Ziebart Undercoating

[nuclearxp]

The wax GM has used for years now is garbage. In fact it tends to peel at any sharp endge or thin spot on the frame, creating an entry point for water and salt to get absorbed underneath the remaining wax.

 

The best undercoating I've been able to find is either a lanolin based product like Krown or Fluid Film, or something more permanent like POR-15 which would require removing the body and degreasing the entire frame. GM needs to wake up and address the rusting issue the right way.

 

Seriously? What rusting problem? My family and I have owned GMC/Chevy trucks (and cars) for ~30 years and NEVER had a vehicle treated rust and never had a family vehicle develop frame or body rust whatsoever.

 

GM Needs to wake up and address the rusting issue......? Seriously? Have you ever driven a dodge/ford in the NorthWest older than 5 years old? I'm not sure how good GMC/Chevy owners realize they have it compared to the other two.

 

But honestly, what do you really expect them to do? 99% of people wouldn't have a problem if they followed the manufacturer instructions but everyone thinks they're smarter. What are they really supposed to do, electroplate the frame metal THEN powder coat it THEN spray a bedliner protectant on it? How about a stainless steel frame?

 

Ever thought that wouldn't be financially viable?

[Crf450r420]

I rinse mine once a month and have rust, so what should I do? Rinse it less?

[Ventilator]

I rinse mine once a month and have rust, so what should I do? Rinse it less?

He wants you to answer his questions, while he evades yours, and common sense.

 

Let's see, we have to wash our vehicles at least on a weekly basis in this rural area, that would be about 52 times annually, or 50 times too many.

 

Sounds like something some snotty nosed GM engineer would come up with? One that has never driven off the pavement? Doesn't have a clue that dirt mixed with road salt and brine is corrosive as hell, and will wait for six months for you to RINSE it off. Yeah right!

 

Problem is, 99% of the people don't live on pavement, or in an area that is free from salt.

[HondaHawkGT]

Had Fluid Film done, gone in six months...this will be the third truck I had done, same result on all three.

 

The only thing I have luck with is oil undercoating.

 

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Oil works too.

 

With Krown and Fluid Film, you should apply it once a year. As long as your winter/road salt season is less than 6 months, that shouldn't be a problem.

[HondaHawkGT]

 

Seriously? What rusting problem? My family and I have owned GMC/Chevy trucks (and cars) for ~30 years and NEVER had a vehicle treated rust and never had a family vehicle develop frame or body rust whatsoever.

 

 

Next time you're in Wisconsin let me know. I have a co-worker with a 3 year old Silverado HD 2500 that has rust bubbling up underneath the wax coating in the rear wheel wells. I had patches of light rust on my 6-month old frame in areas that were thin or the wax had simply peeled off. I hadn't even driven in snow with it at that point.

 

 

"GM Needs to wake up and address the rusting issue......? Seriously? Have you ever driven a dodge/ford in the NorthWest older than 5 years old? I'm not sure how good GMC/Chevy owners realize they have it compared to the other two."

 

Dodge/Fiat/Ram - yes they rust as bad or worse vs GM GMT900's.

Ford F150 - Up until the latestest body styles I will totally agree. I always said you can hear a Ford rust. BUT, now that they started e-coating their frames, they've been holding up better. Now with the aluminum body and a thicker yet e-coating, GM is going to have an even harder time convincing people their trucks are "more corrosion resistant than ever". It doesn't look good when there are pictures of 2014/15 K2's still sitting on the dealer lot with frame rust making their rounds on the internet. The fullsize market doesn't sit still, so if GM want's to keep selling trucks they need to respond to what their competitors are offering.

 

"But honestly, what do you really expect them to do? 99% of people wouldn't have a problem if they followed the manufacturer instructions but everyone thinks they're smarter. What are they really supposed to do, electroplate the frame metal THEN powder coat it THEN spray a bedliner protectant on it? How about a stainless steel frame?

 

Ever thought that wouldn't be financially viable?"

 

Never suggested that. A basic quality E-coating on the frames would be an obvious improvement over that wax garbage. Ford does it now, why can't GM? Bedliner on a frame is a horrible idea - it'll look great on the outside but just like wax, it's going to trap moisture/salt underneath.

[Daryl LBZ]

This is what a GM frame looks like after 230k miles of no additional rust preventive added to it. I don't see where GM's recommendation of not using any additional protection holds any merit.

 

 

 

Here's my parents 07 at 103k. Looks like this in different spots all over the frame. This rubber coating they're using needs to be replaced with something better. It's crap.

 

[Ventilator]

I work with a guy that also lives on a gravel road. His nine year old Regular Cab Silverado frame actually rusted so bad that his box came in contact with the cab. This guy has a Vette, and takes care of his vehicles. Prior to the frame collapse he had complete rust through above his rear wheels. He trusted GM, and didn't rustproof and undercoat it. You can bet his new Sierra has been rustproofed and undercoated.

 

I can provide several examples, and can take pictures of vehicles in any rural parking lot if needed. You would have to be wearing blinders not to see it!

[kstruckcountry]

There is no rustproofing that will take care of the rust above the rear wheel wells. It rusts because of crap building up on top of where the box fender and body meet. You have to remove the taillights and wash off all the dust that has built up.

[Ventilator]

There is no rustproofing that will take care of the rust above the rear wheel wells. It rusts because of crap building up on top of where the box fender and body meet. You have to remove the taillights and wash off all the dust that has built up.

There are other ways grasshopper, but only two times a year ain't gonna cut it. Like I said earlier, without rustproofing 6-8 years here, you will have rust through on vehicles that travel gravel/dirt roads. 12-13 years can be had on trucks with rustproofing as long as you RINSE more than two times annually. You have to get the crud washed out between the panels, it cannot sit up there waiting for the 2 times a year RINSE. We wash weekly, and make a point to get that area above the wheel wells and other key areas under the cab and frame. Said it earlier, maybe you missed it? You will never stop it completely, but you sure can slow it down.

 

The pavement queens will obviously last longer, in both respects. I honestly don't believe you can find a more corrosive location for vehicles, than rural Michigan. 6-7 months of salt/chloride on paved roads, 5-6 months of brine on gravel roads annually. There is no break from it. Not to mention it is in the gravel roads year round, and every time it rains it clings in every nook and cranny under the truck.

[VMaxtastic]

I'm too tired to read through this thread.. But I had my last truck sprayed with that garbage... It stunk for like 6 months after and had over spray everywhere. Even in the inside of the fuel door. It stunk so bad, for about a month, it literally gave me a headache. Never again.

[frenchsquared]

Anyone just go to walmart or the local part store and buy cans of spray on bedliner?

[sdeeter19555]

Anyone just go to walmart or the local part store and buy cans of spray on bedliner?

Problem with bedliner or any other rubberized undercoating is that it will trap and hold moisture between it and the body...it won't really serve any benefit.

 

You need something that creeps and stays pliable. That's why I use oil. Its a mess to work on underneath, but my frame and body are rust free after three Pennsylvania winters (every bit as bad as Michigan, we are part of the rust belt).

 

The best stuff we ever used was called "bright stock". Its like a partially melted wax with oil in it (off one of the oil refining steps). You actually had to heat it up slightly to get it to spray. The truck we sprayed was new when it was done...when it was totaled in an accident, the thing looked like new, twenty years later. Even the panels they pulled were completely rust free. I wish I could buy it, but it was something my old man brought home from the oil refinery he worked at so long ago.

 

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[frenchsquared]

i often wondered if you could jsut wet the bottom down with WD40.

That is what the no paint hod rods and the rat rods do.

I oil my 46 down with a rag and WD40 to stop it from rusting anymore.

[Daryl LBZ]

i often wondered if you could jsut wet the bottom down with WD40.

That is what the no pain hod rods and the rat rods do.

I oil my 46 down with a rag and WD40 to stop it from rusting anymore.

I'm pretty sure that's what a member on here (MS3DALE) does with his truck...

[PMattras]

I noticed when the Chevy garage puts my truck on the lift it damages the wax protection on the frame. This is where the lifting points in the lift.