Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Preparing your truck for winter

Where we are the highways maintenance guys spray a brine solution on the road when the temperature gets close to freezing. If you go for a drive, this stuff get all over your vehicle. I'd like to take it for a run today, but I don't want to deal with the mess and possible corrosion issues.

I plan on spraying the underside of my truck with this stuff: https://www.cosmolinedirect.com/cosmoline-rp-342-heavy-spray-military-grade-rust-preventive/
Kind of a waxy oil/grease.
Still plan to keep my truck out of the salty roads if I can help it.

I worked for a large heavy equipment manufacturer and we used that stuff to store castings/forgings for long periods of time in semi trailers. It worked great for preventing rust but wasn’t fun to touch.

I not sure that would be a good idea. It never hardens and stays somewhat sticky. Dust and dirt would stick. I would consider using undercoating or spray bed liner.

I watch a man called Musti1 on youtube he lives in New Hampshire and sprays all his vehicles with Oli.

Phak I've heard some say the dust and dirt that sticks helps make a protective layer, maybe I'll get some to experiment with I guess, but I thought it might be better than nothing, and I've seen some newer vehicles with Bedliner stuff on the frame have rust under it, thought just a thin layer could keep rust at bay, while still being able to observe it.
I definitely understand what you're saying though.

Cosmoline is a preservative that is primarily for long-term storage. The U.S. military used to dunk their rifles into the stuff then stick them into 55 gal drums until needed (there's a great You Tube video showing the process of preserving M1 Garands this way). Those of us who deal with steam locomotives use it to keep bearing surfaces from rusting up. It is completely removed before the bearing goes into service for the reason mentioned: it attracts and holds dirt and grit (it's also not a very good lubricant).

Right Brian, but there are definitely different formulas of it, the link I posted is supposed to harden some (according to manufacterer), one would probably want to experiment before having a gummy mess.
Would be nice if I came across a barrel of those cosmolined M1's or Russian Kalashnikovs now.

I personally would not coat the underside of any vehicle with cosmoline. It's true that it attracts dust and dirt and that could be construed as a protective layer. But who wants the underside of their vehicle coated with grime?

The only way to remove the cosmoline is with kerosene or some other solvent. And it's a job and a half.

Why not just wash your vehicle after you're finished driving it in the nasty weather?

You might also consider that trying to work on the underside of the vehicle after it's coated in cosmoline is going to be a huge messy disaster. It's like molasses that can't be cleaned off of anything. Your tools are going to be full of sticky goo your hands and clothes are going to be covered in sticky goo and every other thing under the truck and in your garage is going to be covered with a disgusting mess.

Just clean the truck in the winter the same way you do in the summer.

It is understandable for someone from Georgia to suggest “why not just wash your vehicle after driving it in nasty weather?”.

I live in Wisconsin. You would have to witness for yourself how aggressively (excessively) the roads here are treated with salt related products nowadays. It gets worse every year - more budgeting for subsequent years is my take. When driving in near freezing temperatures and fresh snow the traffic raises a fine moisture laden sodium/calcium/potassium (depending on product) mist that is extremely pervasive. It gets deep into every seam , nook and cranny. A car wash cannot cleanse those hard to access recesses.