Hi ya'll....
I just recently (this past year) brought me and my XJ from a more drier/arid climate to southern TX... where only about an hour or so from the coast. While the jeep wasn't 100% perfectly surface rust free, it was about 98% that way in the drier climate where it had lived most of its life.
Since coming here, I've noticed little coatings of surface rust on darn near every part that can have it. It disgusts me to no end. I don't want my XJ to become cannibalized by the elements like so many others have been.
Now obviously I can't just dip the whole entire truck in a bath of fluid film.... short of that... anyone know of good cost effective ways to help combat this type of issue?

 

I swear by POR-15. Nasty stuff to use but you paint it right over surface rust and it stops it dead in its tracks. Just be sure to wear gloves when applying it. It doesn’t come off skin.

 

I've heard of that stuff...but I don't mean just for the body... every single screw, bolt, clamp, etc... that is bare metal the humid air here just seems to latch onto it like the first ant at a picnic.

 

Does Texas have any Krown rust protection locations? Or any similar place. They do really heavy, thorough spray down with fluid film.
You could do it yourself as well.

 

It takes a whole lot of elbow grease to truly end rust on any vehicle. Up here in salty Maine, I declared war on rust a few years ago and the war is done and dusted. First, it is going to take time. Getting under there and spraying fluid film or slapping on POR-15 will only end up as a waste of time and money. It will look terrible as well. You will have to grind and sand any metals that contain iron. Any significantly corroded areas will have to be ground to clean metal or cut out entirely and patched. Im pretty sure the unibody of the Cherokee is a galvanized unit from the factory so it usually just needs a quick sand, rust treatment (Phosphoric Acid) and then paint. Second, you will need to invest in some materials such as; Krud Kutter (Phosphoric Acid), Sanding/Grinding/Polishing materials, Paint/Primer, Grease and Anti-Seize. Phosphoric Acid (and most acids for that matter) reacts with iron oxide. It converts iron oxide into iron phosphate which can be sanded away and it leaves you with clean metal that will be much less likely to rust in the future. Once all of the rust has been treated and sanded away, a coat of primer, and a coat of regular old rustoleum spray paint is all you will need to keep the clean metal sealed. The Project Farm YouTube channel actually did a video on rust preventative paint and POR-15 performed worse than cheap dollar store flat black spray paint, lol. Fluid film, however, is a great product that is better utilized on the inside of frame rails and hard to reach places. Third, be conscious of the hardware that you install on your Jeep. Bolts, clamps, brake rotors, exhaust and other small parts are all offered in varying levels of corrosion protection. Unless it is a machined/working surface, it should be protected. Use yellow zinc or stainless hardware. Buy the E-Coated or Ceramic Coated brake parts. Every fastener must be installed with some kind of grease or anti-seize. If you have an oddball fastener or a part that is rusted and you can't find a replacement, it can likely be sanded and polished to a mirror finish regardless of how old and crusty it is. Polishing reduces the surface area and eliminates the crevices in the metal which makes it much less likely to rust. There are also spray coatings available for bolts if you don't have the patience for sanding and polishing like this manifold dressing, https://www.paragoncorvette.com/p-35...-dressing.aspx


Here are some of the products I like to use

Fasteners and small parts - (Metric) https://www.belmetric.com/ (SAE) https://www.boltdepot.com/Catalog.as...hoCF3gQAvD_BwE

Krud Kutter -
Sanding and Polishing - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VYJ0LK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-Polisher-Mothers-Aluminum/dp/B0053H9TGG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FJUDT2R21K8R&dchild=1&keywords=mo thers+mag+and+aluminum+polish&qid=1610425384&s=hi& sprefix=mothers+%2Ctools%2C170&sr=1-1

 

Rust Mort, Bituminous coating, epoxy paints and Fluid Film are my friends.

 

Krown uses its own product called T40. I went to Krown for most of my vehicles for about 30 years but I recently became a bit disenchanted with my local dealer's inconsistent service. I've purchased T40 on its own. It's a good product and fairly easy to apply by yourself. Among other things I've used a Shutz gun with a few home made attachments and it works fine.



I abandoned Krown a few years ago and started to do all of my own rustproofing using Fluid Film. I use slightly different equipment but it's all simple hobbiest stuff. Sounds funny but T40 is much more "fluid" than Fluid Film. FF looks like and has the consistency of butterscotch pudding. The spray cans are straight forward to use as they come. I heat the gallon cans up in hot water to reduce the viscosity and make the spraying much easier.

 

Go to Costco or Sams, buy a couple cases of crisco or vegetable spray and slather it on thick.... The Texas sun will bake it into everything. Do this about 3 times, then it will be nice and seasoned like a cast iron skillet. Non-stick & rust proof.

 

I would be mostly worried about the paint. Give it a good wash and dry, then use some clear nail polish to dab on any small scratches or chips. Thatll hold it over until you decide to get it painted, or use actual automotive clear coat to cover it. As for the underside, I would run it through the carwash a couple times with the undercarriage spray, drive it for a few minutes to dry, then try and find some kind of rust stopper/preventer (like everyone is talking about) to spray under there. Whatever you spray under there needs to be able to dry and not stay oily, if not all it will do is collect dirt. If you have a pressure washer, you can hit places the carwash missed. If there is bad rust underneath, a metal brush or wire wheel on your drill will take care of that. Then spray with brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol to clean and then coat it.

 

yeah.... I've seen good things come from FF...but I want to protect the entire jeep... I pop the hood now...and every little screw head or bare metal part is starting to be etched a little.... Makes me want to sell her to someone in a different region where that wont happen. I looked long and hard few years ago to find a clean rust free XJ...
I simply do not have the time required to polish and seal every little nut, bolt, bracket, clamp, etc. I would if I could...but my schedule just doesn't allow for that kind of time to dedicate to a full indepth project like that.
It has just started in a few places...but don't want it any worse. I may be more picky than others... some may see what I'm reporting as surface corrosion starting and offer me a big plate of "shut the heck up".... It's just that I've always taken such good care of my vehicles.. like my motorcycle for example... is now 11 years old, and I've had people think that it looks like a brand new bike.
I tend to keep my vehicles a long time, and taking good care of them makes them last....

 

Have you gotten prices from a shop to do some undercoating spray?
Then you can also use something to drape over the motor, battery, and other electrical parts under the hood and have it sprayed under the hood with something. I dont know what that "something" would be, but I have to guess there is a product for engine bays that isnt as hardcore as underbody coating....

 

What about a cup of fluid film and a paintbrush? Might take some time but then you can brush it on whatever you'd like without making a mess of everything.

 

Fluid Film is non-conductive and works well on electrical connections and battery terminals. It's similar to dielectric grease but not nearly as thick.

 

You could use a brush but a spray bomb of Fluid Film works well and is easily controlled as far a "mess" goes.

EDIT: If you want to brush it on small items (battery clamps, electrical connections, etc.) it's available in small cans. I'm sure a small paint would work just as well.

Overall, spraying it on the underside of a vehicle doesn't make that much of a mess ... surprisingly!

 

that I was not aware of...but I wouldn't be surprised. If I had a shop lift I'd be on it like white on rice...but no shop lift, no air tank... so old school pain the the but application time. (time consuming and doesnt cover the same.