail gates etc.
.... To do it right requires the vehicle to be on a lift and access holes drilled (they get plugged with rubber seals) in critical spots to make sure all areas get treated properly.

This. You really need holes and a wand to get the rocker panels and doglegs, which many of us have found are the first areas to rust out, not the frame. Granted you can drive around with those rusted or repair later while the frame is next level and usually sends them to a junkyard.

I may not remember the correct order but here is roughly the sequence that rust is eating my '98, parts replaced or patched as needed:

Front Sway Bar Links & other bolts (for shocks, axle U-bolt, etc)
Rocker Panels & Dog Legs
Exhaust Heat Shields - No point trying to protect these, it'll just burn off, strapped them on after welds broke
Brake Lines
Tire Winch
Exhaust - No point trying to protect, it'll just burn off
Spring Seat/Lower Shock Mounts
Cargo Area Floor Pan behind right rear wheel well
Spring Shackles

My frame is in fairly good shape considering the environment, though it's going to be a pain to fabricate a replacement upper shock crossmember when that fails, and I've extra weight on it from my Monroe load-adjust shocks so extra stress on it and whatever replaces it. When the time comes I may try to find some low rust junkyard donor vehicle in a more southern state.

 

[fast_dave]

Rust never sleeps...

 

[CDW6212R]

Here's the underside of my 99 in 2006, after I replaced the rear clip and painted the front. Next I undercoated the whole thing, minus the wheel wells. I sprayed anything which looked like corrosion first, with Rust Dissolver. It took 3-4 cans of under coating(3M), I ran out before getting to the wheel wells. You can see the line where we welded the clip together. The back was an Ohio truck(93), and the front was from Virginia IIRC.