Underbody Coating
UNDERBODY COATING:
Underbody coating is coating of the structural components with the application of Teflon or rubberized paint under a vehicle. The primary reason for the coating is to prevent the body from corrosion. The car’s underbody is often exposed to a lot of wear and tear from potholes, muddy water, stones, and other obstacles. The underbody coating is a long-term solution from corrosion and rust. Apart from the obvious prevention from corrosion other benefits from the underbody coating include: Minimising noise, Heat insulation and Anti-chipping property. The underbody coating results in a noiseless and smooth driving, insulates the car interior from extreme temperatures and prevents from damage done by hitting obstacles or speed breakers by not chipping.
The underbody coating that is most commonly used on cars in India and supplied by companies such as 3M is a thick, rubberized paint that forms a 2-3 mm thick coating all along the underside of the car when sprayed on. You also get a thinner clear coat underbody coating which is like a lacquer that coats the entire underside of the car. Some even inject rust-preventive coating material into crevices such as the bottom of doors and door sills, to protect them from rust.
Underbody coatings are generally applied using the following methods:
- Spray.
- Electronic.
- Drip oil spray.
- Dripless oil spray.
Types of Undercoating:
Rubberized Undercoating:
Rubberized vehicle undercoating is easy to apply and offers good cushioning as well as protection from dust, moisture, and dents. Which is generally the best option for protecting the vehicle’s underbody, as it provides the simplest and best protective measures against rust and moisture.
Polyurethane Undercoating:
The other option for undercoating the vehicle is to use a polyurethane based sealant. This type of vehicle undercoating is a little bit quicker and easier to apply.This type of car undercoating generally requires a little bit more surface prep work before applying sanding and applying an etching primer to bare metals before using are generally recommended.
Wax or Paraffin-Based Undercoatings:
A paraffin-based undercoating will be the cheapest and quickest option available with which to protect the undercarriage of the vehicle. However, keep in mind that it will wear off quicker than other types of undercoating and will need to be stripped and reapplied at least once every year.
Asphalt-Based Undercoating:
For standard vehicles, any of the above mentioned types of undercoating will provide sufficient protection. For large trucks and heavy machinery, asphalt-based undercoating provides a bit of extra durability against rocks, chips, and moisture. This type of undercoating also needs more cure time than the other three, and is not paintable, making it best to use only for underbodies.
PROS:
Rust Prevention:
Ideally any additional underbody coating should be applied when the car is brand new and clean. Car manufacturers use thick paints and sealants for the underbody, but adding an underbody coat especially in coastal cities is useful. Salt water tends to corrode cars really badly.
On bad roads, flying stones and pebbles can chip off the original underbody coating and leave the metal exposed. Using an aftermarket underbody coating offer extra protection.
Sound insulation
The thicker underbody coatings used on cars also act as effective sound dampeners. They can reduce road noise and tyre noise and make the cabin seem quieter – due to the sound absorptive nature of rubberized paints.
Easy maintenance
A uniform black underbody coating gives a car a clean look. It also makes the car easier to maintain by just hosing the underside down. You can be confident that slush build up won’t lead to rusting easily. Most underbody coats these days come with a five-year warranty, which is the lifetime of such a coating.
CONS:
High cost
Cost of underbody coating has come down, but is still expensive. This is because underbody coating offered by a car dealer is one way in which they make money off the customer.
Risk of damage during application
Care must be taken while applying underbody coating. This thick rubberized paint if not applied properly, can get into moving mechanical parts and cause premature failure – such as into the U-joint or CV joints in a cars propeller shaft or drive shafts. They can also hinder smooth movement of suspension components, if applied incorrectly. And there’s also the risk of overspray on to the car’s paint finish on the lower edges of the car.
Not long-lasting
Teflon coating does not last long enough. The effect can wear off in about six months’ time after which it will need to be redone or you have to switch to a hard-wax polish for the car. The benefits of a hard-wax too are not long-lasting, but can be re-done at a much lower cost.