New Gladiator Owner - rust protection advice needed

[Mike-len]

First post here on the forum! I picked up my new JTRD 3 days ago. I’m in love with it so far. I live in Minnesota, and I am very worried about rust forming on the underside and frame of the Gladiator from the salt they use here in the winter. I am having the dealer rust protect the body and underfloor, but they do not touch the frame. I have been researching and I am considering starting Krown Rust Protection. The nearest location is about 3 hours away. I have heard some great things about it, and I have also heard a few negatives. I’m wondering if the formula would attract a lot of dust and dirt on the frame and underneath the vehicle in general, and also if it would damage any of the sensitive diesel components. Does anyone have any experience with this at all?

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[HankB]

I would leave the frame alone. First you don’t know what alloy of steel is used in the frame. For many of the corrosion resistant high strength steels applying a thick barrier coat will only trap moisture against the steel and accelerate corrosion. Vehicles are increasingly built with high strength corrosion resistant steels for a number of reasons, some related to making the vehicle lighter for better mileage, and others related to the costs associated with some nasty warranty issues related to wide spread frame failures.

 

[chorky]

I would warn against any sort of undercoating. Like Hank said they are thick and also trap moisture and can cause bigger issues.

There are no 'coating' locations anywhere near where I live so here was my solution.

• fully clean and wash the underside of the jeep (including frame)
• let dry 3 days in hot temps
• spray spray and wipe down with Eastwood paint prep (use respirator)
• spray frame internals and blocked off sections of body with cavity wax
• apply 3 coats of amsoil HD metal protect on entire frame, axles, and under body of jeep - everything that is steel basically

In the past I have used other products and they didn't work as good as advertised. This seems to be a easier process that is easy to clean and touch up. There are other products such as fluid film - and seeing pics of others using that it does an excellent job - but it is a wet, goupy, sticky mess from what I can tell and I wanted something that would not be a magnet for dirt and other debris

The products I used (Amsoil HD metal protect and cavity wax) are more of a, well, wax type material. So it is not a hard paint type material that can crack and trap moisture. I think these will work far better than other products tried in the past.

 

[ZoMojave]

Some people do it themselves with Fluid Film and coat underside areas of their vehicles. I have never done it, but from what I have heard, a fall treatment will last all winter. You can pick up spray cans of this at Menards.

 

[just_another_guy]

I've been using woolwax on my vehicles and am very happy with it so far. Fair warning though, it makes a hell of a mess if you need to work on the underside of your truck afterwards

 

[TrainMan]

+1 for Fluid Film. You can do it yourself, or I take mine to a detailer who applies it professionally. It will last all winter. Just don't wash the underside until springtime.

 

[sharpsicle]

Seeing as you're from Minnesota, this seemed appropriate:

 

[Mike-len]

Seeing as you're from Minnesota, this seemed appropriate:

Yes!

 

[Mike-len]

I've been using woolwax on my vehicles and am very happy with it so far. Fair warning though, it makes a hell of a mess if you need to work on the underside of your truck afterwards

That’s what I’m worried about. If I need to do anything underneath, and also just the accumulation of dirt and grime. And mud. There’s a lot of muddy trails around here.

 

[Mike-len]

I would warn against any sort of undercoating. Like Hank said they are thick and also trap moisture and can cause bigger issues.

There are no 'coating' locations anywhere near where I live so here was my solution.

• fully clean and wash the underside of the jeep (including frame)
• let dry 3 days in hot temps
• spray spray and wipe down with Eastwood paint prep (use respirator)
• spray frame internals and blocked off sections of body with cavity wax
• apply 3 coats of amsoil HD metal protect on entire frame, axles, and under body of jeep - everything that is steel basically

In the past I have used other products and they didn't work as good as advertised. This seems to be a easier process that is easy to clean and touch up. There are other products such as fluid film - and seeing pics of others using that it does an excellent job - but it is a wet, goupy, sticky mess from what I can tell and I wanted something that would not be a magnet for dirt and other debris

The products I used (Amsoil HD metal protect and cavity wax) are more of a, well, wax type material. So it is not a hard paint type material that can crack and trap moisture. I think these will work far better than other products tried in the past.

Good info. Thank you!

 

[Mike-len]

I would leave the frame alone. First you don’t know what alloy of steel is used in the frame. For many of the corrosion resistant high strength steels applying a thick barrier coat will only trap moisture against the steel and accelerate corrosion. Vehicles are increasingly built with high strength corrosion resistant steels for a number of reasons, some related to making the vehicle lighter for better mileage, and others related to the costs associated with some nasty warranty issues related to wide spread frame failures.

Do you think the gladiator frames are made of anti corrosion materials? That would be great if it was. I have an older Ford Expedition that has spent its entire life in Minnesota, and the rocker panels are completely rusted, but the frame doesn’t look rusty at all. I had a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser and that frames was very rusty, but the body had no rust all. The body had been treated by the dealer though when it was new.

 

[HankB]

Do you think the gladiator frames are made of anti corrosion materials? That would be great if it was. I have an older Ford Expedition that has spent its entire life in Minnesota, and the rocker panels are completely rusted, but the frame doesn’t look rusty at all. I had a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser and that frames was very rusty, but the body had no rust all. The body had been treated by the dealer though when it was new.

I don’t know, but wouldn’t be surprised if it was given the target market for the vehicles. These steels are pretty mainstream, I was specifying Corten on cargo containers and semi-trailers that I designed forty years ago. If I was still in the business of designing vehicles I’d still be using it. I know Ford (and others in the big three) has been using SSAB’s ultra high strength steels for structural parts on vehicles for many years now. Keep in mind that corrosion resistant steels as a general rule don’t come out of forming with the same cosmetics as the alloys used for body panels. So body panels are always going to be problematic.

 

[XJFanatic]

It’s most certainly not corrosion resistant steel. Mine gas a few surface spots where paint was rubbed. I need to treat these prior to hitting with fluid film

 

[Mike-len]

It’s most certainly not corrosion resistant steel. Mine gas a few surface spots where paint was rubbed. I need to treat these prior to hitting with fluid film

Good to know.

 

[HankB]

It’s most certainly not corrosion resistant steel. Mine gas a few surface spots where paint was rubbed. I need to treat these prior to hitting with fluid film

That’s not necessarily correct. Corrosion resistant steel like Corten will form surface rust. That creates what is called a patina layer. The alloying elements in the steel are chosen to bond with the iron and carbon of the steel so that moisture can not bond with the iron and create iron oxide past a surface layer.

Normally when plain carbon steel rusts, the rust is soft and porous that allows moisture to move through it to the base metal and more rust is created when thhe water bonds with the iron. The patina of corrosion resistant steel in contrast is hard and dense and blocks furthure moisture incursion into the base metal.

Now steels that have alloying elements that completely prevent a patina start to fall into the family of steels known as stainless. The chemistry is different between the two, but the principle is similar. O

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