Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime?

Other than the suspension parts right at the wheels, what's not covered by plastic underpanels and wheelwell liners?

 

Plastic underpanels can actually accelerate damage if they are not watertight and sealed to the body. They can trap moisture and road salt against the metal.

 

My '06 was a rusty tub, yes, they rust, this 17 prime got the fluid film treatment, go to a brake thread and read about seized caliper pins, and yes, oiling the car underbody and door interiors yearly will do the job.

 

The dealer threw it in, a factory tech applied it.

 

They make a great product sold At Home Depot called CSP.
Corrosion Stop Preventer. It’s spray grease and it’s fairly heavy grease and stays where you spray and has no smell. Do not use WD40 again it really stinks and is a poor lubricant.
Jus buy a few cans and spray it on the undercarriage especially the suspension. Works really good and no squeaks on the car. Buy some Black magic protectant and apply it to all the rubber boots under the car.
Really helps prevent the boot from failure. Lose the boot the cv joint will fail.
The CSP is @ take on the bunker oil they used to spray on the under sides of cars in New England.
I grew up in Vermont and remember that.

Door hinges and hood latch and hatch latch and door lock keyhole and make sure you apply some grease next time the tires come off on the wheel back where it mounts to the hub. Very common issue the wheel gets stuck on the hub.

 

Reading that made me cringe a little bit...The frame of a car is it's most important part. A unibody car becomes junk once the frame becomes rusty and starts deteriorating. I live in upstate NY and its not uncommon for a 15+/- year old car to be hauled away as scrap because of a bad frame. Trucks and older SUVs with solid steel frames last a little longer but they will eventually see the same fate and rust away. Cars have annual safety inspections here for a reason. You want the weakest part of you car to be the crumple zones not the frame underneath the passenger compartment. You also don't want the floor of your car rusting away at your feet. The floor is not thick and rust is definitively a problem. Back when cars and trucks where made out of good heavy steel floorboards usually rusted out first.


I do agree that most but not all after market undercoating are scams. The ones outside of the rust belt are more likely to be scams. The only way to be completely sure is to do it yourself but there are reputable places that will actually undercoat your car. Just because an area is not exposed does not mean you can't prevent rust or treat the area! Undercoating and rust treatments actually do work when they are done and maintained right.
I've seen nice cars that are sometimes less than 10 years old sell for scrap prices because the frame is rusted out and it wont pass inspection. Most have rust free bodies and have no mechanical problems. Not enough people worry about or have even seen the bottom of their cars. My own car is starting to rust in the rocker panels and a few spots starting underneath where the undercoating was scraped away in a bottom out. My car is a 2005 and if it wasn't undercoated and taken care of it would already be scrap. I plan to redo the undercoating and take care of the rust in the rocker panels asap myself before it spreads. Rust is cancer!

 

During the summer months, put that back end up on safety stands, brush everything off, get some boiled linseed oil and some sponge brushes (craft stores may have good deals on brushes), and go at it. You don't need to take all the plastic off, but if there's something significant going to rust-hell behind plastic, get that bit off. Also, any small diameter steel bolts on the underside, back them out and oil soak them. It helps to take the rear wheels off.

Then another day, do the front.

 

I see numerous suspension pivot points in this picture of the rear end. If greased would not wear and would not rust. Just spray some grease on it. Hose the front end down. No more rust or sqeeks or rattles. And no wear.

CSP= CORROSION STOP PROTECTANT . Its almost like it was made for this.

From the can's description=

Corrosion stop is for use on industrial, automotive, and marine parts and equipment. It protects all metal surfaces and leaves a protective film on applied surfaces, resists water,displaces moisture, and prevents further corrosion.

The new cans I just bought at Home Depot now just say CS they dropped the Protectant part. Its aPB Blaster product but does not smell.


Blaster 11 oz. Heavy-Duty Corrosion Stop Protectant (Case of 12)-16-CSP - The Home Depot

Everything that moves in my house uses this also. Great for door hinges and locks. No lubrication it wears out.

 

Don't dismiss boiled linseed oil without a try. Cheap, no aerosol can in the recycle stream. I applied to everything about a year back, holding up very well.

 

Yeah you can pick it up at any hardware store. Also good for outdoor wood furniture.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/recochem-boiled-linseed-oil-946-ml/1000130983

A few years back I was taken aback by the rusty condition of the rear suspension, framing members (especially welded junctions), bolts and what have you. I tried an advertised rust preventative product first, with iffy results. The boiled linseeed oil I applied a year back, has held up good. @tvpierce suggested it.

 

I think your better off with some lubrication on all the suspension points. With spray can its fast easy and cheap and stays where you put it.
How long did it take to apply boiled linseed oil? Did the car stink afterwards?

 

For any kind of rust, you guys might want to try Ospho. I've been using it for years.