keepin the bastard clean

[brianstevens]

Now this may seem like a silly question but what’s the opinion out there regarding cleaning the mud out from under the car?

I ask from the point of view of maintaining the car not making it look pretty. How often should you clean the under carriage, with what and what’s the best way to protect your investment?

[crunch]

Not being a smart-ass (for once) but aviod mud, only drive through it when you have to, and take it slow to avoid blasting mud through every nook and cranny at pressure.

When you've finished wheeling, go down to the car wash on your way home and hit it with the gurney. I take ramps and put the front up, undo the bashplate and get into every single bit.

An averege clean for me (under/engine bay/exterior/interior) is about two hours.

If it's really copped it, I'll lie underneath it in a rainjacket (put it on back to front), on a creeper so I stay off the ground, and wearing a face shiel and/or safety glasses. I might look like a tool, but at least I know it's done right.

[TURBO GQ]

What i do is give it a good clean, with hi pressure water.
Allow to dry, and spray silicon everywhere under carriage, this allows mud not too stick to the body as much, and when u go to carlovers
to comes off a lot ezyer.
i wash mine every outing, but im anal about my truck.

[baddboy]

I do exactly the same Turbo GQ. Nothing wrong with that is there?

[rochrd]

WRAP IT IN GLAD WRAP

[mtb_man]

I find a handy creek crossing and run through it a few times (at a safe speed of course).

This way most of the mud that gets forced up under the truck gets washed out so I don't have to spend so much time at the carwash. Saves money and time, both of which are valuable to me.

Then I make sure I lube everything underneath the truck before I go wheeling again.

[HotFourOk]

I just bought a Staun Massojet 900 with my TJM gift voucher I got for my bday
I also bought the adapter for you to put car wash/additive into, and it sprays them out with the water flow. I got the Salt Assualt cleaner/protectant. They also have a corrosion inhibitor product... i might try this a bit later on.

The pressure of this thing is amazing... now just to try it out after getting really muddy!!

[CruiserCruising]

Yeh i always clean under the car. cant help just like to have my car looking good all the time. i normally spray it with the hi pressure hose then give it a once over with one of those staun masojets wands and then again with just the hose. Yeh i prob waste bit much water but i like a clean car

[mudmacaca]

spray truck wash on your rig before a run the mud does'nt stick as bad and its easier to clean.
As to cleaning it I rekon it more important to clean the the engine and underside than the body as mud gets in your radiator,starter motor,alternator,driveshafts anything that moves you should also hit every grease nipple with grease after mud runs

[jcclures]

I have my own grease ramp that lets me walk under my vehicles to service and clean them. I use a pressure cleaner and my raincoat after every trip, and I clean when I am servicing as well. What do they say cleanliness is next to godliness.

[HotFourOk]

spray truck wash on your rig before a run the mud does'nt stick as bad and its easier to clean.

Thats the best... CT18 Superwash in a Pressure Pack which you plug the hose into.. Works a treat! Both b4 and after 4x4ing

I bought the hose pack (around 2L) and also a 6L container, and just fill up the small one from the larger container... no need to buy the dear one each time With the 6L or even 20L It's cheap to boot!

[evanstaniland]

i usually use the pressure hose and use ramps to get up into the wheel arches and so on then depending on how much mud was driven i may lay under the car with the hose aswell!!

evan..

[RockyF75]

sif you'd wash your 4x4

[Goatse.AJ]

I just wish I could afford to go wheelin' atm .....between the ex and petrol prices, I'm startin' to become a web-wheeler

[brianstevens]

Thanks everyone, I now feel well informed……and I guess I better get in under the bugger and give it a scrub.

Thanks again

[chimpboy]

Yeah mud makes rust, no question about it. So getting it off as well as you can is important after every trip.

In the old days, parking it in a creek for a while was considered the go, I reckon that would still be much more effective than a pressure washer... but you do what you can!

[bogged]

...between the ex and petrol prices, I'm startin' to become a web-wheeler

[Vineboy]

My two cents worth. Even if you nothing else, get ALL the mud off tyres and rims. Can really affect wheel balance. Leave a couple of hundred grams of mud there and you will know what I mean.

[BigMav]

Doesn't look like anyone in Brisbane is replying, oh yeah thats right we don't have any water!!! Damn impossible trying to wash a 4b covered in mud with a bucket. Carlovers are making a killing.

[mudmacaca]

You ain't robinson crusoe bigmav
Its the same here on the central coast costs an average of $30 to clean your machine after a good mud hole
You know the funny thing they had a go at me about blocking there drain and im putting there kids through school

[Shorti]

Go to your local retic outlet and get some thin hose and small high pessure jets and reticulate the bottom of your car. After a day in the mud, plug the hose in and it will clean itself.

[Madmac]

i wash my under carriage after every trip off road. i just go to the local car lovers and hit it with the pressure cleaner. makes it a lot easier when you have to work under it if its nice and clean

[crunch]

Go to your local retic outlet and get some thin hose and small high pessure jets and reticulate the bottom of your car. After a day in the mud, plug the hose in and it will clean itself.

Good in theory, but you'd still need to get under it and get the little/hard to get bits off.

If you want something done properly, you have to put in the effort and do it yourself...

[cooter]

just drive through the river works fo me

[+dj_hansen+]

Just be carefull hitting around areas like gaskets etc as the pressure washer can force all the crap past them... i find the biggest problem under my car is the 20 years of oil/grease/road gunge sticks like s**t to a woll blanket and will only come off with a paint scraper...

[jimbo jones]

I go down to the BHP coal truck wash & drive through its about 15 meaters long & sprays your rig at evary angle it gets all the lumpy $hit of then just wash the rest at home with a bucket to easey

[spongerx]

What's a good product to clean out the engine bay with after the mud has been stuck on good due to engine heat? I've tried diluted degreaser but that doesnt seem to do much for mud and dont have access to a pressure washer at the moment.

[Patrolguy]

CT-18 from any good auto shop (autobarn or Repco have it).

A spray bottle with the CT-18 in it. Hose down cold engine bay and then spay heaps of the CT-18 over cold engine. Wait around 5 minutes and then hose off. Works great.

Will not remove the normal engine bay shit though!!

Hope this helps