Addressing surface rust and undercoating

Here in PA. Just picked up a 2020. Underside is pretty clean but starting to see surface rust and heavier rust on the inside of the rear bumper. I wanted to try to get this addressed before it gets out of hand. Then I also want to get it undercoated. Figured I would just pick up some rattle cans of rustolium to hit the rust with. Would probably pull the rear bumper off and handle that a little different; sand and hand paint rustolium. Any opinions if.this is the right approach or is there a better product to use? As for the undercoating, wanted something more permanent but it seems like the going product is fluid film. Only issue with that, is I doubt any paint will ever stick to it again so need to do the paint before rhe film.

 

I would use a rust converter like Corroseal instead of Rustolium, here's a link. Good luck.

$31 Corroseal-82320 Water-Based Rust Converter Metal Primer, Rust Converter - 1 Qt

https://www.amazon.com/Corroseal-Wa...&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584138871838758&th=1

 

Thanks, but leaning towards an aerosol product.

 

Two coats of POR-15 is what I’ve used and it’s held up. Only needed to reapply after about 8 years. Did the backside of my front bumper but never did the rear and my rear rusted out pretty quick.

 

I have an 07 that needs some light preventative attention, mainly weld seems/joints, etc where the factory coating has simply worn out.
I’ll be using the Eastwood products- https://www.eastwood.com/search/?q=Rust+

That Corroseal works great for heavily rusted projects, and you can spray it, but requires a top coat of primer/paint. I’ve also had good success with Por 15, but going to try the Eastwood since they make a convenient aerosol can.

Then I’ll coat with Wool Wax. They have a newer “permanent” coating now.

 

Wool Wax Hard On looks interesting. The prospect of having a long-term treatment is appealing.

 

I agree about the wool wax hard on. Just read about it and that is exactly what I'm looking for. It's permanent and I can still wash the underside of the truck during winter without worrying about washing off products like fluid film. Might not even need to touch up the surface rust developing on the frame weld joints. How do you apply it though with all the stuff such as lines and wiring under the truck?

 

After talking to a shop that applies fluid film, they were against the wool wax hard-on. They noted they would have to change over their spray system and would have to mask the truck and other components off. With FF, they just washed the truck off if any got on the paint. I am actually leaning towards the regular wool wax now. Local shop charges $900 for lifetime applications. The FF shop charges $375 for first FF application and around $130 for all future applications.

 

POR15 is what I used on the entire underside of my truck. I'll take pictures later on.

 

I went with CRC Marine after watching this video
https://youtube.com/watch?v=lyWHF4NoNVk&feature=share8

 

This is my first time hearing about wool wax hard on. I am tackling rust on my new-to-me 2017 with rusting on the frame welds and some of the body underside.

I had been wire brushing and then converting with Rust Kutter (citric and phosphoric acid) and had intended on using Nuxodol, which is actually recommended by toyota

but I love the idea of the hard on so I don’t have to re-apply every year. I’d still use nuxodol 300 or 700 inside the panels etc but I’d love to hear more discussion about the wool wax hard on vs the classic woolwax.I might even start a separate thread.

I can find the SDS for “hard on” but it doesn’t state what the chemical composition is. I wonder how it differs from other non rubberized but hard coatings. It certainly can’t be lanolin based?

What does everyone think about it experiencing the same issues as other coatings that trap rust inside and rot from inside out? I wonder if this mitigates that, but i can’t see how it would

 

I'm looking at using

VHT SP229 Rust Convertor Spray Paint – Black – 10.25 oz Aerosol Can

this for some spots on my undercarriage.

 

I watched a vid on the ole yeeeewww tubes saying this was best. I will be ordering for mine.

 

Good to hear. I already ordered a couple cans

 

I have been using Blaster surface shield on my 2020 since new. I also live in PA and have no rust. I apply twice a year.

 

For anyone interested in the Woolwax Hard On product, I reached out to the company via email and received this as a response -

"The Hard-On formulation is a blend of several corrosion inhibitor agents along with some highly refined corrosion inhibiting drying oils. I can tell you that it does contain a trace amount of asphalt which gives it the ability to adhere to non pristine surfaces (oily, rusty, etc.).
Hard-On is a water-based formulation. Rubberized coatings that trap moisture (Ziebart) don't do it from the start. Rubber naturally breaks down from heat and road chemicals. The same as rubber bushings and boots on the undercarriage. When the rubber coating breaks down and becomes porous, it is then that it alows moisture to penetrate to the base metal and cause uncontrollable corrosion. I can't comment on all thoe other products because honestly I don't know much about them. Since MSDS sheets transitioned to SDS there is almost no information on them anymore except hazardous materials.

I can say that most of the products that are left on the market today, all perform pretty well. You really can't go too far wrong with any of them. The really bad products seem to have disappeared over the years.

Again, than you for the interest. All the best !


Please let me know if I can provide any additional information

Sincerely,
Bob Smith
Woolwax Undercoating"



I want to take this at face value, but the products that he is references and says he is unfamiliar with were 3M and Eastwood. They are solid/hardening products and have been shown to still rust from the inside. I don't want to undermine his email, but I don't see how the WW HO can differ from existing products that are not currently the leading recommendations

 

Here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu1n1POMg98

 

I use Krown up here in Canada. They do a pretty good job. But I use fluid film at work and have used it at home on vehicles in the past. It sticks well and doesn’t drip which is nice. Truck will get oil sprayed again soon in the summer weather, really helps it creep. That will be second undercoating in about 7 months. I’ll do it once a year after that. I usually slide under myself with a rattle can and spot spray as well.

 

Why tf don't manufacturers actually properly treat/paint/protect the frame and rest of the undercarriage on the assembly line? I have surface rust as well. Recently took it to a reputable shop that restores classics...they gave me a quote for a few thousand to properly remove components/suspension & clean all the rust, chemically treat the frame/undercarriage, and seal everything (not with the crap undercoating that dealerships use) w/ lifetime guarantee.

If rust happened as easily on fenders/hoods/etc, people would be up in arms & Toyota would address it. I don't understand why its acceptable for the frame to have rust, the vast majority of consumers not give a shit about it, and dealerships tell them to go pound sand if they do take it to them?

 

Manufacturers are responsible and environment friendly. Thus they make biodegradable vehicles. If you don't need the vehicle anymore and don't spend time and money on rust and UV treatment, the vehicle will be gone in just under a couple of decades. Could be less.

 

lol

 

I feel like I advocate for Noxudol products every other week

Noxudol is Swedish company, they are among the best. Volvo, which in pre-Ford era used to reject rusting, used Noxudol and Mercasol at assembly line.

I did my 2019 Tundra treatment at home in 2019, when it was not introduced to New England slushy-salty winters yet. Used Noxudol 700 cavity wax to spray inside the boxed frame and 1600-UM everywhere else. Didn't care about appearance, so wasn't doing anything for spatter protection. It lost its initial glaze and stickiness quickly. 4 years forward, it holds up exceptionally well. I do offroading with this truck, it is even hard to scrape Noxudol off with ice and boulders. Only patch it with a brush occasionally.

The rear bumper was done past winter. Sanded the rust and applied 1600 with a brush.

Did the same to wife's new 2022 Sequoia, only used a Raptor spray gun, which did a thinner layer. Would advise using the gun pictured. It uses more air and product, but the layer is much thicker.

1600 doubles as sound deadening: road noise transfer through the frame is nearly extinguished.

 

Most 1st gen owners don’t have a favorable opinion of Noxodul products since Toyota used it as a band-aid to apply to already existing rusted parts as part of their frame service campaign to avoid payout to every owner suffering from pre-mature rust issues, myself included.

I’ve treated my frame externally with POR-15 and it’s done a fantastic job keeping rust at bay yet it still rusted from the inside out even with Toyota’s Noxodul 700 treatment inside the boxed section of the frame rails.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't use 300 to treat an existing rust. 700 is better for that as it is more agile.

The problem with those super-rusty frames seems to be in a bad metallurgy: whatever you do on surface, it does not help, because the metal rusts inside. I saw the same problem with wife's ex-Volvo XC60 built on Ford's platform. Whatever I did to fight the rust on the subframes, even sanding everything down to the metal and treating properly, it was flaking up. The metal alloy itself was wrongly formulated or contaminated during smelting. I think my 2019 have similar problem with welding seams: the rust from inside the metal, even without air or moisture contact. The frame around the welds is fine and rust free.

 

Where are you exactly in PA? I'm just outside of Philly, and I drive to York to a Line-X facility to get Krown applied once a year. I've gone 4 years in a row now and I'll go for the life of the truck. It has been incredible, and for $160 an application it's the best money I spend all year. For other daily drivers in my fleet I use Fluid film or Surface Shield and DIY as best I can. For my truck I prefer the Krown since it's the only vehicle I have with a full frame and would be the most expensive vehicle to replace, and they get in absolutely all of the body panels.

My 01 Tundra had the frame replaced due to PA winters. I washed it a ton, but never did any sort of preventative treatment like fluid film or Krown. The rust on the rockers and wheel wells started to show before I sold it as well. Never again.

And I wouldn't bother with the paint if it's just very mild surface rust. After multiple coats of fluid film, Krown, or anything similar it won't be an issue at all.

 

Yeah after hours of research I’m landing on driving about 2hrs to a place that does known for $160. At least I’ll know it’s a thorough application (in theory)

 

That's good, and I'm sure you'll be happy. I like to remove my spare tire before I go so they can get up in the frame well around there. The first gen Tundra frame recall was largely based around the spare tire falling out while driving, hence the safety issue and recall. I walked out one morning and found my spare tire half hanging out. The truck was then towed to a dealership and luckily they replaced the frame for me back in 2015.





I think you'll be very happy with Krown. It can, and does, slightly deform some of the edges of the wheel well plastics, and it makes everything a mess to work on, but it's very effective. The fact that it gets applied in all of the body cavities is a huge bonus for me. And if it does start to wear off around high traffic/splash areas I can easily apply some fluid film if needed.

 

Since they are both lanolin based, you don’t see any reactivity between the two when spot treating with FF?

 

Nope, haven't had any issues. I've only really noticed it wear off at the upper rear shock mount for whatever reason. Probably just from driving through the rain. Hardly anything to worry about, but I always have a few cans on hand anyway for my other cars. I'll try to get some pictures when I get home today of what 4 years of treatments looks like. I get it applied end of October/beginning of November every year.

I bought the truck used in 2019 (it's a 2016), and it has some surface rust on the welds like every other Tundra. I didn't paint anything before treatment, and honestly that rust is gone now. It looks better now than it did in 2019 when it was all dry and slightly rusty.

 

I'm about 2.5 hrs from there. A little far for a yearly trip. There are a couple line-x facilities closer to me but their product is called ValuGard which I never heard of. I'm leaning towards going and getting the regular woolwax applied.