Preparing my truck for snow?

[Lefty]

Great idea, I'll grab something like that

Tube sand has a way of getting all over the place. Little stones do not. They provide a more effective grip. And if I ever do get stuck I can open a small bag and pour it out, leaving more weight in the pickup bed.

 

[MT_PLS]

Tube sand has a way of getting all over the place. Little stones do not. They provide a more effective grip. And if I ever do get stuck I can open a small bag and pour it out, leaving more weight in the pickup bed.

I have never seen a bag of traction additives that you showed a picture of. I will have to see if I can find something like that locally.

 

[Lefty]

I have never seen a bag of traction additives that you showed a picture of. I will have to see if I can find something like that locally.

If not, buy pea gravel. The results are the same.

 

[Lefty]

I wonder if it makes sense at all to put snow tires on the two rear drive wheels

 

[racsan]

I run them on all 4, regardless of 2wd or 4x4. still need to stop & turn.

 

[JJMaine]

So I dropped my truck off this morning to a guy that does woolwax undercoating and picked it up on my way home from work. When I got it home and shined a flashlight underneath it reaffirmed why I try not to let other people touch my shit and especially pay them money to touch my shit.

Now, I didn't expect it to look beautiful since it is just a black oily substance getting sprayed everywhere but clearly this guy has terrible aim judging by the insides of my rear tires. Also, never sprayed inside the fender wells or inside the rocker panels and just missed a bunch of random spots on the frame and body mounts etc. I guess I'm going to have to spend more money and finish it myself. As well as an afternoon washing the over spray off of my entire truck.

How do those spray cans work with that spray wand? Must be good enough to finish his half-assed job?

 

[Lefty]

So I dropped my truck off this morning to a guy that does woolwax undercoating and picked it up on my way home from work. When I got it home and shined a flashlight underneath it reaffirmed why I try not to let other people touch my shit and especially pay them money to touch my shit.

Now, I didn't expect it to look beautiful since it is just a black oily substance getting sprayed everywhere but clearly this guy has terrible aim judging by the insides of my rear tires. Also, never sprayed inside the fender wells or inside the rocker panels and just missed a bunch of random spots on the frame and body mounts etc. I guess I'm going to have to spend more money and finish it myself. As well as an afternoon washing the over spray off of my entire truck.

How do those spray cans work with that spray wand? Must be good enough to finish his half-assed job?

 

[sgtsandman]

@Lefty the spray cans work pretty well but because the fluid is thinner, doesn't hold up as long. The fluid has to be thinned so that the lower gas pressure in a spary can can spray it. It will last the winter but needs to be reapplied annually in spots that get a lot of road spray, where as the thicker spray gun stuff will hold up longer than yearly.

 

[Lefty]

@Lefty the spray cans work pretty well but because the fluid is thinner, doesn't hold up as long. The fluid has to be thinned so that the lower gas pressure in a spary can can spray it. It will last the winter but needs to be reapplied annually in spots that get a lot of road spray, where as the thicker spray gun stuff will hold up longer than yearly.

I couldn't agree with you more. Evaporative paints, paints which require a paint thinner, might be fine for lawn chairs, but they just don't last long on cars and trucks.

I am advocating a true 2 part epoxy paint that has no thinners and does not air dry. It comes with a button on the bottom of the spray can that activates a catalyst inside the can.

The matched paint system that NAPA sells seems to be the best, but it is costly: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/UPOUP4883
Eastwood makes a similar system. It is cheaper, but there is no in-person-match made by a professional.

I spent about $300.00 painting that new "old" bumper on the Impala. It wasn't cheap., but it worked. The paint laid down real good. But the Impala is old. It's going to rust out somewhere soon. It also gets driven a lot. The rest of the car will need more touchups someday. And when it happens I will be able match the color.

 

[JJMaine]

Yeah I read that the spray gun woolwax was a lot thicker which is why I opted to have a shop do it so it might last longer and then he forgot the most important part.

I ordered a couple of cans, I'll hit the rockers and fenders myself and spray anything else that needs it. He offered to fix it for me but I don't have the time or ambition to drop my truck off for another day and go back to pick it up after working 12 hours lol.

The woolwax black got a bad review on Amazon. The guy even posted a video on how it was not good "paint" because it had been 3 days and it still wasn't dry. "It wipes right off!!!"

 

[Lefty]

Yeah I read that the spray gun woolwax was a lot thicker which is why I opted to have a shop do it so it might last longer and then he forgot the most important part.

I ordered a couple of cans, I'll hit the rockers and fenders myself and spray anything else that needs it. He offered to fix it for me but I don't have the time or ambition to drop my truck off for another day and go back to pick it up after working 12 hours lol.

The woolwax black got a bad review on Amazon. The guy even posted a video on how it was not good "paint" because it had been 3 days and it still wasn't dry. "It wipes right off!!!"

 

[Lefty]

There are people here who love that stuff. I've been tempted to try it. The thing is I have already painted the underside of my truck with POR 15. It's just a primer of course. So I sealed it with clear urethane spray paint. Urethane (not polyurethane) lasts longer than most other paints that come out of a spray can. Still, the bottom is bound to get chipped up. So I touch it up once a year with Eastwood rust reformer and more urethane. That only takes about 30 minutes.

Call me crazy but when I replaced the exhaust system, I also spray painted it with Rustoleum High Heat. Most sprays powder off pretty darn quick. Not this one. It needs to be retouched every year, Paints don't stick to blued metal welded joints, but it works. I must have 5-6 coats on by now. Less and less touching up is needed.

 

[JJMaine]

The last car I bought used ( 2011 Ford Edge) had been treated with fluid film since new and even though the entire undercarriage was a filthy, greasy mess, you can wipe the grime off and see shiny, new looking steel. That's what sold me on it really. I think as long as you do touch ups and make sure everything is coated it won't rust.

 

[Lefty]

No doubt. Good people say good things about it. I just know what I know.

 

[JJMaine]

Been awhile and not sure if I mentioned but I ended up buying a set of RC 16x8" steel wheels w/ center caps and had my snow tires mounted to those. I kind of like the way these black wheels look, I may need to buy a set of black wheels for summer lol. Also these wheels are offset a bit more (19mm I think) so a bit wider stance is nice. Also decided to skip the tpms sensors. The light doesn't bother me and I keep an air gauge in my truck to check pressures at least once a week.

Dumb question. I just went to Lowe's and grabbed 5-50lb bags of stone to use for weight. I'm going to clear the snow out, leave the bags in and let them get snowed on all winter. Where do you guys position them? Directly over the rear axle?