rust prevention on the down under

I'm starting to get trace amounts of rust on the muffler, leaf springs, just curious as to any preventive maintenance I can do to take care of it. I wash/wax the beast religously to include scrubbing the underside. I live in colorado where they salt the the roads like crazy in winter so that contributes to rust.

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If it's not sheet metal, don't worry about it. It's normal, and not a threat.

Brent

Trace amounts of rust on muffler? Heck, I don't even live in an area with salt on the road or near the beach, but my muffler is just a sheet of rust already. Nothin you really need to do to stop it. I mean if you wanted you could clean it all down and paint it or undercoat it, but it's a little overkill. Springs do so much flexing, it doesn't stick well, and muffler gets so hot it would crack and peel...just a muffler. Anything on the underside is basically fair game for rust.

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'00 4x4 V6 XE
Yella 3pack

Alright then, let it rust! Thanx for the replies....this is the only vehicle I've ever tried to take care of so I'm trying to be proactive and keep stuff from becoming a problem.

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Tell me about it I just bought a brand new 2001 X and it already has some rust on the leaf springs , a couple bolts on the undercarage and on the drive shaft. I went to the dealer and looked at all there cars on the lot and they all have some degree of rust. I hate to live with it but I guess thats my option.

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When at the spray-it-yourself car wash I occasionally have coated the underside with the high pressure wax, after a good cleaning of course.
I don't know if it helps, and I have the same spotty surface rust on the belly of the X, but I figure it can't hurt!


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2001 SE 4x4 5-speed
Super Black

I've already got surface rust on the frame

'01 XE V6 4x4 3-Pak Just Blue
-Rob

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First, the title of this thread reminds me of that poor guy that Herculined his pecker...

Second, putting the wax on the underside of your X will probably do more harm than good, you're only trapping moisture against the metal.

Third, BFD! It's going to rust, just like the underbody of every other vehicle. Try and find a vehicle on the road without rust on the frame and suspension.

Brent

[This message has been edited by OffroadX (edited 04-22-2001).]

I hear putting magnesium on your skid plates helps.

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As long as you live on earth you do... :-p


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The best you could really do for the undercarriage is to wash it off with a hose under pressure to remove loose, caked on funk and *especially* road salt during those winter months.

Every time you wash the X, just hit everything underneath with a nice stream and wash it off, paying attention to nooks where mud and such can accumulate.

Rust down there is normal and more or less impossible to stop. But with a little care, you can prevent premature rusting of the body parts.

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