Undercoat or not ?....Brake Pads Due !! Please Help

Hello y'all.i live in the rust belt and i know the importance of undercoating the 4runner as they are prone to rust.now I've had a mild winter so far no blizzard or snow storm here in New York City.instead it's just been some recent snow usually amounting to 1 inch or less.my first snow with my 4runner.i took it to a car wash place today and had the undercarriage power washed getting all that dirt and salt out.with just a few weeks of winter left should I still consider undercoating ? Is regular power washing the undercarriage after some days of snow good enough ? Please let me know your thoughts.also it's time for brake pads and possibly rotors replacements which brands are the best or do y'all recommend ? I have 2014 4runner limited @100k and i don't do any towing or off-roading just daily commute to work and some light errands around the city.i was thinking buying from Denso or toyota parts website.i just want something high quality and very reliable nothing too crazy like TRD brake pads lol thanks y'all

 

Stick with OEM parts and unless you reside in the desert, then yes, undercoating is a good idea. Rest assured, you will get countless opinions here shortly. Good luck.

 

Keep washing it until you can get it sprayed with a fluid film, wool wax or surface shield type product. I’d have it done in the spring and then every fall.

 

I was in the same dilemma. In October I bought Waxoyl on Amazon for $80, found a nice high curb in a parking lot and sprayed the Runner within 30-40 min. It lasts about 3-5 years so even if you check it biannually you’re probably better than with fluid film. I also regularly wash it after snow and salt on a BP or other gas station.

 

I bought my 4runner limited from a previous owner in Texas,so the undercarriage is dry as a bone and to my shocking surprise there's no sign of rust.not even the slightest.the undercarriage looks brand new.i had it powerwashed yesterday and I just couldn't believe it myself.and this is a 2014 vehicle.im started to wonder if it in fact was treated for rust proof using some kind of clear invisible film.i couldn't tell and there's no way for me to know.theres a small company out in Pennsylvania who does undercoating wants $600 for it.i looked at the website and it's very convincing...they do a thorough undercoating for first timers....steelcityundercoating.com please check it out and tell me your thoughts.

 

600 seems like a lot

 

$600 is alot that's because it's extensive work,they remove all 4 wheels and undercoat the joints and bushings,they remove the the spare tire underneath and coat that as well amd those hard to reach places they pretty much cover all the places where rust starts.and it's a one time $600 fee next time I go to them it will be $150.something tells me these guys are the real deal I just got that gut feeling u know.i looked up everywhere else here in New York City pretty much every mechanic shop does undercoating but new york city is a rush place and it's hard to trust anyone around here let alone a 4runner in their hands.ts a new york thing u probably won't understand me.sometimes if u want quality u gotta travel outside to get it and I think it's worth a trip.

 

If they don’t understand you, it means you need to improve your English writing skills.

 

Don’t use undercoating or any place that applies undercoating that are meant to dry (like rubberized or liner type paint. Any paint-on product will eventually peel. When it peels, you end up with pockets of water/moisture between the peeled “undercoating product” and the frame. It actually causes rust, bad rust, in these situations.

Use only wet-film coatings like woolwax, or maybe cosmoline-like products (that sets up like a softish wax like woolwax, but it’s made petroleum distilates instead of lanoline).

 

If you're not afraid to get a bit oily, do it yourself. I used fluid film and the 4-way wand. The wand lets you get to the hard to reach places. Pay special attention to the radiator mounts. Those are prone to rust 1st. Shove the wand in every bolt hole on the frame any nooks and crannies you can find. Your 1st time will take longer as you try to locate all of the nooks and crannies. My 1st time took 2+ hours. Last time was maybe 45 mins. as I knew where all the hard to find places were. Keep it away from the calipers. I think $600 is a bit expensive for what you get.

$76 Fluid Film 11.75 oz Penetrating Oil Spray 6 Pack, Spray Can Extension Wand, Can-Gun1 Premium Can Tool Aerosol Spray, FLAS11RD

Amazon.com: Fluid Film 11.75 oz Penetrating Oil Spray 6 Pack, Spray Can Extension Wand, Can-Gun1 Premium Can Tool Aerosol Spray, FLAS11RD : Automotive

 

I had mine undercoated in a similar manner when it was new. In addition to what you mentioned they removed all skid plates and the exhaust system, plus some other stuff; I don’t recall. They also rust proofed areas that undercoating would not work, to include the inside of the frame and similar places like inside door sills and fender wells. The road salt can get inside the frame and those areas so if it is not covered somehow it can rust from inside. It took about a week, including dry time. They do an annual inspection and touch up where needed. Cost was about $2500.

Nope, a really good job ain’t cheap.

BTW I frequent the NC Outer Banks, Bodie, Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, and do a lot of beach driving. Fifty plus years of that has taught me lots about salt and vehicle rust. I still, as soon as possible, get a chassis wash or at least use a sprinkler underneath until I can. One area particularly vulnerable is brake components and they don’t accept or hold on to rust proofing very well.

 

Some owners put new rotors, calipers when changing pads. I guess this works well especially in salt/rust belt.
I am in CA and only replace rotors/calipers if a problem exists. My 2004 Pilot went 240,000 miles on original rotors & calipers. I never turned the rotors but I always used Honda pads from a dealer to avoid counterfit. I calipered the rotors to confirm in spec before new pads. Also bled calipers by opening bleeder when pushing pistons back into calipers. Cleaned & greased pins and maintained clean brake fluid in reservoir.

 

Yes, you should get it undercoated imo. I used to do it myself on my 3rd gen but switched to paying a Krown place to do my new 5th gen from the week I bought it.

Best $150 I spend. Takes them a few hours and they get it into places I couldn’t including inside body panels and doors. To confirm, I put my hand inside the access door in the trunk after and the oil had even nicely coated the inside there. Eating a nice diner breakfast down the street while they handle all the mess is totally worth it.

Not sure what these $600+ places are doing better that justifies the price. Labor to disassemble things that don’t need disassembly? A proper Krown application gets pretty much everything because of how it comes out in a semi-vapor form.

 

Cosmoline Black. Less mess, looks better, lasts much longer.

 

Definitely undercoat, I purchased a truck that has seen too winters in NY and it made my 2018 Pro look like a brand new vehicle compared (underneath). Had it not been for the trim and features, I'd have walked away from it