Underbody Coating

UNDERBODY COATING

INTRODUCTION

A car’s underbody is exposed to the most wear and tear caused by muddy water, potholed roads, stones and other obstacles on the road. Because it’s not in plain sight, we often do not see the damage.

In Indian road conditions, a car’s underbody is most prone to corrosion. Underbody coating 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.

Under body protective coating is used to protect the vehicle chassis from external environment, to ensure the integrity and safety of car. The use of underbody coating plays a very important role in the service life of the vehicle. In general, it is required to spray such a protective coating in the manufacturing of the new car. Due to the highly competitiveness of new car sales, car producers have pressure to reduce the manufacturing cost, so that they reduce or even completely eliminate the use of under body coating where it is not to be easily seem by car owners. As a consequence, our car service life will be greatly reduced.

Many car owners know to regularly maintenance the vehicle by changing the engine oil and having the paint polished, but little attention has been paid to the bottom of the car. There are many cars whose surface looks glossy, while the under body’s already rusting.

PURPOSE OF UNDERBODY COATING

• Prevent from stone chip

There are thousands of pieces of stones on the road, and they are constantly hitting your car on the under body, wheel arches, sills and the trunk lower part while driving on the road. In some cases, the under body might be scratched by uneven road. As such the thin corrosion protection coating on the metal sheet will be destroyed and leave the bare metal exposed to the air, which will soon come to corrosion when contact with the moisture in the air. If not promptly getting anti-rust treatment, then the rust will soon spread to large areas. Under body coating or the anti-stone chip coating is a thick elastic layer which could not be easily damaged by stone chipping or scratch, therefore could basically protect the metal sheet of the under body.

• Prevents Paint Chipping

Running on the highway or while pacing through a city road, you will often encounter sharp gravel or any other unattended object hitting the belly of your 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 Against Rust & Corrosion

The primary objective of getting underbody coating done is preventing metal components that are exposed on the bottom side of the car to damage from corrosion. You can shut out the Adverse effects of corrosion on your car by simply applying a rubberised anti-rust coating all over the belly of your car.

• External influence

External environment, such as the baking from the hot road in summer, the road’s anti-frozen gent in winter, raining water and the salty water in the atmosphere, will attach the under body of a car. Particular in coast areas, the wind from the sea will bring more salt to the air, which will accelerate the corrosion and reduce the service life of a car. While the under body is covered by the thick and tight layers, it would act as a strong barrier to prevent these external substances attaching the metal sheet.

• Protects Vital Components

Underneath a car is somewhere 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 yourself from a hefty repair bill, a considerably less expensive Anti-Rust Coating is a must.

• Keep the value

A car could keep a high value while it is well maintained. It means that if a car is well treated on under body protection, it could keep the car in a good condition and extend the car’s service life, or you could charge a higher price in a used-car trading.

• Reduces NVH (Noise Vibrations Harshness) Levels

Our country is filled with roads having uneven patches and potholes and while we manoeuvre our cars through such sections, the unpaved crumbs, and pebbles hit the car from underneath or get stuck in the wheel wells. The underbody coating’s consistency is so thick that the layer it creates absorbs all the unpleasant noises and vibrations and marginally improves the driving experience.

HOW TO UNDESRCOAT BODY?

You have a few options to select from while considering an undercoating for your vehicle. Obviously, if you are getting it done through an authorized dealer, then you would have no choice as they have their own preferences.

• SPRAY

The spray is the most common method used by dealers. The spray consists of a tar-like substance that is applied to the undercarriage. It functions as a barrier for salt, moisture, and oxygen, which causes corrosion.

You can also purchase it as a DIY product, but the whole magic lies behind the method of application, so it’s better to do the job with a dealer, especially if you have a new vehicle.

• ELECTRONIC

Removing the electrical current capacity of items underneath the vehicles is another method for applying to undercoat. A weak electric current circulates through the material, reducing the chances of rusting.

For using this method, a DIY solution wouldn’t work; you would need an expert.

• DRIP OIL SPRAY

If you want to do it yourself, then drip oil spray is the best option. This can be messy but incredibly effective at protecting the undercarriage. It covers every nook and corner of the chassis, forming a robust layer of protection.

Time is the factor where you have to show patience in this method. It takes a long time to dry. In some cases, it drips around 48 hours to a week.

• DRIPLESS OIL SPRAY

Coming to the last option, the dripless oil spray. This waxy substance is applied to the body and undercarriage, forming a strong protective layer. It doesn’t take much time to dry; however, the layer can easily wear and tear than the other counter methods.

Types of Undercoating

Rubberized Underbody Coating

This is generally thought of as the best underbody coating for your 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 UNDERCOATING

• Fights Rust
  

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

• Absorbs Noise

Believe it or not, 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 your 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 your vehicle. There would be fewer dents, dings and scratches on the undercarriage for you to fret about.

DISADVANTAGES OF UNDERCOATING

Undercoating will work best on new vehicles that have not been exposed to road conditions. A used vehicle may already have residue on the bottom of the car or even have spots of rust and corrosion. Undercoating will not help you if corrosion already exists and the corrosion needs to be removed first before it can be applied, which can be expensive for you.