Underbody Washing (How do you do it?)

[F-150]

I was browsing a car care site, might even be this one but I couldn't find it here when I searched, but anyway, I saw a picture of a very clean frame,differential and all those other parts like the exhaust assembly, gas tank, etc. They were shiny too so maybe they used a dressing?
I have a truck and do sometimes go through deep water,dirt and mud. All I've done before was take a hose and spray all of the dirt stuck under my truck off. I don't really go off roading but it'd be nice to clean under my truck every so often. I figured using jacks and ramps that you can buy at like an autozone might've been used. Anyone know how to or have cleaned under your car/truck before?

[Murr1525]

Well, espeacialy after winter, a trip to one of those coin operated wash bays isnt a bad ideain my opinion. They use farily strong soap, and a high pressure hose. I try not to have to wash the car with it, but it will help the underbody ok. Should work for you as well as a start.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey F-150,

I agree with Murr1525, I would take it to a coin-op carwash and spray with soap and then rinse thorougly. When you get home, the under-carriage should be dry.

Do you have under-coating? etc... If you have rubberized under-coating, you could spray it with Meguiar's Hyper Dressing diluted 3:1. It will look great! I would not place anything on your muffer or cat as they get too hot and are probably protected by heat shields anyway.

Just some ideas...

Tim

[jimbo_01]

i've posted pics before of my truck on here, what i did was strip off the old undercoating and paint everything gloss black. i show my truck so i just wash the area's with water and then wipe them down with a baby wiper when they are dry. my truck isn't a daily driver though so it stays pretty clean underneath it.

[F-150]

So I should basically wash the underbody with a high pressure hose with soap, and just rinse thoroughly, then let air dry and it'd be clean enough (I don't expect it to be spotless)? Would it be safe spraying high pressured water with soap toward the engine compartment? I don't think I'd dress anything. I got a basic idea now though, thanks for the help guys.
Edit: Would using the versa angle body brush be helpful in removing patches of mud and dirt, or should I just work it all out with a basic wash sponge.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

Yes, for the under-carriage, that is how I do it. I would still use a dressing as it will prevent mud from sticking to it so easily. As for the engine compartment, that is something you will have to decide. Just make sure that you cover the electronics, alt, air cleaner etc.... . I would suggest however not using a pressure washer to clean the engine as this could force water into areas that may create drivability issues. Just IMHO!

Tim

[F-150]

Hyper dressing was recommended..is that what you use?

[gb387]

I power wash the under side of my truck about twice a year... My father has a power washer so I use that or I go to the coin-op.

For the engine I use "Orange Blast" to clean/degrease if needed them the garden hose to rinse off.

I have used the Exterior Trim Detailer on my engines plastic and it works very well after a good cleaning.

[rusty bumper]

Wouldn't it be nice to have your own car lift.

I hope to have one myself one day, as it would be a great help in protecting my back while I buff the lower parts of a car.

Not to mention how great it would be for underbody cleaning.

[F-150]

Originally posted by gb387
I power wash the under side of my truck about twice a year... My father has a power washer so I use that or I go to the coin-op.

For the engine I use "Orange Blast" to clean/degrease if needed them the garden hose to rinse off.

I have used the Exterior Trim Detailer on my engines plastic and it works very well after a good cleaning.

Exterior Trim Detailer is one of my favorite products to use on my rear bumper, truck bed, side mirrors and door handles. Takes such little time to use after washing a car and it makes the trim look soo much better.

[RamAirV1]

Originally posted by Rusty Bumper
Wouldn't it be nice to have your own car lift.

I hope to have one myself one day, as it would be a great help in protecting my back while I buff the lower parts of a car.

Not to mention how great it would be for underbody cleaning.

Now that's a great idea! I don't wax/polish the lower body panels quite as often as the upper and horizontal parts for that very reason. I wonder how much it would cost to have a car lift installed in your garage. It would be great to have that and air conditioning too!

When I need to have my car underbody cleaned, I take it to a good car wash (there are a few around) that does an underbody wash. Or I will just take the hose with nozzle set to "sharp stream" and spray the underbody myself.

I haven't had the goat to a carwash yet since I brought it home!

RamAirV1

[rusty bumper]

I personally don't have a garage "yet", but when the time comes, I'll surely be considering a lift of some sort.

I remember seeing a special lift in a garage on Autopia that enabled the owner to park one car on top of another.

That's a great way to save space.

[Accumulator]

Unless you go offroading, once you get it clean it shouldn't be all that tough to *keep* it clean. Even without dressings/etc. a regular washing will do wonders.

I'm able to do the undercarriages of most of our vehicles just by lying on a creeper and working with a long handled brush, on the lower cars I jack them up (and use jackstands for safety ) to gain access. It only takes a few minutes and I do it after I clean the wheels (note that this makes it easier to get into the wheelwells too). It's gotten to be such a regular part of my wash regimen that I keep a floorjack/stands on each side of the washbay.

This reminds me of what a pain it was to jack up the lowered sportscars I used to drive...

[sixty7mustang22]

I spray the underbody with a high concentration of simple green and then i powerwash it off. This works very well. Simple green also does wonders to the engine bay area.

[gb387]

Originally posted by sixty7mustang22
I spray the underbody with a high concentration of simple green and then i powerwash it off. This works very well. Simple green also does wonders to the engine bay area.

Like the idea! you could put the mixture in a CLEAN "pump-up" garden sprayer for easy application and spray away.