Question for the Michigan / Wisconsin / Illinois folks

[Sancho]

How hard is it to keep a jeep rust free in your area?

Does the fluid film and other undercarriage sprays work?

Is my So. Cal jeep doomed if I move there long term?

Context: lived there for a few years before, did get minimal frame rust. 3 out of 10 imo.

Looks like im moving back, and wondering if my jeep will rust away in 10 yrs.

(2005 tj San Diego jeep. Previously lived in Wisconsin for 6 years. Jeep did get some minimal rusting on frame and transmission mount bolts... but nothing major during that time.)

 

[Gilaguy23]

I feel for you as we just moved to KY and wanted to replace the TJ I left behind in NM. After a few looks I kinda gave up till spring at least. I even bought a POS Grand Cherokee to sacrifice to the rust gods to save our two good vehicles till we move back to AZ. There are some absolute piles of rusted crap with some hillbilly mickey moused frame "fixes" and its not just the frames. Id say the inevitable is coming far as eventual rust issues unless your very conservative of its use in winter. Sorry for the negativity, I loath this place, I feel like a caged rat. My advice, enjoy the likes of JV, the deserts, the Rubicon, Glamis, the Sierras, the millions of open acres to play you have while you can.

 

[StimpsonJCatt]

I simply wouldn't drive it in the winter if you are worried about rust. No matter how clean you try and keep your vehicle, it's not if, it's when the rust will start.

 

[RocknLJ]

Agree with the above having had a YJ,TJ and JK badly rust out.
My LJR is from TX and rust free…. It will NOT be driven in the winter on salted roads.
Fluid film,WD 40 appears to only slow down the process of torque boxes and inside the frame rotting out.

Best to buy a winter beater car and drive that if you want to keep your jeep long term.

 

[Steel City 06]

Keep paint intact, rinse it off every chance you get, use underspray or even just WD-40 monthly, and most importantly, never use stainless hardware on anything.

Take care of it and it will last.

 

[lBasket]

Keep paint intact, rinse it off every chance you get, use underspray or even just WD-40 monthly, and most importantly, never use stainless hardware on anything.

Take care of it and it will last.

What's wrong with stainless hardware?

 

[Steel City 06]

What's wrong with stainless hardware?

Galvanic corrosion. Stainless hardware is very corrosion resistant in itself, but in combination with carbon steel or aluminum plus an electrolyte (such as road salt spray), it creates a battery that rapidly corrodes the steel or aluminum.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion

It's unfortunately one of the biggest mistakes that a lot of people make. They see stainless steel is corrosion resistant but don't realize it results in rapid corrosion of the surrounding metal.

The opposite of this is to use zinc plated steel (or galvanized steel). Zinc is a sacrificial metal, and due to its low electropotential, it corrodes long before steel or aluminum, and thus provides a protective effect rather than a detrimental effect. This is why late TJ frames are galvanized, and why most bolts are zinc coated. The zinc eventually gets corroded away, but in the meantime, it saves the surrounding metal from being corroded away.

Side fact: Galvanization is literally just a galvanic cell being run in reverse, hence the name. Instead of letting galvanic corrosion do its thing in an electrolyte, you do the opposite and apply an electric current to deposit aqueous zinc as metallic zinc. Exactly the same as charging a battery.

 

[Sancho]

I simply wouldn't drive it in the winter if you are worried about rust. No matter how clean you try and keep your vehicle, it's not if, it's when the rust will start.

I plan on keeping it garaged during the winters. It isnt a primary vehicle by any means. Ill just use it during the 3 seasons for cruising. Will rust be an issue over time under those parameters?

 

[Sancho]

I feel for you as we just moved to KY and wanted to replace the TJ I left behind in NM. After a few looks I kinda gave up till spring at least. I even bought a POS Grand Cherokee to sacrifice to the rust gods to save our two good vehicles till we move back to AZ. There are some absolute piles of rusted crap with some hillbilly mickey moused frame "fixes" and its not just the frames. Id say the inevitable is coming far as eventual rust issues unless your very conservative of its use in winter. Sorry for the negativity, I loath this place, I feel like a caged rat. My advice, enjoy the likes of JV, the deserts, the Rubicon, Glamis, the Sierras, the millions of open acres to play you have while you can.

Good advice from everyone, thank you.

Definitely gonna do a "Goodbye California" trip with the jeep. Im thinking of one last trip to Coyote Flats soon.. cruise thru DV and probably one last jaunt thru Anza. Anza and corral canyon is where it all started with my jeep adventures in SoCal, might as well end it there.

I'm thinking Ill keep the jeep, too many memories, and don't care for the money. Just dont wanna see the thing rust away in the North. If you guys are saying there is a fighting chance.. Ill give it a try.

Gonna lube it up and garage it during the winter, cruise it the other 3 seasons.

 

[GoldenGorilla]

Galvanic corrosion. Stainless hardware is very corrosion resistant in itself, but in combination with carbon steel or aluminum plus an electrolyte (such as road salt spray), it creates a battery that rapidly corrodes the steel or aluminum.

Did my undergrad in metallurgy and material science and will second this. I still use some stainless hardware - but in places where I'm more concerned about the hardware seizing due to it's own exposure to corrosives. And thankfully we don't get that much salt on our roads.

Does the fluid film and other undercarriage sprays work?

I found the content by repair geek on YT to be convincing enough that after removing minor rust on my frame and repainting it I have applied Surface Shield by the PB Blaster folks on the outside and a different lanolin product on the insides of my frame with a hose applicator. This winter will be it's first test and I hope it does well. But if I had a car I wanted to live a long life in that area - I'd put it away in the winter.

 

[bucky]

Why the HELL would you want to move back to Wisconsin? 46 and feels like 44 in Milwaukee and 71 in SD now 6pm pacific. I left there in 79 to move to SoCal and never regretted it. I can see being closer to Family there. I was just back in Milwaukee in mid Oct helping my Sister do work on her house for 2 weeks. Cold and blustery which made working outside miserable. I did like the gas prices and there are lots of good Mexican Restaurants there now. My sister lives by the port and I saw the mountains of salt ready to be spread on the roads.
I sold my parents my Ca car back in the 80s. I came to visit the the Next Spring and after one Winter every rock chip on the car was a big rusted dot. Granted cars are a bit more rust proof now. I ran into a guy at Costco who had a 97 Tj that looked pretty good but I did not look underneath. He had it painted with bed liner and said he did park it over the winter.

 

[astjp2]

How hard is it to keep a jeep rust free in your area?

Does the fluid film and other undercarriage sprays work?

Is my So. Cal jeep doomed if I move there long term?

Context: lived there for a few years before, did get minimal frame rust. 3 out of 10 imo.

Looks like im moving back, and wondering if my jeep will rust away in 10 yrs.

(2005 tj San Diego jeep. Previously lived in Wisconsin for 6 years. Jeep did get some minimal rusting on frame and transmission mount bolts... but nothing major during that time.)

dont drive in winter will solve a lot of your concern

 

[Sancho]

dont drive in winter will solve a lot

Why the HELL would you want to move back to Wisconsin? 46 and feels like 44 in Milwaukee and 71 in SD now 6pm pacific. I left there in 79 to move to SoCal and never regretted it. I can see being closer to Family there. I was just back in Milwaukee in mid Oct helping my Sister do work on her house for 2 weeks. Cold and blustery which made working outside miserable. I did like the gas prices and there are lots of good Mexican Restaurants there now. My sister lives by the port and I saw the mountains of salt ready to be spread on the roads.
I sold my parents my Ca car back in the 80s. I came to visit the the Next Spring and after one Winter every rock chip on the car was a big rusted dot. Granted cars are a bit more rust proof now. I ran into a guy at Costco who had a 97 Tj that looked pretty good but I did not look underneath. He had it painted with bed liner and said he did park it over the winter.

Bro... I grew up in SD, and my first move to WI, everyone asked what they hell I was doing.

Now they gonna ask.. what the hell you doing again?!

Main reason for the move is a 5 mtnh old granddaughter.