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Cleaning your JT in the winter

danielspivey

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So it’s the winter here in VA and was wondering how others clean their JT in the winter. Luckily we have had some warm days, it was 65 and I broke out the hose.

Mine is typically in the garage, but if we get a long cold spell without snow, I will park the Honda in the garage and the JT goes in the barn. While it’s in the garage I use the spray on wax cleaner with a microfiber rag as long as there isn’t dirt and grit.

This weekend I had just cleaned the JT and a buddy of mine was over and got one of the 4 wheelers stuck to the point I had to pull him out because we didn’t have a treee we could get the atv winch to. I got the JT SUPER muddy, and i told my buddy he was cleaning my jeep when we got home lol. Anyways, I was almost back to the house and I had a relevation... why don’t I just back the JT down my boat ramp (it’s a very flat ramp) to the axels and then come out pretty fast, to get the mud off. Well two rounds of this the JT had no mud to be seen. No scrubbing the tires or nothing!!
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hjdca

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Mine is a Stock JT Rubicon. After Mudding, I put it on my "race ramps" front and back (I have them for my other cars) with a slight incline. Then, I get underneath with a powerful hose, crawling up the incline as I hose the bottom completely off. It is the only way I have found to get the sticky mud completely off and stay dry.
 
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danielspivey

danielspivey

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Mine is a Stock JT Rubicon. After Mudding, I put it on my "race ramps" front and back (I have them for my other cars) with a slight incline. Then, I get underneath with a powerful hose, crawling up the incline as I hose the bottom completely off. It is the only way I have found to get the sticky mud completely off and stay dry.
What about during the winter when it’s near freezing? I don’t keep a log hose in the garage, it’s usually outside and frozen. I could always take it to wash, but they will scratch your paint up. Carpool is a little better but expensive and their wash will scratch also.

I have a soft top and tonneau cover and man the JT is the quickest truck I’ve ever had to clean. Takes no time.
 

WakesurfVT

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My Rubicon is ceramic coated but that doesn’t seem to matter much when it comes to the VT salt turning my black paint ashy gray! When temps are warmish (above freezing), I’ll take it to the local car wash during off-hours (went at 8pm Monday evening) where I spray it down, fill up a bucket with the warm suds water, mitt it down, spray it off and dry it right on the spot. If it’s below freezing or I’m feeling lazy, I hit the no-touch car wash and call it good.
 

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Sx3

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I at least rinse my jeeps constantly during winter. Mostly bottom and frame. I usually avoid top and doors when its freezing out preventing doors freezing shut.

To me it's important to keep the salt off the frame. Maybe when I install winch i could attach it to something high and lift the JT up in the air slightly to get better access to the under carriage.

All I know is my 97 TJ has a nice frame where as my other Jeep buddies are welding patches to their TJ frames. So I'm convinced I will continue rinsing frames on my newer Jeeps during winter.

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DaytonOhioGladiator

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Detailer here - the best solution is to use a rinseless wash inside your garage when it is freezing outside. If you have mud or heavy deposits, take it to a coin wash and rinse it first (bring a dedicated wheel wash bucket with brushes and a mitt to do your wheels while you're here - easier to rinse than in the garage). Here is the process by a trusted source.

Regardless of what people on here say - never take any vehicle you care about through an automatic car wash. They are either swirl/scratch machines (standard car washes) or useless (touchless). Take an hour, wash it yourself, with a quick vac and glass clean. It helps you keep enjoying your ride for years.
 

Troybilt

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I would say that during the winter here in Ohio I do two things. When the temps are freezing or below I will just rinse the salt off a few times a week at the coin wash. Luckily I live right next door to one. I give it a quick once over with the soap and then hit it good top to underside with the rinse. If it is below freezing I will stay away from the door locks as I have had them freeze up on me before and break parts inside. Once I get it home I will dry off the door frame and weather strip so that the doors won't freeze shut.

If it is above freezing I will take it to the coin wash and do as stated above. Once I get it home I will do a detail job and whipe it down with Mothers California Gold Showtime instant detailer.
 

saintpauljeff

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Rinseless... interesting, never seen that before. Tough to do even that anytime below freezing (and this is a lot of the wintertime) for us folks here in Minnesota who park theirs outside all winter.
 

ZTMAN

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In the winter, I bring a hose inside and store it in the basement so it is ready to go

. If the temp. gets in the 40s I will wash my vehicles, if needed. JT is first in line,

I fill the wash bucket up with warm water and wash away. I bought a pair of decoy gloves so the hands don't get too cold. They are neopreme gloves that cover about half your forearm. Will keep you nice and toasty.

After the wash, I drain the hose and put it back in the basement.
 

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double J

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double J

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For under the Jeep, I use an attachment my father made that you attach to the spray wand. It has wheels and a 90 degree bend with a quick release to attach spray nozzle.

I also coat the frame and other parts in the winter with fluid film spray.
 

highoctane

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I go to the local car wash and use the self wash bay to give the Jeep a good rinse. Then in my garage I use Optimum No Rinse (ONR), a rinse less wash chemical, to wash my Jeep. I follow it with Griots Speed Shine as a drying aid. I do this on both my vehicles. Every few washes instead of The Speed Shine, I’ll use Optimum Opti-Seal after using ONR to wash the Jeep. It’s a good sealant.
 

TrailHiker

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When I was a lad back in Minnesota in the 50s, my dad parked his car in the barn overnight and wiped it off every now and then. It didn’t get washed in the winter, once it was below 30F, until the spring thaw. The outside water taps were frozen anyway!
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Gladiator4Runner

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My buddy used to use his pickup for 4-wheeling/mudding. So every fall he'd go out and get it caked with mud, axles, frame, everywhere!
It would dry like cement! He would only wash the roof, hood and doors. The rest he would leave caked with mud.
His truck never rusted one bit. The mud protected it from all the salty roads!

Guess what....it was an old Toyota pickup that everyone else was having rusty frame failures!
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