Underbody Coating

Objectives:

1. Write a one-pager about Under-Body Coating and its purpose, its types in detail, and its pros and cons.

SOLUTION:

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. But even if you are getting the undercoating applied after a couple of years, it’s fine too. This is because it can prevent further damage to the undercarriage.

In Indian road conditions, a cars 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.

TYPES OF UNDERBODY COATINGS :

Rubberized Undercoating

Rubberized undercoating is easy to apply and offers sound-cushioning as well as protection from dust, moisture, and dings or dents. In addition to your undercarriage, rubberized undercoating is also safe to use on wheel wells and quarter panels, and dries to a soft rubbery finish that prevents further rust, damage, or moisture seeps. The coating can be painted over and, if necessary for bodywork, can be easily removed with an undercoating removal spray.

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.

pros

The obvious pros of undercoating are the protection it provides to the carriage of your vehicle. If you live in an area where salt and sand are used on the roadways in cold weather, these materials can be corrosive to your vehicle. Undercoating gives you an extra layer of protection against rust and corrosion, protecting your car. Undercoating will eventually wear out, but you can get years of protection from it. Even vehicles in warmer climates gain protection as debris is repelled and kept away from eating at the vehicle.

Cons

When examining the vehicle undercoating pros and cons, you do want to look at potential downsides to getting 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.