Ziebart

[BlueSHO]

What do you guys think about Ziebart rustproofing? Here in the Midwest they throw salt around by the tons in the winter. My SHO will be a daily driver and I plan on keeping it for awhile. I've seen some of the 10's and 11's under carriage around here and there's noticeable rust on the underside especially suspension components. They tried to sell me some package at the dealership that included rustproofing and I passed because if and I say if I was going to do it Ziebart is the route I would go. If I didn't live in this salt infested area or stored my car during the winter I wouldn't do it. I know cars don't rust like the older ones did but the newer ones can in time when in a salt environment. You should see the rockers on older gm trucks and quarter panels on older ram trucks around here. Anyway comments concerns and advice would be appreciated.

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[SHOdded]

It's hard to say with these cars about the underbody, because nobody's really mentioned any rust-related problems in that area. Around the trim and trunk area, yes, but not the underbody. I frequently see pics though that reinforce the fact that the components like driveshaft, control arms, etc. develop a lot of surface rust (usually not damaging to performance) and could use a coat of clearcoat or something. As for the underbody, there are a lot of fuel & EVAP components mounted underneath, the shields can become catch basins, and I am not sure how good any of the rustproofing coverage will be. Just when you think the engine bay is crowded And in the Edge, the fuel tank straps became a problem area for rust.

Basically, I'd think you need a product that stays on for a long time, is thin, flexible, and tough, and can be sprayed into crevices. For a DIY'r, 3M rustproofing products could work. 100% coverage is hard to achieve. I'd look at the warranty instead, make sure it's workable, and check the operator's reputation, TBH.

 

[sperold]

I understand the warranties are hard to claim against. If the body panel or part is not reached by the installer, the corrosion is not covered.
The rustproofing that gets the best results are the ones that require a yearly re-apply. The old term is "oil spray", but it may not be simple oil anymore. They are light in consistency and get into the creases and hard to reach places. Once they occupy the space, the salty water does not displace it.

The waxy, thick systems claim years of protection, but they don't seem to protect as well as they claim. Sometimes the thick coating breaks free of the metal it is protecting (but still hangs together) and fills with waters.

The systems that require yearly re-dos are cheaper but most likely work out to the same costs over the time period.

Beware of places that try to impress you by spraying the engine compartment (as they feel that is where you will look) and you end up with a mess, even on fiberglass parts and under the hood.

There are no magic formulas as claimed by the big chains.

I would go with a local shop, since a yearly visit is required, after you get a referrral of good service and workmanship.

 

[BlueSHO]

The Ziebart place I'm thinking of going to has been in business for 25 years so they are good at knowing what their doing. Besides the rustproofing benefit they also apply a sound deadner to the underside so an already quiet car would be even quieter especially on the highway. I'm just on the fence on having it done.

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[SHOdded]

Did you check their reviews on Yelp, Repairpal, etc, or have you worked with this shop before personally?

 

[BlueSHO]

Did you check their reviews on Yelp, Repairpal, etc, or have you worked with this shop before personally?

Yes Yelp was 5 stars and google review 4.5. I also had a car done there about 5 years ago and it was done very good.

 

[OmaHahn]

I don't know why you passed on the dealer offer! I got the rust-proofing and undercoating at the dealer - part of a package. I heard good and bad about undercoating such as it can actually trap water/moisture and cause premature rust, etc. BUT... the dealer guarantees rust free, etc for the LIFE of the car so **** why not do it. So now I know my car is protected for life. I also heard that the undercoating acts like a sound barrier. Several members have complained about excessive noise under the car in the winter driving through slush, sand/salt, ice, etc. My car has been completely quite underneath. I highly recommend it!

 

[BlueSHO]

I guess I remember the days of Rusty Jones from the dealer that was a joke. They had people apply it that didn't know what they were doing and after 5 or 6 years when the claims started coming in for their lifetime warranty they went bankrupt. Ziebart has been around since the late 50's. The dealer wanted a lot of money for the "package" and I got that price down a lot but it was still too high. This particular Ziebart has been in business for over 25 years and their price is very reasonable so I think their doing something right.

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[gary4n]

I hear good things about the Flui d Film though you need to apply it every year in preparation for the winter.

 

[shaker281]

IMO surface rust on suspension components is irrelevant. Today's body panels and designs are far superior to even 10 years ago. My 10 year old Midwest driven Explorer is just beginning to see minor issues with lower door areas, but not even visible to a casual inspection. These sort of treatments (might) tend to benefit the second buyer more than the original owner. After 10 years it certainly wont help resale much. I see it as a bit of a paranoia expense.

 

[SilverSH0]

My parents have used it on their DD 2005 F150 and I haven't used it on my DD 2004 Grand Cherokee. After just over 10 years on both vehicles the bottom of theirs is free from rust. The bottom of my Jeep is full of rust everywhere (last year one of the brake lines rusted through and needed replaced).

If I drove my SHO in the winter I would definitely spend the extra money to have it done. My personal opinion is that it works. Beyond that, it's not terrible expensive and I view it as cheaper insurance. If it works, then it's great. If it doesn't work that well, then you haven't really wasted much money.

 

[BlueSHO]

I'm not sure how long I'm going to keep this car but I'm going to keep it as long as possible. It's 400 bucks to do and that's a sound shield application also. I live in the heavily salted midwest and the car is a daily driver. I constantly see late model cars and trucks here rusting in some place. The place that would do it has been doing Ziebart for 30 years so they must be doing something right.

 

[rcryniak]

Ziebart looks promising to me, honestly... but keep in mind that there are alternatives that save money, and let you DIY. The advantage of DIY in this case is more for the same reason why DIY washes are important; it gives you the opportunity to carefully inspect everything like you'd never noticed issues when they were in their infancy otherwise. Keep in mind too that any place, no matter how reputable isn't going to care as much about your car as you do.

Anyhow, for your consideration, this product also got good reviews: Chemical Guys Bare Bones Undercarriage Spray, but requires something to spray it with (could be an air tool OR a manual spray bottle, they sell one in the bottle too.)

 

[SHOdded]

3M's rubberized undercoating is also a favorite among DIY'rs and professionals alike. For example:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015PG5IU