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chassis rail cleaning
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:37 pm
by chops
Looking at the best way to clean all the mud/sand/crap out of the insides of my chassis rail before it starts to get nasty and do bad things like rust.
suggestions/ideas? somehow I don't think poking a garden hose down one end would do..
Re: chassis rail cleaning
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:10 pm
by chimpboy
chops wrote:suggestions/ideas? somehow I don't think poking a garden hose down one end would do..
Hmm, that's my best suggestion. Let the water keep flowing...
rails
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:38 pm
by LuxyBoy
Fire Hoses rock for this
Find one somewhere not used or patrolled on the weekends and bingo clean rails
Mate works in town at a place that all the boys use the work fire hose

bosses would kill them but they are never there on the weekends
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:46 pm
by ofr57
when i flushed the old lux out i parked it on a hill and put a hose down the back of it and gota bit of thick wire to jiggly in all the holes to find all the chunky bits
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 8:06 pm
by Patchy
i have never really considered doing such a thing- out of site out of mind i think... is it really a huge problem
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 8:18 pm
by chops
Patchy wrote:i have never really considered doing such a thing- out of site out of mind i think... is it really a huge problem
can rot your chassis rails from the inside out
Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 9:14 pm
by QIKAZZ
there is always this product,
http://www.staunproducts.com/chassisspa.php Not sure how good it is, but knowing Staun products, I rekon it should be good.
Cheers
Azz
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 5:48 pm
by LuxyBoy
Price it up and then see if your keen for it
Can always make one using bunnings garden sprinklers (must be 360 degree) and some hosing

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:06 pm
by Shadow
LuxyBoy wrote:
Price it up and then see if your keen for it
Can always make one using bunnings garden sprinklers (must be 360 degree) and some hosing

but would bunnings sprinklers really give your chassis rail an invigorating spa bath(shower?)
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:37 pm
by Mark2
Go the fire hose. I've seen a lot of cruiser chassis in particular rusted due to damp mud inside. Nissan chassis seem a lot easer to clean out. Rover chassis = pretty much impossible.
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:53 pm
by Bowhunter
My bro's Feroza had the chassis rust right where the bracket for the front of the rear right leaf spring attaches to the chassis...punched the bracket up inside the rail :(
18 months later, a second hand chassis for $100 and a DIY changeover it's nearly ready for a re-road worthy and back on (or off) the road.
Is it a big problem? Nah, not if you have a second vehicle, can find a replacement chassi for cheap and can do the replacement your self...
Luke

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:10 pm
by Patchy
thats a good idea! quick, easy and even easier to make my own.
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 9:17 pm
by Dyna Beast
looks like another plus for my truck.It has C channel chassi rails that are prety well striaght so are easy to clean.Just a hose of and the are done.
Cheers
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:46 am
by Vulcanised
i hit mine once with a 38mm fire hose... i just wet it first and left it for a few minutes to soften, then hit it with a full flush on an Akron nozzle.... got some shit out!

I guess it's easy if you are in the RFS... might pay to find a brigade and when they train.... most would be happy to help out.
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 7:44 am
by V8Patrol
Lift the rear of the rig up as far as you can, I use a block n tackle off of the rear recovery hook and run it up a big tree, 45degrees is a good angle. Place a couple of timber props under it so its steady (5" treated pine posts do a great job ) ....... remember SAFETY FIRST so make sure its safe and sound before ya get under it.
Next I run down the chassis rails with a hammer and give the rail a smack about every 6" ..... this should shatter the settled mud off of the bottom of the rail.
Next I poke the air nozzle in the high end of the rail and blow out the small amounts of dust sand etc . I also poke it into the various holes down tha rail aswell so the flakey stuff is kept on the move down the rail.
Then I stuff the garden hose in the high end and let it run at 'half throttle' and I go n have a coffee. After a good soaking and a steady stream of water has run through the rail much of the mud will be gone.
Next I poke the hose through the entire length of the rail and once through the front I attatch a pressure nozzle with a 'fan' setting. Turn the tap on to full throttle and slowly withdraw the hose back up the rail, twisting the hose clockwise & counter clockwise as its withdrawn.
Done !
Once its dry I pump in some fisholene through an air setup I have so the oil is sprayed all over the inside of the chassis rail.
A pump up garden sprayer bottle setup with a small modification also works a treat, just delete the wand bit and extend the hose and refit the nozzle to the end of the hose.
The fisholene lasts a good two years and not only prevents rust but slows the allready existing rusts growth.
Kingy
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:45 am
by HeathGQ
What Kingy said was essentially how we did ours chops. - lift he back end up and run the hose for an hour or so through it. I havent done the fisholene thingy yet though.
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 8:20 pm
by Brett S
Park it in a river for a while