Thread: Best way to keep your defender Rust Free

I'd be interested in what you have found out Drew.

As I live away from the coast and don't do any beach driving or boat launching the issue of salt is less of a concern.

After a trip off the bitumen as part of the wash I use the pressure washer to clean as much of the mud off as I can reasonably do both topside and particularly underside. I'm careful not to blast the mechanicals (buggered up some seals and removed pin stripes on the Discovery doing this). I pay particular attention to the rear cross member.

This doesn't get it all so when things have dried out I'll get under and remove dried mud from the nooks and crannies.

The Puma chassis is no longer "wax oiled" from the factory for AU models so having a good look around occasionally is part of the routine.

I guess its the places you can't get to is where corrosion is likely to start.

At least with the Puma the door skins are steel so the issue of galvanic corrosion (white rust) between the aluminium skins and steel frames as occurred on earlier models is less of a concern.

Good idea:

If you go on the beach - when you get home wash the car very thoroughly - put plenty of fresh water everyowhere / through the chassis rails etc.

This is the BEST thing you can do.


Dumb ideas:

Fish oil the chassis etc ? Bah - something for sand to stick to.

ERPS / CAT / electrolytic rust preventers - good way to flush $ down the loo.

Electronic rust proofing doesn't work because it needs to be earthed and you can't get a good earth because of the tyres.

I have read that the spray rust proofing can lead to worse off rusting. If the coat is broken in places the corrosion can start here and get in between the metal and the layer of preventative skin :s

electronic rust proofing would work quite well if the vehicle was constantly immersed in fresh water but that would rather defeat the purpose....

Move inland.

John

Proper rust prevention is best done with firstly finding and treating all present rust to neutralise it this is the toughest thing to do properly then the whole lot has to be sealed off to all moisture ingress POR15 is great for this then it just comes down to proper cleaning ..

In my location its hard to stop rust or corosion and in older vehicles its near on imposable prevention and maintaining parts prone to rust is the best step .

wash well then i spray Lenox all over under and in, 3 cans worth ( old days) now i buy 20ltrs at a time, $180.00

Originally Posted by VladTepes

ERPS rust preventers - good way to flush $ down the loo.

it does in some cases

one of my clients has a 60 series cruiser that as best as i can tell is utterly flawless in the body / paint /rust department.

been fitted with erps for years and years.

been on just about every beach this side of the border on a very very regular basis.

he has more repeaters than suggested and keeps the truck polished and lanolined under neath and as soon as he gets a paint chip he touches it up.

he had to replace the headlining a few months ago and there wasnt a smudge of surface rust to be seen.

dont think i have ever seen another 60 series without surface rust behind the headlining.

done right it appears to work...