Help with undercarriage

[Fly5465]

I need a little help with cleaning the undercarriage of my 4x4 pickup. I'm not sure its ever been detailed under there since new in 2002. I have detailed the paint and I have to say it came out pretty nice.



Now I want to tackle the undercarriage and see if I can make it look nice again. I love the new look on vehicles under there..... so clean.



I want to order some new products to do this job, but after reading the many posts here and other forums, I'm confused as what to get and exactly how to go about it. Currently I have ZERO products for cleaning the under side.



Can you guys take a look at these pictures and give me kind of a short step by step procedure and (recommended some products) on how to get it looking good again. Can I get the frame, axle and suspension parts black again without painting?



By the way, I think I have access to a pressure washer if needed.



Thanks, Dale

 

[Cleaning Fool]

Well, I would start with a good degreaser, a scrub brush and a power washer. Once that is done, I use a product like Chemical Guys Bare Bones to dress. Keep in mind the dressing will not last forever and you will have to re-apply as necessary. UNDERCARRIAGE SPRAY BARE BONES NEW LOOK SHINE

 

[BigAl3]

use some APC, brushes, and a sponge and go to town cleaning it up. then dress with your favorite dressing. megs hyper dressing (about $35-$40 a gallon) is great and can be diluted anywhere from 1:1 - 4:1, depending on what kind of finish you are looking for (i use it 3:1 in the wheel wells)...

 

[Fly5465]

Thanks you guys. I will get some APC and undercarriage dressing and give it a shot. I can buy the Meguiars locally, its a bit more expensive but I dont have to pay shipping.



Thanks again,

Fly5465

 

[Accumulator]

IME most undercarriages aren't painted very well at the factory, and are often in nasty condition by the time you want to spruce them up (surface rust, etc.).



So besides cleaning off all the [stuff] that's under there, you often need to do some kind of recoating before you can switch to merely-maintenance mode.



I'm a *HUGE* fan of Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator and Black Heavy Duty Anti-Rust (link: Eastwood Company: Auto Tools, Body Repair, Classic Car Restoration, Paint Guns, Powder Coating, Soda Blasters, Fender Rollers ). These products are very tolerant of so-so prep, and once you get the undercarriage done with them it's a breeze to keep it looking nice. IME these are MUCH better than products like POR-15 and the other undercoatings I've tried, not to say that there aren't other similar products that are also OK.