Badgertits
FRF Addict
I've seen this topic addressed a number of times on the forum, but I'm preparing to have a go @ coating/protecting my trucks undercarriage as I bought it in mid Feb (live in MA) & can already tell w/ just a few weeks exposure to the briney sandy salty mess that goes along w/ living in the NE that something needs to be done to keep the undercarriage from looking like garbage. Given the rest of the truck is aluminum, and that its factory "lifted" & alot of the suspension/undercarriage bits are exposed to eyesight I think it's wise to do something about it rather than having a truck w/ a pristine exterior contrasted w/ a rusty cruddy underbody/frame.
The 2 common methods I'll be using similar to what others have done: using spray can Rustoleum undercoat or Por15 or some kinda of rust inhibiting black spray paint on the diff/axles/tie rods & whatever other painted spots make sense. I already have 5 cans of Amsoil HDMP that I plan on using as well on the frame rails inside/out, the leaf springs, a thin coat over the diff/axle & pretty much all around w/ the exception of the bare AL A-arms, fox shocks, skid plates, drive shaft.
For the bare aluminum parts I plan on using Cerakote MC-5100q, its a "clear" ceramic coat supposedly easily applied w/ a cheap paint gun just need to clean surface w/ regular dish soap. While I'm going to do my best to avoid spraying any bushings/dust shields rubber stuff etc. - it is non caustic & shouldn't cause any harm to that stuff. I am just going to apply it right onto the driveshaft, the A-arms, the skid plate, & any other bare AL parts I can easily reach. I'm familiar w/ this stuff particularly on gun applications, this is the first I learned about them making a clear product specifically for bare AL, my bet is it'll work very well.
https://www.cerakote.com/finishes/MC-5100Q/cerakote-clear-aluminum/
On the fox shocks/springs because they're obviously much harder to really get a good application of anything due to their shape/placement I plan on just wiping the surface contamination off w/ a damp microfiber cloth & then spraying right over them w/ a couple coats of automotive clear coat from a spray can. I did this to the bare 400 series stainless steel bilstein 5100 shocks I installed on my previous GMC truck & they held up nicely over the winters w/o pitting/rusting/oxidizing badly. On that truck I also undercoated but I used "Daubert chemical CO. Nox Rust" - which is the same exact black frame wax GM uses from the factory that really requires application once a year or every other if living in a snow/salt state to hold up.
If anyone has any suggestions or questions feel free to chime in. I will report back w/ my results & some pics when I get a chance to go at it. I already have the Amsoil HDMP, grabbing the black paint today & waiting for the cerakote clear to arrive.
The 2 common methods I'll be using similar to what others have done: using spray can Rustoleum undercoat or Por15 or some kinda of rust inhibiting black spray paint on the diff/axles/tie rods & whatever other painted spots make sense. I already have 5 cans of Amsoil HDMP that I plan on using as well on the frame rails inside/out, the leaf springs, a thin coat over the diff/axle & pretty much all around w/ the exception of the bare AL A-arms, fox shocks, skid plates, drive shaft.
For the bare aluminum parts I plan on using Cerakote MC-5100q, its a "clear" ceramic coat supposedly easily applied w/ a cheap paint gun just need to clean surface w/ regular dish soap. While I'm going to do my best to avoid spraying any bushings/dust shields rubber stuff etc. - it is non caustic & shouldn't cause any harm to that stuff. I am just going to apply it right onto the driveshaft, the A-arms, the skid plate, & any other bare AL parts I can easily reach. I'm familiar w/ this stuff particularly on gun applications, this is the first I learned about them making a clear product specifically for bare AL, my bet is it'll work very well.
https://www.cerakote.com/finishes/MC-5100Q/cerakote-clear-aluminum/
On the fox shocks/springs because they're obviously much harder to really get a good application of anything due to their shape/placement I plan on just wiping the surface contamination off w/ a damp microfiber cloth & then spraying right over them w/ a couple coats of automotive clear coat from a spray can. I did this to the bare 400 series stainless steel bilstein 5100 shocks I installed on my previous GMC truck & they held up nicely over the winters w/o pitting/rusting/oxidizing badly. On that truck I also undercoated but I used "Daubert chemical CO. Nox Rust" - which is the same exact black frame wax GM uses from the factory that really requires application once a year or every other if living in a snow/salt state to hold up.
If anyone has any suggestions or questions feel free to chime in. I will report back w/ my results & some pics when I get a chance to go at it. I already have the Amsoil HDMP, grabbing the black paint today & waiting for the cerakote clear to arrive.
