Servicing my own car

« Back to Home

3 Types of Protective Undercoating for a Vehicle Undercarriage

Posted on

You can wash your car's exterior, interior, and engine and wax it up for a shiny finish. On the face of it, your car appears to be in optimal condition until you kneel and look at its underbelly. A car's underbelly is arguably the most ignored part when it comes to maintenance and car servicing. However, the undercarriage requires the most care if you consider that the brake system, axle, and exhaust system are all housed in a car's underbelly. An outstanding car service that significantly protects a vehicle's undercarriage and its components is undercoating. Notably, there are different types of undercoats to choose from, as highlighted in this post.

Rubberised Undercoating

As the name suggests, rubberised undercoating involves applying a rubber-like agent, which offers adequate cushioning against dust, moisture, dings, and dents. Rubberised undercoating is particularly necessary for motorists who drive in rough terrain. Additionally, the rubbery finish can be used around wheel wells and quarter panels. The best part is that rubberised undercoating is easy to apply and only takes a few hours to install. Besides, you can also paint over the undercoat. Overall, rubberised undercoating is the most straightforward underbelly service you can give your car for adequate protection.

Polyurethane Undercoating

Polyurethane undercoating involves a polyurethane-based sealant. Compared to rubberised undercoating, a polyurethane coat is quicker and easier. The reason is that the latter comes in canisters ready to be loaded into a spray gun. Polyurethane undercoating seeps into existing undercarriage cracks and rusty spots to protect the underlying metal. That said, polyurethane undercoating requires a little bit of undercarriage preparation before applying for better adherence. For example, you need to sand and apply a primer to the undercarriage before applying the coat. If you want to perform bodywork on a vehicle, removing polyurethane undercoating is quick since it sands easy.  

Paraffin-Based Undercoating

Also referred to as wax-based undercoating, it is arguably the cheapest undercoating option in the market. However, paraffin undercoating still offers adequate protection, mainly if you live in moderately humid areas. That said, paraffin-based undercoating tends to wear off quicker since it never truly dries as rubberised undercoating does. It means that you must have the coating stripped and reapplied when you begin to notice signs of wear for better undercarriage protection. Paraffin-based undercoating readily flows into seams to ensure that any exposed and prone surfaces are protected. It is the go-to undercarriage coating for cars primarily driven on highways and generally friendly conditions.


Share