Using Fluid Film

Does anyone have recommendations of where to spray or not spray Fluid Film on Tacoma? Is it better than undercoating and why? It seems like the spare steel wheels rust quickly from winter salt. And frame and shock bolts. TIA

 

If you have a fresh, brand new truck, skip the Fluid Film and go for a more permanent coating like a Cosmoline product. That's what I did to my truck and it held up very well this winter.

I did apply Fluid Film to the spare tire mechanism to prevent locking up.

 

Thanks. Where did you get Cosmoline?

 

Bought a 6 pack off Amazon. CRC Marine Corrosion Inhibitor, it was enough to do the frame and suspension parts.

 

Save the fluid flim for your lawnmower deck. Use crc or cosmoline rp-342 on a new truck. They claim its safe on plastic and rubber components, but imo, best if their avoided. I sprayed even my steel spare wheel down with cosmoline. That stuff doesn't need to be repeated completely every year like fluid flim if you live in the rust belt, just minor touchups.

 

Lately buying cosmoline direct has been best. Sometimes ebay has a seller with a better deal.

 

Fluid Film is great as a DIY that you have to reapply about every year. Works great for the price, but there are better options.
I try not to spray directly the breaks, rubber components and exhaust system.
What ever you use, give the frame a good wash and let it dry well. Spray thoroughly on the inside of the box section.

 

the nice thing about fluid film is how thin it gets when the temps come up. it leeches into the cracks, crevices, and seams. putting it on every year, just lets you know, you are doing everything you can to protect your investment. if you think you can one and done forever protection on your metal, you are not thinking it through. cosmoline will protect but, only as well as the applicator, and application process.

If you think you can completely protect a vehicle with 5-6 small rattle cans of any protectant, you are not doing a complete job. I use 3-4 small cans of FF just on the doors, tailgate, and hood. then another 2-3 QUARTS through the spray applicator system, every fall, for every auto I own.

It may be over kill but, I invested almost 50k into the truck, If I want it to last, not prematurely rust out, spending an afternoon and 70-100 bucks a fall, is cheap insurance, to me.

Ski

 

Cosmoline is great, but it doesn’t creep and spread like Fluid Film and is only as good as the person applying it. So if a spot or cavity was missed while spraying it, you’re SOL.
IMO, even if I used Cosmoline from day one on my truck, I’d still want to use Fluid Film once a year or so....

As for what to not spray with FF, I try to avoid the exhaust, brakes, belt, carpets and any soft rubbers.....

....and FYI @zoo truck, Fluid Film works excellent on my lawnmower too..

 

fluid film is best if there is already some amount of rust. Cosmoline is better if its still a clean truck. As far as people use 5-6 rattle cans? I don't believe they did a complete job. The first time I FF my truck (it was used and had some rust) I used the woolwax sprayer and a whole gallon of FF and still didn't get it everywhere it need to be. The rattle cans might do the frame and the obvious parts of the cab and bedsides, but to keep the rust out you need to get inside every nook and cranny, inside the doors and body stiffener rails, engine bay/ firewall under the front bumper the body corners, inside the tail gate. The more you look the more places you will find.

 

+1 on this been doing FF every fall bottom of my truck still looks brand new and I live in the Midwest. Use about 5 cans each time and most of it is left each fall minus what rubs off on me when I’m under there.

 

I use crc with success. It’s a marine product so I figured if it’s for that environment.

 

on my last tacoma I used fluid film at the end of every fall. When I sold the truck it was 5 years old and the undercarriage looked almost new (and I live in the rust belt). I'll have to give that cosmoline a try on my new tacoma this coming winter but after that I'll stick to fluid film.

 

No rust proofing will hold up to areas that are prone to being sandblasted by water/rocks/salt/anti-skid so, after a couple years of being professionally fluid filmed I get them sprayed every other year and on the between years I get on my creeper and rattle can touch up those high abrasive area's.

 

I researched this awhile back looking for some kind of protection for my 2022 taco and ended up going with Surface Shield. I bought a

$110 woolwax Pro Undercoating Gun by Kellsport

gun also to apply it. I bought a gallon of it and it looks like the gallon will do a few more applications.

There's a couple comparison videos on YT. If it works I don't really mind it a being a once a year thing and like I said the gallon will probably do 5+ applications but that's just a guess. It may be terrible and I'll have to go with something else.

 

I tried some Surface Shield also, along with some FF I had, and a can of CRC Marine. On the SS can it says a treatment is good for up to 2 years, I like that part.

 

Yep, I use CRC on the majority of the frame, apply it once yearly and touch up spots that seem to show a little surface rust and respray it on. I like Fluid film on the harder to reach areas and let it creep in there. 2017---midwest born and raised truck and very very minimal surface rust. I popped my head underneath it the other day and noticed some spots that are gonna need a little attention but nothing crazy. I can say the CRC/FF combo does indeed work as long as you keep up with treatments

 

I use a company called Krown Rustproofing. They spray that shit everywhere....

 

My CRC/FF treatments barely hold up to the yearly sand/salt/rock driving in my midwest, chicagoland area. Esp with the new "brine" solution they put down, i think it gets just about all over the undersides and wreaks havoc

 

Bingo. Its thinner which means it creeps more, downside being it does wash off easier