Fluid Film Undercoating?

[bgeorge]

I have a friend who just bought a used 2011 Silverado who had his under carriage sprayed with Fluid Film for $350.00. I have an 05 AC Tundra with 107K which has been garaged for its life. There is a little surface rust on the frame where the welds are but it looks clean. I want to keep my truck forever!

I understand that Fluid Film can be sprayed on rust and it will stop any further rusting and prevent any new rust.
I am considering having it done. How long will it last? If I do it, I plan on wire brushing what I can see before I have it done.

Any opinions are welcome!

[PineMountain]

I started using Fluidfilm this year on my '03. I applied both the thinner product (internal cavities) and the regular material. The product is highly regarded by the members of various snow plowing and grounds maintenance (commercial lawn care) websites.
Previously used wax-type rust proofers- Eastwood's, Amsoil HD metal protect, Paralketone -and found that I had to go back to scrape, phosphoric acid treat (varous companiy's products) and recoat small areas & certain edges every summer. There always were fresh rust spots each spring. I'll also add that I have a lot of experience with vehicle rust prevention, and have found my truck to be more prone to rust than other vehicles that I have owned. My larger concern is with rust spots that I can't see or access.
That being said, so far so good, but it's early yet. I think that an oil-type (FF is largely lanolin & petroleum distillates) material will work well- think of the "old-timers" that applied used motor oil to their equipment. The oil would stop rust from spreading.
I will also note that the FF penetrated the waxy rust proofer, making it soft/mushy- not a bad thing.
Fluidfilm does require re-application- 1-2 years from what I've read. I have all of the equipment necessary to do so myself. As a side note, I found that the regular FF is best sprayed on using a pressure type paint sprayer- much more even application with less excess buildup- than with the rustproofing gun.
HTH

[bgeorge]

Thanks for the feedback! Anybody else? Winter has arrived here in the Northeast.

[jm.hammond]

I go to the John Deere Dealership and buy it in a can. Its like 5 bucks and one can will do the entire frame of my 01 tundra. I just wash the undercarriage with soap and water and wait a couple of hours for it to completely dry. Once it is dry i get a dirty old t-shirt and spray the fluidfilm on the shirt and wipe on to the frame. I also spray a good coating on bolts, leaf springs, and welds. I do this twice a year when i wax my truck.

I live in Colorado and my frame looks like i just drove it off of the lot. O and while your at it spray some on your battery terminal connectors to prevent acid build up. Save the 350.00 and do it for 5 bucks yourself.
This product is amazing….i even use it on my guns.

[DJ]

I live in Oklahoma, where vehicles tend to not have the "cancer" of rust. Here, we don't get a lot of snow (but we do get ice) and so vehicles see very little exposure to salt on the roads. As a result, my frame has only a few spots of very light surface rust.

Two years ago, I sprayed those spots with Fluid Film. It's still there. It has stopped the progression of that light surface rust as if at gunpoint.

I recommend Fluid Film 100%.

[Jimmypop]

I go to the John Deere Dealership and buy it in a can. Its like 5 bucks and one can will do the entire frame of my 01 tundra. I just wash the undercarriage with soap and water and wait a couple of hours for it to completely dry. Once it is dry i get a dirty old t-shirt and spray the fluidfilm on the shirt and wipe on to the frame. I also spray a good coating on bolts, leaf springs, and welds. I do this twice a year when i wax my truck.

I live in Colorado and my frame looks like i just drove it off of the lot. O and while your at it spray some on your battery terminal connectors to prevent acid build up. Save the 350.00 and do it for 5 bucks yourself.
This product is amazing….i even use it on my guns.

I agree. Save the $ and DIY!! $350 buys you alot of FF.

[cheapskate]

If you truly want to keep your truck for a long time then you should get it properly oil sprayed once a year. You need to drill some holes to get all panels properly treated. Spraying just the underside will help frame rust but does nothing for the body. Once your rockers start to go you're pretty much done for. Check the local Rust Check or Krown type compaines in your area and get it done yearly. The best time of year to spray is on the spring since it's the humidity that promotes the rust and accelerates it.

[bgeorge]

An update my progress on the fluid film. I decided to buy three cans from the local John Deere store ($9.63) and do it myself. I cleaned best I could and sprayed about 2 cans worth. The truck is 8 years old and had very little rust. The welds and cross member were the worst.
I have a white truck. The area under the rear bumper was also bad. I did some research and found that small bits of metal from the road gets imbedded in the paint and rusts. I do need to give that some more attention. It is suggested to use a light compound then seal it.

Having garaged it for its life has payed off. I wonder how many years a truck or cars life is extended by garaging it?

Total cost for the job $20.00.

[JDMHN8]

I live in Oklahoma, where vehicles tend to not have the "cancer" of rust. Here, we don't get a lot of snow (but we do get ice) and so vehicles see very little exposure to salt on the roads. As a result, my frame has only a few spots of very light surface rust.

Two years ago, I sprayed those spots with Fluid Film. It's still there. It has stopped the progression of that light surface rust as if at gunpoint.

I recommend Fluid Film 100%.

I did the same with my 4Runner and my Tundra. I was paranoid that the salt/mag chloride would compromise my pristine AZ trucks' undercarriage when I lived in CO. $10, 30 minutes of you time and you never have to worry about it for another year or so.

A good etching over-rust primer and some undercoating spray paint are recommended for spot treating visible rust first.

[jv]

Hey there, I live in Salt Lake City where we obviously use salt to de-ice roads and i bought my 2004 Tundra 2 years ago used and the previous owner sort of used it as their "snow car" and from the amount of rust I had/have on the undercarriage and frame i don't think they washed the salt off much in the winters. Since i plan on keeping the truck forever my concern has been just keeping the rust from spreading further and protecting the truck through the winters here.

I typically use a can of spray on Fluid Film just before winter hits and i apply it to any exposed rust underneath the truck. Mainly on the frame, the rear diff, the drive shaft, etc. Here is a picture showing some of the rust on the rear diff and drive shaft (obviously i do not apply Fluid Film to the muffler or pipes):


I find the Fluid Film lasts about the entire winter, so 4 months or so here but typically has been washed away by the Spring. i should mention i wash the undercarriage as often as i can shortly after salt road driving in the winters. It is impressive how the Fluid Film stays wet on the areas applied, i haven't seen anything else that does as well.

I'm not sure what stores carry it locally here but I typically just order a few cans online once a year, here's a link:


Fluid Film Spray 11 3/4 OZ AEROSOL CAN: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Hope this helps. In my opinion the stuff is definitely worth a try.

[cheapskate]

You spray it on just before winter but what about in the spring? I didnt know this but was told most of the rusting occurs in the summer with the humidity. So do you give it a good clean then spray it again in the late spring or early summer?