Rust-proofing

Hey guys I'm looking to thoroughly rust-proof my 02 Tundra. A couple co-workers have recommended going to Ziebart. I read the reviews online and they seem legit. I even called and got a quote for $750 after sales tax. Does anyone have any experience with Ziebart?

 

No experience with them. Our northeastern brethren will have more to say, but with our trucks it’s vital that the INSIDES of the frame be clean as well. Check that before you coat anything.

 

Are you rustproofing because your truck has never seen a salt-road winter? Or because you're already rusted after 1-to-21 years of salt-road winters?

It makes a difference. I personally wouldn't use any encapsulating coating over existing rust, you'll just rust under the coating, invisibly. If you've already got a clean frame, I'd probably Woolwax or Fluid Film it.

But that's also coming from a guy who'd never live in the rust belt, also.

 

You can DIY with aerosol Fluid film (6-8 cans), a big disposable tarp or cardboard to park on, old clothes and a mask.

 

Truck has history in Indiana, Kentucky and southern Ohio (Mostly northern Kentucky). Now it resides in West Central Ohio. Frame under the cab is really clean for being 20 years old. Previous owner applied some thick black goop to the frame (it's tacky like a thick grease) and said the truck didn't qualify for a frame swap, but Toyota applied some kind of rust preventative instead. Has a little rust under the bed, but nothing that can't be remedied. I'm looking to further preserve the frame as previous owners have done. Ziebart told me over the phone part of their process is power wash the underside, clean off any surface rust, and remove doors, grill, bumpers, and bed liner to treat the interior rust hot spots.

 

I wouldn’t do it. If they do a shit job covering it, it’ll create more problems than it’s worth by trapping moisture underneath which is absolutely what you want to avoid.

Also, it requires annual touch ups to address areas where it chips off underneath. See video below.

https://youtu.be/F0NQsZQ7lkM?feature=shared

 

Tacky stuff is Noxudol. I would open one or two frame channel plugs and see with inspection camera what's inside. If it's flaking off badly, the frame is gone even if the outside still looks okay.

Frame channels need to be sprayed as well. Noxudol 700 is good, it has a special wand, but there are other similar products as well.

 

I would not let Ziebarts treat your truck. I would just treat the areas yourself that have rust and then fluid film or wool wax the frame and underside yourself. I would remove your Bed liner and check under neath it for rust. If you are ok with it I would leave the bed liner out of the truck and just pick up a rubber mat for the bed. The plastic bed liner’s can rust a bed out.

 

I noticed in the vid that when he scraped the Ziebart coating off the frame, there was surface rust underneath. He cut away and when he came back, the surface rust was cleaned off. I stopped watching.
I'm guessing he's a mechanic/shop that sells and applies the Ziebart product.
Anything that dries to a hard coating will likely have pin holes, areas missed, places that flake off, etc. Moisture will get into these areas and travel underneath the coating.
You want to remove loose rust because coatings don't stick well to loose material. After any loose rust, paint or old undercoating is removed and you completely seal the surface, the rust will not spread. The iron needs an oxidizer to burn. Seal it off and it can't burn. Like removing o2 from a fire.
I prefer a wax/oil based substance and also prefer a transparent substance over black, so that I can still see the surface and see any trouble spots developing.
Something like Ziebart, you won't know that your frame is half rusted away underneath until you scrap it off.
So far, in 50 yrs of living in the NE, the best rust prevention I've seen is when there's oil or grease caked all over something. Usually from a leak or something that's greased all the time and has squeeze out.
But, since it would be a pain to lather grease all over the entire bottom of the vehicle, I started using CRC. This will be my first winter with it, but the salt water boating community seems to like it.
In the olden days, I used to mix some motor oil and diesel in a pump sprayer. But that's messy and has to be reapplied too often.
Oh, and $750 is a lot of money. You can diy for the next 10 years for that much.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone! Right now I'm leaning towards my own inspection (especially the inside of the runners) and will watch the DIY videos this weekend of how to apply woolwax and/or fluid film

 

Use surface shield, your neighbors and family will thank you

 

Let’s see some pics of this frame

 

The rust bubbles are from underneath the spare tire area

 

Just seeing that on my truck would compel me to grind it all off and treat it properly.

 

There's definitely rust under a lot of that.

 

I was coating the frame on my 2015 for winter today and had a mix of products... Fluid film, Amsoil MP, and some PB blaster Surface Shield. I have been using FF for years with good results. I picked up the Amsoil and thought it would be better in the fender wells because it doesn't wash off easily. Honestly PB is the best for applying with less smell. I haven't seen it yet so we will see. Northern Ohio loves to spray brine and salt so we are definitely the proving grounds. The Amsoil cans suck. It sprayed as much product on my hand as it did on the truck for 2 of my cans. I emailed amsoil and they want a receipt to replace it. I sent pictures and an email. I think I will be doing to CRC next year. For $15.00 a can I am probably done with amsoil. All of these products work well. In 9 winters my chassis is still very solid. Some surface rust but all still there. Attached is the pic of the Amsoil Fail LOL