How to fully clean undercarriage?

Hi all,

I recently bought a 2019 Tundra and at the dealer I noticed some mud packed between the frame and running boards even though the exterior was spotless. I asked them to clean it before I picked it up. They told me they put it up on the lift and sprayed it all out. They did but did not do it to my level of OCD so I need some help on how to get it all out.

This weekend I put the truck up on jackstands in my driveway and got down on a creeper and sprayed the whole thing down with my 3300psi Honda powered pressure washer for what felt like forever. I then loaded up my foam cannon and sprayed it all down and then rinsed it down again with my stubby wand. I got alot out but after looking at it today after it fully dried it needs more. There is a brown mud wash still on everything and places like on top of the trans and transfer case there is still packed in mud. The transmission cross member is still full of packed in mud even though I sprayed it out too.

What I'm looking for is some sort of chemical that I can spray on it and let it soak for a bit then spray it again to dissolve the dirt as much as a I can. I bought some Simple Green concentrate but I haven't tried it yet. Think that'll work?

I was gonna try to brush it but there's not a whole lot of surface that I can brush down there as everything is tight. I want to get the frame back to clean as a whistle so I can fluid film it this fall in prep for this winter.

Any other ideas or things I can try? I don't have a lift I can get it up on to really have the best access.

Thanks

 

Do you have specific recommendations? I was going to try purple power but didn't want it to harm any of the aluminum components underneath.

 

Is it really that bad?

Maybe you bought this truck?

 

Adding water to dirt makes mud. l'd let it dry good and hit with compressed air and a poker like a junk screwdriver or similar type tool. Maybe a stiff brush or stiff drill brushes.

 

Well tonight I tried a couple things.. I first gave it a light hit of water with the pressure washer, then sprayed it with a 1:1 concentrate of simple green and her soak a bit. I hit it with a stiff brush for a bit where I could reach.

Then I added dawn dish soap to my foam cannon and soaked it down with dawn foam. I then hit it with the pressure washer again. I have a hot water tap and a tankless water heater so unlimited supply of hot water so I ran full hot water to the pressure washer to see if hot water would help.

I won't really know how well it worked until it fully dries but if it doesn't work I'll just deal with it as I work under it.

I did think about the air compressor and I can try that next time I get under there. I also thought about using a theragun with rubber ball attachement to vibrate the sheetmetal bit under there to see if it shakes any free.

 

A garden hose with a good jet nozzle might be better than a pressure washer because you will get more volume of water to dilute the dirt or mud without the risks involved with high pressure. Either the twist type brass cone or a Gilmour branded pistol grip, both give some pressure with high volume.

 

Yeah....Nothing worse than working under a Truck with a bunch of dried mud under it.
Safety glasses required.

 

Have you tried putting one of those lawn sprinklers that go back and forth under your truck?
It takes awhile but it'll get the vast majority while you sit back and drink a few cold ones.
It also helps to move it around so it hits things from different angles.

 

You know that's not a terrible idea.. I need to see how my handy work came out now that it should have tried but worst case I could probably shoot some engine degreaser foam cleaner up there and then just stick a sprinker in there and let it rip for awhile.

 

Maybe something that keeps you from crawling underneath like an

$75 Tool Daily Dual-Function Undercarriage Cleaner, 24", Water Broom for Pressure Washer with 7 Nozzles, Under Car washer Attachment, 3 Pcs Extension Wand, 4000 PSI

Undercarriage Attachment

 

After getting kicked out of every coin op carwash in a 20 mile radius this was my answer.
Then I'd just shovel it up into five gallon buckets and bring it back where it came from.
Had the guy ask me at Shilo Ridge why I was dumping dried mud on his property.
Told him I was just bringing back his dirt and explained to him why and he just laughed.

 

I ordered one and will try it this weekend. Thanks for the idea

 

The best thing about the lawn sprinkler is you dont have to move it around constantly.
You just let it do it's thing and move it every once and awhile.

 

I'm gonna steal the sprinkler idea to wash the salt off my 4Runner with hot water in the winter. Sucks getting wet on the driveway when it's frigid weather. Already bought the ptessure washer attachment, but I try to avoid getting water in the punp during winter so it don't freeze and crack. Thanks for the idea!

 

When coming home from Surfside here in Texas there was a cool kind of car wash on the way.
No soap involved or anything just a shit ton of sprayers all the way around.
For a couple bucks you could drive your truck through it to wash off all the salt to avoid corrosion.
And with nothing to maintain or chemicals the Dude was making Bank off it!!!!

 

I use the oscillating sprinkler under my boat/trailer when I return from the coast to rinse the salt from the trailer bunks, axles, etc. Works real well.

 

Hmmm...
Kinda think an Armored Personnel Carrier would be overkill.

 

There are places that dry ice blast and laser off grime it will take everything off but pricey