Underbody Coating

UNDERBODY COATING

WHAT IS UNDERBODY COATING?

• Underbody coating is a process which provides long term protection from corrosion to car’s underbody. It also protects parts like internal body panels, frame rails and other inner cavities that are not physically accessible but are prone to corrosion.
• Underbody coating is usually a dense cladding (often based on rubber) applied uniformly to the undercarriage of the automobile. It is normally sprayed or painted on when the car is just out of the dealership and is clean.
• The underbody coating helps in protection from dust and moisture and also some other factors such as poor road conditions, rocks getting thrown from tires and denting the metal and salt from water during monsoon which plays an important role in damaging the underbelly of a car.
• The main purpose of undercoating is to check rust especially in the body components like frame rails along with other exposed metal parts. Underbody coating can also reduce wear and tear.

NEED FOR UNDERBODY COATING

• Vehicles in the coastal areas are much more prone to corrosion than in any other region. The content of salt in the water floating around during the monsoon season is way too high. Adding to this is the humidity in such areas and these elements further speed up the process of corrosion. Hence getting the car done right with a nice underbody coat job is of utmost importance for people living that beach life.
• Living in areas having large sections of unpaved roads, then monsoon is just going to make things worse. The sand is going to mix with the water and all that muck will get stuck to the car’s belly. This makes the car’s underbody more vulnerable to damage and a nice and thick coating will surely help.

TYPES OF UNDERBODY COATING

The various kinds of automotive underbody coating are;

Rubberized Underbody Coating

• This is generally thought of as the best underbody coating for the car. It preserves the underbody well, protecting it from scratches. Applying this to the undercarriage is not much of a hassle either.

Wax Based Underbody Coating

• This – more or less – ephemeral undercoating will wear away in a few months’ time. On the upside, wax-based undercoating puts up a big fight against moisture. It is also the most affordable option out there.

Asphalt Based Automotive Undercoating

• Best suited for lorries, trucks and large vehicles this provides a greater degree of protection compared to rubber-based coatings. However, asphalt-based coatings contain little amounts of rubber for sound-insulation purposes. The process of applying this coating is a bit time-consuming though.

Polyurethane Underbody Coating

• This coating closes up splits and fractures on the underbody of the vehicle. It offers up good protection against corrosion and also bonds with the metal. Unlike in the case of asphalt-based coating, you can paint over the polyurethane coating.

ADVANTAGES OF UNDERBODY COATING

Fights Rust

It plays an important role in keeping corrosion at bay. Underbody coating can come in handy especially if living near the sea, where there is too much humidity, and rusting is just one of those everyday things. We should also seriously consider undercoating if we reside in a place where it snows in winter.

Absorbs Noise

Very thick undercoating can soften the noises that reach the cabin. Since the undercoating is often made up of rubber it absorbs some of the rackets. The occupants of the car could spare themselves of the road noises – at least up to a certain extend.

Reinforcement

If the car comes with stock underbody coating, using another coating on top of it, is not going to hurt. It will offer additional reinforcement, protecting the underbody from water, road debris, gravel and small pebbles. There would also be a lesser chance for the factory coat to flake away.

Prolong Car’s Life

Good undercoating not only defends the underbody from corrosion but also protects the engine and transmission as well! Less rusting coupled with slower wear and tear can surely add years to the lifespan of the vehicle. There would be fewer dents, dings and scratches on the undercarriage.

Prevents Paint Chipping

Running on the highway or while pacing through a city road, we will often encounter sharp gravel or any other unattended object hitting the belly of the car with high momentum. This scrapes and chips off the metal from down below. A thick layer of Underbody Coating definitely comes to aid and minimises the effects of such contacts on the body.

Protects Vital Components

Underneath a car a lot of indispensable parts of a car are left exposed like the Engine, silencer, etc. One simply can’t afford to let these parts go bad due to rusting and hence in order to save it from a hefty repair bill, a considerably less expensive Anti-Rust Coating is a must.

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. We 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.

DISADVANTAGES OF UNDERBODY COATING

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.

Less helpful if corrosion is already present

For an undercoating to be the most effective, it should be in place before the underbelly of the car begins to rust. If we apply it over corrosion, we will still isolate the metal from further moisture and airflow, which is good, but the existing oxidizing/rusting process will still continue to occur. After rust is already present, applying an undercoating will slow the continuation of the corrosion process and will make the vehicle look better… until the rust breaks its way through the layer of undercoating applied. If rust present, it is better to remove the rust and then apply the undercoating.

Adds weight to the vehicle

Although the amount of weight added to a vehicle with an undercoating is minimal, there is a small element of fuel economy to consider. When the vehicle weighs more, the distance to can travel on a single tank of fuel is reduced. The undercoating might reduce the efficiency by up to one mile per gallon, which creates a small additional fuel cost over time. Still, the effect on mileage of this additional weight is negligible compared to the effect a driver can have by the way they drive.