Underbody Coating

UNDERBODY COATING OF AN AUTOMOTIVE

A car’s underbody is generally exposed to corrosion or rust formation caused by muddy water, stones, obstacles, dirt or garbage on roads. This underbody section of the car is not easily visible and hence, is difficult for maintenance of the car preventing from wear and tear. Usually, car on purchase will have default undercarriage protection for different models and different brands. It is one of the critical factors to check the undercarriage coating features and maintenance as per the requirement.

Figure 1: without underbody coating Figure 2: With underbody coating

There are different types of vehicle undercoating:

• Rubberized Undercoating – is very easy to apply and is one of the best rated undercoating that prevents from moisture, rust, dings and dents. It is mainly applied on quarter panels and wheel walls for better and rubbery finish.
• Asphalt-Based Undercoating – is highly recommended for heavy vehicles like trucks, bus and recreation vehicles. It uses some part of rubber to avoid noise. It is not paintable and thus, only suitable for undercarriages.
• Polyurethane Undercoating – is also easy to apply and best suitable for sealing of cracks and seams. This compound is best for displacing the salt and moisture and hence prevents from rust formation. But, requires surface prep before applying and cannot be applied directly to the bare metal.
• Wax or Paraffin-based Undercoating – is very basic and the cheapest undercoating available. As it is very basic, its effect is reduced and does not last long. Its main advantage is that it can easily seal the cracks and seams and offers moderate protective layer from rust formation.

Advantages of Undercoating as follows:

• Save money – professional undercoating is very expensive
• Road noise reduction – prevents noise from undercarriage due to wear and tear
• Extra layer of protection – More protection ; less wear and tear

Disadvantages of Undercoating:

• It does not help in eliminating the corrosion which is already present
• Highly suitable for new cars
• Cheap quality undercoating may damage the existing car warranty
• It must be applied for every 3-5 years for best results