1. Welcome to Tundras.com!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tundra discussion topics
    • Transfer over your build thread from a different forum to this one
    • Communicate privately with other Tundra owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Woolwax Undercoating 1 Year Update

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by mech_engineer09, Oct 30, 2020.

?

Do you undercoat your vehicle?

  1. Yes

    31 vote(s)
    55.4%
  2. No

    12 vote(s)
    21.4%
  3. I don't need to based on my location

    13 vote(s)
    23.2%
  1. Oct 30, 2020 at 11:50 AM
    #1
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar
    I guess now would be a good time to update everyone on my experience with woolwax since we are getting into crappy weather here in Ohio and will likely soon be seeing snow, which means salted/chemically-saturated roads.

    I applied the first coating on shortly after purchasing the truck in early October of 2019. My reason for choosing woolwax was simple, but took some time researching, youtube videos and reading other people's reviews on different products. I heard many good reviews about FF, but also saw that it tends to wear off, so I chose woolwax because it is just a more viscous version of FF without the smell.

    After deciding on woolwax, I purchased their pro gun, which comes with a longer wand and one with a 360 degree spray nozzle that's good for getting inside frame members. I purchased 2 gallons the first time, 1 for mine and 1 for my dad's tundra. I ended up using all of it on both trucks. It cost, if i remember correctly about $100 for the gun and $50 for a gallon. I also purchased a couple of the aerosol spray cans in case I missed a spot or needed to reapply in any places, which was much easier than dragging out the air compressor and setting the pro gun up for a small spot. I also purchased a pair of goggles, a 3m resuable respirator, and a disposable tyvek suit. Trust me once you get this stuff on your clothes, it's never coming out so I have an outfit dedicated for when I work on my truck because it's impossible to avoid getting this stuff on you after you apply it and work on your truck at all.

    I covered every square inch of the truck. inside the doors, tailgate, wheel wells, inside frame members with the 360 degree nozzle, etc. it was very easy to tell where I had already sprayed even with the straw color woolwax. Took me about 4 hours to do both trucks. Good thing I'm young because even my back hurt after rolling around on the driveway for 4 hours spraying this stuff.

    I went through the winter of 2019-20 and noticed that over time, the woolwax collects a nice top layer of dirt that kinda protects it from coming off. I was amazed that only 2 places on the bottom had wore away back down to the frame after a while. It was two spots on the frame by the trd pro skid plate near the rear and are directly parallel to the ground. I'm assuming that this is where if you hit a puddle, the water splashes onto the frame. So I touched up those 2 areas with the aerosol spray cans and did the same once warmer weather came.

    Since I applied the first coating in cooler weather, mid october, the only problem I had when applying was that since it was cold, the woolwax became very viscous, so I had my dad heating up the quarts in front of a propane heater while I sprayed.

    I was extremely happy with woolwax's ability to stay on even through all the slush and water and snow that winter threw at it, so obviously I wanted to apply another coating the following year. I went on their website and the had a new product called woolwax HV wheel well grease, I bought a 16 oz can of it and it comes with a firm brush to apply.

    My dad did not want another coating because he was going to change the brakes and rotors on his tundra and didn't feel like getting the woolwax all over him haha. So, I just bought 1 gallon of the woolwax. I applied this woolwax HV on the areas I mentioned earlier that had worn away from the previous year. This stuff is extremely viscous and I really don't see this ever coming off, even in the high wash areas. I'll get a picture of it later on the truck. I sprayed the entire gallon all over the underside again. I skipped the doors and tailgate as it says you only need to apply once in those areas for the life of the truck. I made sure to get into the wheel wells again, I found this time it was much easier to get in there with the aerosol spray can with the 360 degree attachment they have for the aerosol cans. You can get inbetween the plastic liner and the fender and not have to remove anything.

    Overall I would say that i'm extremely happy I found this product and was able to apply it myself to my truck. I think it's cheap and easy insurance to prevent rust from becoming a problem on your vehicle and I will definitely be applying it to any other vehicles I purchase in the future unless I somehow manage to convince my fiance to move somewhere nicer lol.

    If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will try to upload pictures as soon as it stops raining here.
     
  2. Nov 1, 2020 at 4:17 AM
    #2
    rebmo

    rebmo 2020 Crewmax Limited 4wd Silver/Black

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2014
    Member:
    #827
    Messages:
    411
    Gender:
    Male
    Rural SE Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2020 CM LImited 5.7L V8 4WD
    I did my 2020 for the first time yesterday with Woolwax black. Used the pro kit and 1 gallon. I had used Fluid Film on my 2010 and it worked pretty good but wore off in 6-9 months on the highly exposed areas. The WW went on thicker and I really appreciate it not smelling like FF. All set for WI winter now.

    For those using FF or WW; do you use underbody flush or not when washing? I did use underbody flush when washing my 2010 in winter, but wonder if I’m better off skipping it and not wearing down the underside coating? I go to a spray only touchless wash.

    Thanks for the write up.
     
    mech_engineer09[OP] likes this.
  3. Nov 6, 2020 at 4:47 AM
    #3
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar
    I haven't washed the underside at all since putting on my first coat of WW right after getting the truck. There's really no point as all you're going to do is wash off the WW. After a few months the WW gets a nice crusty dirt layer on top of it that protects it from removal even further. I just applied the second coat right over everything. I might apply 1 more coat next year and then just do yearly touch ups if necessary. I'll never own another vehicle and not do this as soon as I purchase. Such a great and cheap way to prevent your vehicle from rusting.
     
    rebmo[QUOTED] likes this.
  4. Nov 6, 2020 at 7:41 AM
    #4
    BecauseRacecar

    BecauseRacecar New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2020
    Member:
    #40816
    Messages:
    216
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio
    Vehicle:
    '20 Tundra SR5 DC 4x4 Magnetic Gray
    I've been using Fluid Film for a few years, and yes some of it washes off, but you still get a lot of protection. This will be my first winter with a mostly steel vehicle that's been undercoated, so I'm curious to see how it holds up (previous car was a Subaru STI, which has a fair amount of aluminum components underneath).

    Isn't woolwax being sued by Fluid Film? That was my mechanic's reason for continuing to use FF, that WW is in trouble and mostly unavailable, at least commercially.

    I used to apply that stuff myself, but you're absolutely right about making a mess! I was using a buddy's hoist to do the application, I can't imagine attempting in my driveway with jack stands. So I just pay my mechanic the $100 for an annual application.

    Bottom line, stay away from the rubberized crap, and use FluidFilm or Woolwax, whatever you can get! It can be sprayed over existing rust no problem. It does not exacerbate existing rust like POR15 or others might. And skip the undercarriage wash at your car wash as it will slowly remove the coating.
     
    mech_engineer09[OP] and rebmo like this.
  5. Nov 9, 2020 at 4:49 AM
    #5
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar
    I tried looking that up but can't find anything on it, I don't see what you can possibly sue someone for about this stuff. It's just lanolin, woolwax doesn't have that nasty ass fluid film smell and it stays on better. So it's not really a debate for me as to which is better. As far as not being able to find it, there's multiple places you can buy it. I've bought it from:

    https://www.woolwaxusa.com/

    and

    https://www.kellsportproducts.com/

    but you can also buy it from Amazon:

    https://www.amazon.com/woolwax-Lano...X9TB01PZWKF&psc=1&refRID=EQFNP61MBX9TB01PZWKF

    all are in stock so you should have no problem buying it.

    I'm still young enough to get under the truck in the driveway with jacks and roll around on the ground without feeling like someone hit me with a truck the next day lol, but eventually I'd like to get a full overhead lift, but that won't come until I buy a new house with a huge garage.
     
    classiccat likes this.
  6. Nov 14, 2020 at 8:14 AM
    #6
    classiccat

    classiccat New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2018
    Member:
    #20694
    Messages:
    89
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Chris
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tundra Limited SuperWhite
    Nice update!

    I'm going on my 4th winter with my 2017 and very little rust on some of the frame welds were paint flaked off...mostly carryover from winter-1 since it wasn't coated (I bought it 1 year used). I just re-adjusted my ebrake cable and the mechanism still looks brand new; once I loosened the jam nut, i was able to adjust tension with my fingers.

    In spring & fall, I use a combination of amsoil MPHD (initial layer only), FF (body panels, seams, etc.) and WW (axles, exterior frame rails, suspension, etc).

    As for washing, I like to at least neutralize "salt" throughout the winter using products like salt-away or salt-off using just a garden hose on an extension wand.

    Regarding the high-viscosity WW, since it doesn't creep/penetrate as much, it can supposedly prevent seams from being protected...i guess they have a low-vis version as well.
     
    mech_engineer09[OP] likes this.
  7. Nov 16, 2020 at 6:41 AM
    #7
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar

    Regarding the high-viscosity WW, since it doesn't creep/penetrate as much, it can supposedly prevent seams from being protected...i guess they have a low-vis version as well.

    I did mine in the middle of summer this year, so I'm not really worried about that. I would only really be worried about that if I sprayed it when it's cold outside, but even then, you have to heat it up with a propane heater or something in order to spray it in the gun, so i really think it's a non-issue.

    As for washing, I like to at least neutralize "salt" throughout the winter using products like salt-away or salt-off using just a garden hose on an extension wand.

    I didn't even know this was a thing haha. I'll have to look it up now.


    Edit: just looked up those salt neutralizers, I won't be using those because my truck is ceramic coated and has PPF on it, so I don't want any degredation of those. Really though, you shouldn't see much salt sticking to the bottom of the truck with the undercoating applied as it gets that hard, dirt protection layer over it, and even if you do have some salt, it's just on the protective layer and not physically coming in contact with your underbody.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2020
  8. Nov 18, 2020 at 12:53 PM
    #8
    Megaman

    Megaman New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2020
    Member:
    #53936
    Messages:
    94
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2020 Tundra Limited DC 4X4 TRD Silver Sky Metallic
    So....I just bought my 2020 Tundra a few weeks ago, and winter is here. It hasn't snowed yet (amazingly) - but when it does, they use salt and brine liberally in my area. Everything will begin to rust no matter what after so many years, and I realize that. I still have my poor 2000 S10 4x4 sitting in my driveway as proof of that. The frame, suspension components....everything underneath is horribly rusty along with cab corners and lower door skins....the usual places. But it lasted numerous winters, and it still runs/drives great. I plan to sell it on, and I'm certain it could be a good truck to throw a small snow plow onto for a while.

    I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned after reading all the posts on this forum about rustproofing the frames and suspension on these trucks. I knew Toyotas in the past had serious issues with frames rotting out to the point in which Toyota was actually changing out frames under warranty on these trucks in the past.

    But I assumed Toyota had improved the design and material so they wouldn't rust as quickly on the newer models? Or is it still a big issue? I only ask because I can go to a RAM forum for instance - and there's really no mention or big urgency to rust proof the underside of their trucks.

    I totally understand all the people that want to be proactive to prevent rusting on the undercarriage, but do the current Tundras rust out worse than other brands? I know Toyota has a good reputation overall for reliability which is why I bought mine, but if it's gonna rust out in 4-5 years, I may not be keeping it long enough to really see how reliable the truck is...
     
  9. Nov 18, 2020 at 1:25 PM
    #9
    classiccat

    classiccat New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2018
    Member:
    #20694
    Messages:
    89
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Chris
    Vehicle:
    2017 Tundra Limited SuperWhite
    @Megaman No worries man! Personally, I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time therefore treat them like long-term investments by minimizing depreciation; here in the northeast, I'd rustproof regardless of brand.

    Plus, it's nice not having to break out a torch every time you need to upgrade or repair.

    If i was leasing or trading-in every 3-5 years, I probably wouldn't be as vigilant.
     
    mech_engineer09[OP] likes this.
  10. Nov 19, 2020 at 4:58 AM
    #10
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar

    People on here just talk about it more because like me, they plan on keeping the vehicle for a long time and doing an undercoating like woolwax is a cheap and effective way of preventing rust and extending the life of the vehicle. I plan on keeping this truck until it won't run anymore. I put about 18k miles a year on it and would love to be able to have it for 10-15 years. Although, once I pay it off, I'm probably gonna buy something that's used that gets good gas mileage to go around town and take to work a day or 2 a week. If anything I would say Toyota is better than the big 3 at rust prevention or at the very least as good.

    I think you don't hear about it on the RAM forums because they all trade them in after a couple years anyway to prevent paying for a bunch of maintenance issues :rofl:

    At the end of the day though, if you live in an area where they put all this shit down on the roads, your vehicle is gonna rust regardless of the brand unless you do something to prevent or mitigate it. It only cost me about $150 the first time since I had to buy the pro gun and $50 the second year for just the WW and a few hours of my time to give myself peace of mind that I did what I could to make my truck last as long as possible. If you are really that worried about it and want to keep the truck for a long time and prevent rust, go do it now. It's not too late in the year and like I said in my first post, if it's cold just put the gallon can in front of the propane heater to keep it hot and runny until you dump it into the quart bottles for spraying.

    Just an FYI my dad has a 2016 which he had for about 4 years when I applied it to his truck and it had a couple areas underneath with minimal rust so i was impressed it went through 4 PA winters with that little. I find it much more common to see RAMs, Fords and Chevys with rusted out panels, doors etc. It might have something to do with Toyota being better at rust prevention everywhere on the truck and it might be that people who own tundras in general take better care of them because they know they last if they treat them right, but it's probably a combination of both.
     
    classiccat likes this.
  11. Nov 19, 2020 at 8:41 AM
    #11
    Megaman

    Megaman New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2020
    Member:
    #53936
    Messages:
    94
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2020 Tundra Limited DC 4X4 TRD Silver Sky Metallic
    Thank you for the replies. As you can see from my post, I do keep trucks for a very long time.....too long really. I had my 2000 S10 since new. Bought it locally. So I can't really complain about the terminal rust it has....it's went through 20 Wisconsin winters.

    Honestly, I doubt I'll hold onto this Tundra that long....obviously the gas mileage is dismal on the Tundra when you compare it to my small S10. I could get 25 MPG on the highway and 18-20 around town. Of course all bets are off when hauling my boat....it dropped to 14 MPG on the highway when towing.

    I just took a semi long trip in the new Tundra, and I was lucky to hit 15 MPG on the highway not towing anything. Aside from that, I think its a great truck so far. Once I got this truck, I realized how few of these are on the road. I think in 2 days driving on the road, I only seen 1 other older Tundra and about 2,000 Tacomas.....lol

    Here's what a truck looks like in my area after 20 winters. If I could take a pic of it on a rack from underneath, it looks every bit of it.
    62447588378__6FC51F69-BB73-4E13-AA1A-E1A69D4D94A4.jpg
     
  12. Nov 29, 2020 at 7:18 PM
    #12
    teamtlr

    teamtlr New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2019
    Member:
    #32190
    Messages:
    121
    Gender:
    Male
    Denver Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2020 Sequoia TRD Pro
    Nice write up. Is there any issue getting WW on the exhaust near the engine or overspray on the rotors?
     
    mech_engineer09[OP] likes this.
  13. Nov 30, 2020 at 4:32 AM
    #13
    mech_engineer09

    mech_engineer09 [OP] Tundra Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2019
    Member:
    #37157
    Messages:
    666
    Gender:
    Male
    Ohio/Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2020 MGM Platinum
    Ceramic Pro, XPEL Ultimate Plus, Woolwax Undercoating, Diamondback HD, TRD Air Intake, TRD Skid Plate, TRD Front & Rear Sway Bar
    I didn't cover up my exhaust when I did it as I wanted to hit the hangers for the exhaust and the bolts that tie the exhaust to the muffler, etc. It burns off after driving it for a little. Some smoke comes off the exhaust, but no big deal. Took a 30 minute drive after it was applied and was gone by the time I was done. I didnt really spray too much in the engine bay. I got inside the hood, the latch for the hood, battery terminals and a few other places inside the engine bay. I wouldn't purposely overspray everything in engine bay. the wands make it so if you're spraying close to what you want to hit, you wont have too much overspray.

    As far as the rotors, I took the wheels off so I could see exactly what I was hitting in that area, I got the backplates for the rotors from the inside of the truck. Some people wrap a garbage bag over the rotors and calipers when they're spraying and you can do that too, but I'd say you're better off just being careful in that area. Getting some on the rotors may lead to less effective braking I would say until it wears off.
     
  14. Nov 30, 2020 at 10:11 AM
    #14
    DIYDad

    DIYDad New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2020
    Member:
    #43766
    Messages:
    411
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2020 Tundra 1794

    The way I see it, by the time you figure out that you needed rust protection, it's too late, so I'll be making an appointment to have mine done. The small cost to have it done will easily pay back on resale if the truck stays rust-free.

    FWIW, I see a lot of rusty trucks on the road here in MA, many worse than the Toyotas - especially bedsides and rocker panels. My brother has had a series of Chevies and RAM diesels... he does the rust protection annually on every truck.
     
    classiccat likes this.
  15. Mar 3, 2021 at 8:49 PM
    #15
    splitfuse

    splitfuse Dr. Tundra

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2020
    Member:
    #55317
    Messages:
    92
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    AB-CAN
    Vehicle:
    2020 Cement Tundra Crew TRD
    Thanks for the Woolwax writeup OP! I’ve been obsessing over undercoating product research reading all the threads and watching waaay too many youtube vids. I had an ill-informed bad experience on my 2nd gen Taco and didn’t want a repeat. Tonight is the night, I’m pulling the trigger on my Woolwax order! Woohoo!

    :cheers:

    I wouldn’t mind getting some of the HV wheel well grease but they don’t list on the canadian site... i figure the next best thing will be a high wash resistance marine grease ;)
     
  16. Apr 19, 2021 at 6:46 AM
    #16
    BulldogDan

    BulldogDan New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2019
    Member:
    #38384
    Messages:
    257
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    Cement…Tundra #9
    6B5FDFBD-B6BE-4DF8-9547-AA2A8E0F1EAC.jpg I recently purchased a 2007 4Runner V8 Limited with 172k miles....surprisingly the undercarriage looked better than my buddy’s ‘12 Taco with only 80k miles. There is no “rust thru” on the frame anywhere. Just rust on the welds but no holes anywhere. The worst places were the cradle under the radiator and the rear bumper under the bumper cap. They were pretty rough with flaking rust but structurally sound. The rear tire carrier was froze up solid and the cable had to be cut to lower the spare. After talking to my WoolWax installer he assured me the rust would be arrested at the point it is now. The 4Runner was my guinea pig for this undercoating and I am very happy with the outcome. My ‘19 Tundra Platinum has been stored the last 2 winters and never saw road salt, etc. I plan on having it treated soon with WoolWax. I think it is a great product for the money. The 4Runner cost $180 which included the underside and inside all the doors, etc. I was quoted the same for the Tundra.
     
    Wallygator likes this.
  17. Dec 12, 2021 at 11:28 AM
    #17
    99_treasures

    99_treasures New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2021
    Member:
    #71708
    Messages:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    Great thread! Dang @BulldogDan $180 seems like a steal! Where are you located and what shop is this if you don’t mind me asking? I’m looking for Woolwax application in SE or Central Wisconsin. @rebmo Interested in spraying a few more trucks? ;)
     
  18. Dec 12, 2021 at 5:29 PM
    #18
    BulldogDan

    BulldogDan New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2019
    Member:
    #38384
    Messages:
    257
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    Cement…Tundra #9
    Sorry Buddy but I am not close to you. I live in central Ohio. The WoolWax dealer, T & K Rustproofing, has a little shop next to his farm house and does it by appointment only, just on the weekends. Yes, I thought $180 was very reasonable. He did a great job btw.
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2021

Products Discussed in

To Top