Rubberized Undercoating

[KDK]

Hi, besides installing Xpell film protection for the paint, I was considering installing rubberized undercoating for the vehicle. I have light surface rust on the rear diff like others have mentioned. I was thinking this would give a lasting protecting as well as clean up the underside.

Are their any issues with warranty in having this professionally installed?

Sponsored

 

[Roady]

This is my opinion but to me that is one of the absolute worst things you can do to the underside of your truck. Rubberized undercoating traps moisture and rust particles speeding up the process. Others may feel differently.

 

[KDK]

My thinking was that because this was recently built (3.5 months), that if I sealed the bottom, it would prevent rust. But after a little research and seeing some videos I believe I would do damage possibly.

It kinda pisses me off that the vehicle from the factory obviously had surface rust, and Ford says we cant do anything about it.

 

[mwf5888]

I have done the Line-X undercoating on my last 7 vehicles. It helps to seal (no rust) and deaden road noise. Never had any issues.

 

[KDK]

Thanks for this, it's difficult to decide if I am helping or inhibiting rust.

 

[Roady]

Thanks for this, it's difficult to decide if I am helping or inhibiting rust.

I believe the LineX undercoating is not the same material as the bedliner. It's specifically designed as a undercoating and contains rust inhibitors. This would be much better than a straight rubberized product. I'm sure there are people here that can speak to this better than I can but I know a straight rubberized undercoating is not a good solution and typically causes issues.

 

[ESG406]

I have done the Line-X undercoating on my last 7 vehicles. It helps to seal (no rust) and deaden road noise. Never had any issues.

I would like to know more about your experience with LineX. How long did you keep each of those seven vehicles and how durable was the LineX? Did all seven look like these photos and how long did they look that way? Did you have to repeat the application?

 

[mwf5888]

I would like to know more about your experience with LineX. How long did you keep each of those seven vehicles and how durable was the LineX? Did all seven look like these photos and how long did they look that way? Did you have to repeat the application?

I keep them three years and they looked the same when I traded. No repeat of application and I regularly wash through a carwash with underbody spraying because of the winters here. I actually have seen my last two trucks at the dealer and the one 2015 and 2018 still look as good as when I had them.

Here is my 2018 and 2021. Line-X does and great job every time, (they also do my PPF, window tint, and spray-in bed-liner).

2018

2021

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

Well… The body is made of aluminum, so I don’t think that will rust with trapped moisture the same as a steel body.

For the other components, why not just spray some krylon on it.

Heck, if I have you my dad’s address, and you pulled up with the rear end facing him, and started a conversation that led to the underside of the back of your truck.

Then while you are trying to leave (end the conversation) for 30 minutes to get to your next job, he will grab a can of black and a creeper, and anything iron will be coated a nice color of Krylon Black!

Then my sister will come out of her house on the other side of the property and bit** my dad out for getting over spray on everyone’s vehicles again, and then proceed to clay barring your truck to remove all the overspray.

Every Ford vehicle I’ve purchased since 1999 has required all iron or steel non body components to be spray painted or other coating, otherwise they are rust brown in a few years.

My dad nearly has a coronary and sounds like everyone here on the forum every time he sees a new shiny rusted Ford rear end. Then he goes on to “how they were built back in 1969” with Ford blue.

 

[ESG406]

I keep them three years and they looked the same when I traded. No repeat of application and I regularly wash through a carwash with underbody spraying because of the winters here. I actually have seen my last two trucks at the dealer and the one 2015 and 2018 still look as good as when I had them.

Here is my 2018 and 2021. Line-X does and great job every time, (they also do my PPF, window tint, and spray-in bed-liner).

2018

2021

Thank you for your comments. Would you mind telling me what your cost is for the LineX? I called my two local dealers yesterday. One does only bedliner, not the undercoating. They use Krown oil-based product for undercoating and the charge for that is $150. The other dealer charges $325 for LineX undercoating with no guarantee. Both do annual inspections and there is an additional fee for any repeat applications. After talking to these two dealers, my impression was they were not confident in that product for our area. I am in Erie County, PA where winter can last from October to April with tons of very corrosive calcium chloride. They also put the calcium chloride on gravel roads in summer to control dust.

I have been able to maintain my vehicles with Fluid Film every other year. I have done my own touch ups with Fluid Film products from Lowes in between full treatments. This is satisfactory and better than other things I have used over the years, but not as good as what I see in your photos. I am very impressed with your results. I am glad the folks in Fl are getting good results with their procedures, but salt air is not the same as calcium chloride.

I am taking delivery of a 2021 F150 PB this week and I would like to make some good decisions since I plan to keep it indefinitely. You get only one chance with a new vehicle and you have had more experience with that than I. I am wondering if I should I drive to Ft Wayne to get the LineX.

If this is too off-topic, you can PM me.

 

[kosekjm]

Just picked up a PB last week and was getting quotes from the Line-x dealer here in Raleigh, NC. Their undercoating pricing starts at $600 on a new vehicle. Not entirely sure what they do for that pricing nor the materials involved. Trying to get more info from them on what all is involved.

 

[mwf5888]

Thank you for your comments. Would you mind telling me what your cost is for the LineX? I called my two local dealers yesterday. One does only bedliner, not the undercoating. They use Krown oil-based product for undercoating and the charge for that is $150. The other dealer charges $325 for LineX undercoating with no guarantee. Both do annual inspections and there is an additional fee for any repeat applications. After talking to these two dealers, my impression was they were not confident in that product for our area. I am in Erie County, PA where winter can last from October to April with tons of very corrosive calcium chloride. They also put the calcium chloride on gravel roads in summer to control dust.

I have been able to maintain my vehicles with Fluid Film every other year. I have done my own touch ups with Fluid Film products from Lowes in between full treatments. This is satisfactory and better than other things I have used over the years, but not as good as what I see in your photos. I am very impressed with your results. I am glad the folks in Fl are getting good results with their procedures, but salt air is not the same as calcium chloride.

I am taking delivery of a 2021 F150 PB this week and I would like to make some good decisions since I plan to keep it indefinitely. You get only one chance with a new vehicle and you have had more experience with that than I. I am wondering if I should I drive to Ft Wayne to get the LineX.

If this is too off-topic, you can PM me.

I got my Premium liner for $650, Undercoat for $189, Truxedo Pro X-15 for $560, and windows tinted with ceramic for $460 (including sides, rears, & twin-panels). They also did my PPF, but don't have the price on hand now.

I have never had to touch up the undercoating.

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

I have watched several YouTube videos from people that live up north, and they use some type of oily anticorrosive which gets applied each year.

I feel that this would be better than anything that can create pockets of moisture.

 

[Pedaldude]

For the short term, the rubberized undercoating may seem like it helps but in the long term it makes it much worse.

When a material rusts, it oxidizes for a few reasons. One is exposure to the atmosphere; thing such as rain, moisture and other elements like salt that will speed up oxidation. Another process is galvanic corrosion and certain alloys are especially susceptible to it.

Most people know if you put two metals in proximity to one another and they have different anodic indexes, extremely fast corrosion can occur. Some alloys, like high strength aluminum and magnesium pretty much have a shelf life because the alloying elements are at odds with the base metal. There's a good reason why Lead and Gold are easily found in their elemental form and some other metals can be found in mostly pure states, while metals like Aluminum, Titanium and Zinc are pretty much always going to be in their oxide states.

Then there's a thing called Self-Passivation that in steel occurs when it starts to rust and then stops rusting because the rust protects it from rusting more, which is why Ford doesn't care about shipping trucks with rusty rear axles.

One weird thing that happens when only one portion of a piece of metal is exposed, is that passivation doesn't occur and rust is accelerated in that one exposed area until it gets worse and worse.

A rubber undercoating will inevitably get scratched and chipped and the metal underneath will rust away at an alarming rate. The rubber will conceal the worst rust and it then becomes an ingress point for moisture and other impurities to rust away from the inside faster.

 

[ESG406]

Thanks for info Michael. $198 is most I would pay to linex a chassis. To fluid film or surface shield a chassis is much less expensive like $50 or so. can do with jack stands,much easier with a lift. Hi hopes for surface shield


Look at

also see links to SouthMain Auto Repair LLC re Rust treatment

Editing this post--Found a link to South Main Auto DIY Fluid film. Seems like this guy has some solid info on a lot of topics.

Sponsored