Chassis rust

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MJI

Well-Known Member
Posts
14,557
Location
Worcester
Was underneath today fitting extended breathers to the rear axle and found some depressing things.

Firstly the underseal I put on last year is flaking off.

Secondly quite a bit of surface rust on the main rail in fron tof the rear axle.

What is my best line of attack?

Mad waxoyl session?

More underseal?
 
I,m not a fan of under seal at all. It lets moisture in and then just hides any trouble spots.
 
I would check first of all that it's still sound under the rust. If you're going to have it welded you don't want to hide it under waxoyl.

I too am not keen on underseal.
 
Another vote against underseal here.

I suggest getting the surfaces back to decent - I.E. reasonably solid but rusty metal first, then fertan, then primer, paint and waxoyl.

BUT, there are quite a few different rust treatment philosophies out there... the above is what I would do.

Throw your underseal away. its carp, IMHO.
 
Agree with the others re underseal,

Good for a bodge and squeaking through an mot, thats about it.

Has anyone used aerosol cold galvanised spray? after treatment but before paint etc

cheers
 
The chassis is goin to be the death of mine soon im afraid. Second part welded for MOT last week and a new body support fabricated and fitted. Thats despite annual external coat of spray dinitrol and I did as much of the inside of the chassis as I could 4 years ago. I dare say if it wasnt done early on in the vehicles life then its difficult to prevent. Im not complaining though, its had a hard life, proper work horse. I just wish they had gone on beyond 04.
 
The reason you are redoing it now is because 4 years ago you used products that would last at best 4 years.

If you redo it now with fertan, and what not you will be doing it again in 4 years

Don't use engine oil. Many swear by it. But motorcyclists won't like you, and oil sits on top of water. It's not a corrossion inhibitor.

If you want it to last, then you need to be using premium products. The better commercial products are POR, and rustoleum. A grade higher would be industrial coatings from www.facebook.com/buzzweld (corroless).

Don't use waxoil inside the chassis either.
 
The reason you are redoing it now is because 4 years ago you used products that would last at best 4 years.

If you redo it now with fertan, and what not you will be doing it again in 4 years

Don't use engine oil. Many swear by it. But motorcyclists won't like you, and oil sits on top of water. It's not a corrossion inhibitor.

If you want it to last, then you need to be using premium products. The better commercial products are POR, and rustoleum. A grade higher would be industrial coatings from www.facebook.com/buzzweld (corroless).

Don't use waxoil inside the chassis either.


So what should be sprayed inside then?
 
I know he gets a bad press (and his people skills are sadly lacking) but I had my D1 done by before n after when I bought it at 9 years old and it had needed no welding at all when I sold it 7 years later. I had my D2 done by him when I bought it in 2009 and the chassis legs are absolutely solid with only a trace of surface rust in places on the outside.

My conclusion is that waxoyl does work well but only if properly applied.
 
My conclusion is that waxoyl does work well but only if properly applied.

This is my conclusion too. I have been waxoyling vehicles for a lot of years now - and my father was before me.

It works well in my experience. BUT you have to do the job properly, and use at least enough. I have done friends vehicles too, and they are always gobsmacked by how much I put on!!

Its not like its expensive FFS! :D
 
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I have noticed over the years that the rails that run round the mechanicals always seem to be the last bit to let go.

Presumably cos they live in a constant oil mist spray from the engine and box! :D

No, its the heat from the mechanicals that dries it all out.
The way to protect the chassis is to grind back to bare,shiny metal - then immediately paint it with a decent primer and black paint. I use stuff that we used for painting park railings made by Dacrylate. No connection to them,just that the paint sticks and stays.
When that is dry I use Dinitrol 4941underbody wax - not Waxoil,its rubbish. Inside the chassis I use Dinitrol ml cavity wax.
This seems to work well, I gave up with waxoil because I couldn't trust it to actually stay on customers cars after they had paid good money for me to clean and treat their LR.
 
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