Woolwax over Fluid Film, but not there yet?

If I'm already investing the money I believe I'll choose Woolwax over Fluid Film a couple winters from now. Stopping short of the whole treatment, looking for advice. This year just wire brush next, and a couple cans of Rust Check spray I've purchased?
Thanks

 

Not sure about the paint...I have seen guys wire brush or wheel and then paint. I'm sure it works fine.

I used surface shield from pb blaster on my 4Runner this winter. Planning to keep applying it every year and keep the frame looking like new(I applied it with 200+/- miles on the odo). So hopefully I can skip the paint job. I'll pressure wash it off soon and see what things look like.

Not sure if that helped you out or answered any questions....probably not ha.

 

No ya of course that helps, lol, good advice thanks eh

 

I switched over from Fluid Film to Wool Wax last year. Wool Wax lasts longer, sprays thicker but easy and smells better. I have been using Fluid Film/Wool Wax since about 10,000 miles on my 4Runner and since new on my wife's Tacoma. I also treated several older Land Rovers in the past. I am in Maine and we use a combo of sand/salt or pure salt on the roads. The frame on my trucks still looks great.

The undercarriage of your truck looks to be in great shape. IF....the rust on the welds bothers you, take some POR 15 and coat the welds. Let it dry and then Wool Wax the truck, be sure to get inside the frame rails and cross members, take off your skid plates and drop the spare tire for better access. Do not forget to liberally spray under the foam strip under the radiator.

If you plan to keep up with applications, purchase the spray gun kit they sell. Comes with wands and three containers that screw onto the gun itself. I use a 6 gallon pancake compressor at about 90 PSI for application.

I also tend to not spray off the bottom of the truck in the winter, Wool Wax recommends letting everything be. I drive on a lot of dirt roads in the winter and the one downside is the accumulation of dirt on the undercarriage but Wool Wax says this helps the coating. In the spring I do a thorough power washing of the undercarriage and apply a light exterior coat to the trucks. Then do a more thorough application prior to winter.

 

https://www.honeyseal.ca/

Check this out

insane cost but pretty cool concept

 

@Matt83 great stuff there, appreciated. So maybe POR15 Metal Prep and POR15 Rust Preventative, black - just the welds and such. Then Woolwax with a wand. Speaking of a wand Ive been going down the rabbit hole, why not hit the inner frame too
Thanks again

 

You absolutely should spray the inner frame, and thoroughly coat the inside of each crossmember. There are 6 closed crossmembers and the one over the tank is open channel.

I honestly dont think it matters if you put woolwax over fluid film. Probably mixing any oil or lanoline based coating is fine. I’ve even used some leftover motorcycle chain lube called Chainwax, because it really got wicked into sandwich weldments super duper well (like the lower control arm mounts). The chainwax is parafin based, and it has solvents, but it sets up like a wax.

Lately, I’ve been recoating my woolwax on large surfaces, but been hitting it with more chainwax on spot areas where there are nooks and cranies. Just because you can literally see that stuff get sucked uphill through capillary action into tiny crevices. The only problem is that the solvents can give you a wicked headache if you use it for more than spot areas.

 

@McSpazatron right on!! This is super helpful, I'm going to incorporate your idears

Found it

 

Holy crap! That got expensive! My can is like 15 years old though lol

 

I'm also in BC Canada tho where we win the record for highest price everything lol

 

Fluid film is made of wool wax. I've used fluid film for 3 years, and it's fine, it lasts at least over the winter probably longer but I reapply every fall. The method of application makes a bigger difference than whether it's pure wool wax or fluid film imao.

I've always applied fluid film with a paint brush because it's what I have, a side affect is the application is much thicker than it would be with a sprayer. This difference is probably more impactful than whether you use wool wax or fluid film (I only use the canned stuff for inside the frame to save money). How thorough you are with application is way more important, so go with whatever is cheaper.

I have a painted frame too, if I had a new vehicle I'd immediately get it painted. It lasts longer than any wax will, and it's a good 2nd defense and piece of mind. Unlike wool wax, you have to remove the rust before painting. For small patches sand paper will do.

Whatever you do, you have to be proactive. All paint chips and all wax will wash away eventually. If you really want a rust free frame, you should inspect it after every winter and sand/prime/paint any chips in the undercoat and reapply wax where it's getting thin. Everything requires maintenance. Also stay away from Ziebart.

 

I thought this article compared well

https://henryford150.com/woolwax-vs-fluid-film/

 

The car wash I use sprays the undercarriage. I have a membership, so I go through frequently, so I think I’d remove whatever spray I apply fairly quickly. Would keeping the truck clean keep it from rusting?
I’ve never had a vehicle that requires this much rust prevention… surely there is a better way than having to crawl all over the underneath every year.

 

A machine spraying the undercarriage isn't enough, not a long enough rinse, just as auto car washes aren't enough to actually clean all your paint

 

You could do nothing at all and it would be no different than most other cars in the rust belt. I bet you could easily get 10-12 years of good service out of a new 4runner with minimal or zero effort. That’s what most people do (then it’s sold to somebody who doesn’t realize that they shouldn't pay “new car prices” for a decade old cars in the rustbelt, just because its a toyota, but I digress).

But you are on an enthusiast’s forum, with owners that have visions of perfectly clean frames in 20 years. Many here use their 4runners hard, and deal with mud and gravel. That will require yearly inspections and touchups if you live in the rust belt. Enthusiasts also spend time wrenching on their own vehicles, so seeing and working with rust sucks. Most normal people don’t want to keep cars this long, and few people work on their own cars to notice rust.

i think regular car washes with good underbody flushes alone will keep things serviceable for longer than most owners would care to own a vehicle.

 

Well said @McSpazatron, @CandyManDan I don't plan to ever sell the Runner it's paid for and will be a bush truck for my boys at the very least. With a lot of salt used in my region, trying to get ahead of rust, cuz Hell it cost me nearly 60 G's. Some smart guys on here have painted their frame or treated from new which is crazy but wise

 

Threads like this definitely have me thinking about what I can do to preserve the truck.
I'm a bit of a weird dude... I typically don't keep cars more than a few years, but I generally take care of them like they're going to be with me for the rest of my life.

 

In other words, the exact kind of guy I'd love to buy a used car from

That's why buying used is such a crap shoot, unless you find a unicorn private party seller like yourself, you just don't know how they were taken care of. I looked for a used 4runner for a while before giving up. Thankfully, I already knew the biggest drawback about body on fram vehicles in the rust belt, is the condition of the frame. That's the first thing I did when I first looked at one...even before taking it for a test drive. But the frames were all too rusted to justify the asking prices...Not even close to what I'd consider a fair value. If most of the vehicle's service life is used up, why would I pay half of the price of the same vehicle brand new off the lot?

If I'm paying half of what a 10 year old vehicle was new, then I want to be able to look at the frame and be convinced I can also get at least another 10 years too. Anything less is a poor value. Which is why I just gave up looking at used ones and saved up for a few years until I could buy new. Although, used 4runner prices are kind of crazy, even if the frame looks great.

 

I just noticed you have KDSS. Make that a priority when it comes to corrosion protection! Much gnashing and teeth and rending of garments has resulted from owners realizing their KDSS system has been destroyed by corrosion. There's no good way to delete this system unless you just run without sway bars, and fixing it is extremely expensive.

It can happen very quickly depending on how and where you use it. If you live with salt, and take your 4runner through mud,gravel, etc, regular cleanout and coating of the kdss accumulator thingy/skidplate on the side of the frame is an absolute necessity. The KDSS skidplate on the frame rail needs to be removed to do this...don't take shortcuts with this one!

 

Yes thank-you sir, I've read up quite a bit on this and located it.
@McSpazatron
@glwood54
@Trees91
@Matt83
@Trekker
@Thatbassguy
@TrailSpecial22
Sorry to tag all you guys. Can I spray rust inhibitor directly on all the KDSS assembly under its skid, or is there anything I need to tape off?
Same question for spraying lca and strut mounts, rear axel, bracing under engine skid, etc: will spraying rust inhibitor on bolts technically also act as a penetrating lube and risk loosening anything? Or just 'send it' on rusty areas lol

 

I can't really say either way. I haven't applied any Woolwax or fluid film on mine. If I did, I would probably take off the accumulator skid and coat the entire accumulator carefully.

 

I’d use a brush and bulk woolwax for anything where you worry about affecting plastic or rubber. I dont think it affects rubber directly, but some rubber like cv boots or bushings have to move, and woolwax will attract grit, which I dont want on things that move or flex.

I doubt any product will cause a properly torqued fastener to loosen.


not sure what’s all around the kdss valve thing, so I wont comment on that. Other than anything metal should be covered.

 

We need to have a KDSS woolwax driveway party lol

 

I remove the KDSS skid plate. Brush off the accumulated dirt and spray the entire valve block with wool wax.

 

Not doing Woolwax yet, this year is Rust Check inhibitor spray..

 

Landed on semigloss black POR15, painting on when weather's closer to 20⁰. Dispelling moisture till then with Rust Check. Rust Converter primer on fresh BMC's. Now prepping w/ their degreaser & metal prep rust breakdown - starting at rusty hitch!
Oh, and hitting internal frame wit black fluid film or rust converter primer via conical nozzle

 

I've looked on Amazon now where can find a conical 360 degree wand extension for a Fluid Film or a Krown Rustproofing can that fits and isn't coming from China. Thanks.

 

wands were so overpriced online ya hard to find! Yesterday I stumbled upon this universal 3M 3-pack $39 CAD at Lordco, Canada. Just found them on Amazon, $57.

$32 3M Cavity Wax Plus Applicator Wand Kit, 08851, 360-Degree Nozzles, Corrosion Protection, Collision Repair

https://www.amazon.ca/3M-Cavity-Wax...t=&hvlocphy=9001489&hvtargid=pla-631339531181

 

For thinner aerosols those wands seem to work ok. For thicker material like Wool Wax/Fluid Film they never seal properly between the can and push button on the wand.

 

Do this wax treatment not attract underbody mud and dirt. I narrowed my selection to Wavoyl. (If brave enough)

I have owned vehicles for several decades and never had to worry about underbody rust till now.


I knew Land Rover was a rust bucket from my days in Europe.