cleaning undercarriage?

sahiwal007 said:
hey guy,



how can i clean my car's undercarriage? i have alot of salt beneath it.



thanks
Click to expand...





I recommend safely jacking it up and safely putting the car on jack stands or even ramps.



Use P21S Total Auto Wash for a cleaner and an assortment of brushes and rags.



OR if you have a steamer those work awesome for cleaning the underside of vehilces.
 
touchless car wash. I would normally NEVER take my car to a car wash but I have no issue with 100% touch free car washes that only use high pressure water. Many of them have undercarriage pressure washers that will blast the underside of the car when pulling in.
 
You might google American Waterbroom and see if they still make their undercar wand (it goes in/out of production). Pricey, but I love mine; it's perfect for quick cleanups, especially for stuff like salt.



Other than that just get under there (and yeah, jacking up low-slung vehicles is a must, I keep two floorjacks in the washbay for this), rinse, spray with an APC, brush with something, rinse off. It doesn't need to be a huge production; I do it at every wash all year-round and it seldom takes long.



If you *are* doing a big production type of cleanup, then yeah, P21S and a steamer make for a great combo :xyxthumbs
 
I typically take a spray bottle with APC mixed 1:1 and spray a good coating over the bottom. I let it dwell for a few minutes, then rinse with the pressure washer. Then I hook the canister with car washing soap onto the pressure washer wand, and suds up the bottom side of the car. Next, I have a long bristled brush, with a 4 foot long handle that I got at Wal Mart. I take the brush and scrub everything I can get to. Lastly, I do a final rinse with the pressure washer. This technique works fairly well.
 
I jack up my car as mentioned above, then I spray my undercarriage down with purple power 1:1, then let set just a few minutes, then pressure wash all areas, comes out nice....after it is good and dry, spray down with Adams undercarriage spray to finish it all off.
 
never gone said:
touchless car wash. I would normally NEVER take my car to a car wash but I have no issue with 100% touch free car washes that only use high pressure water. Many of them have undercarriage pressure washers that will blast the underside of the car when pulling in.
Click to expand...





That's typically what I'll do for the undercarriage. I'd love to jack it up and spray it off, but I cant make the much of a mess in my driveway. Not to mention the water restrictions around here.
 
Accumulator said:
You might google American Waterbroom and see if they still make their undercar wand (it goes in/out of production). Pricey, but I love mine; it's perfect for quick cleanups, especially for stuff like salt.
Click to expand...





For sure!! Works great for the heavy stuff too. This is the 1st time I've seen these mentioned here? I thought I'd keep my secret to myself. It's a real must have for a detail shop.
 
David Fermani- Heh heh, I always chuckle a little when you and I end up being on the same page regarding some obscure topic :D



Yeah, that thing is so simple there's really no excuse for not giving every detail a quick undercarriage wash once you have one.



We've actually discussed the wand here in some detail before, with most people freaking out Re the cost of the thing. Years ago I contacted Am WB about doing a production run of them if I'd guarantee sales of the whole run, they said "nope" :nixweiss But a while back somebody googled them (after I mentioned mine) and found they're back in production. I bet they won't sell and will disappear again, so I've even considered buying one for the future; mine is nearly 20 years old and while it seems indestructible I'd sure hate to be without it.



I believe it was superstring who was gonna DIY one with high-pressure nozzles and PVC or something, but I never heard back from him about the project.
 
American Waterbroom undercar wand
Click to expand...

It might work good but for $400 I can lay on the ground all day long with my pressure wand and bank the $400. Of course, if this was my daily grind and I was a pro, that would be a different story.
 
cajunfirehawk said:
..[the undercar wand].. might work good but for $400....
Click to expand...



Heh heh, that's what people always say :D and I can't really :argue I still get down on the creeper and do a lot of work the labor-intensive way, but after all these years I honestly feel that whatever I paid for the wand was well worth it (and remember, I'm not a pro ;) ). Still, I can understand if the convenience isn't worth the price of admission and it's sure not something you can't do without.



Oh, and remember that up where I live the salt is just *awful* and being able to get most of it off in a matter of two-three minutes (tops) is really handy. If somebody's not in a winter-salt-state that'd be a whole 'nother matter, but this is something I'm doing a few times every week this time of year and I gotta admit I don't always want to crawl down there and do it right.



One of the things I appreciate about the wand (in my overcrowded shop with cars everywhere that I don't want to get wet) is the way it keeps all the water under the vehicle being washed. I never seemed to have that kind of control over the overspray with my pressure washer (which is broken again anyhow :o ).
 
My pressure washer has a vand that can be turned in different ways, so I usually give the undercarriage a good spary with that while doing wells and wheels with it. I can also spray a mixture of APC and water before with it.
 
AccumulatorIt's always the things people never know anything about? I'd be hard pressed to believe someone could fabricate one to work as smoothly as one of these. They effortlessly glide where ever you want them to go. I love washing the bottoms of the drivetrain with them, but you have to make sure the hood is open or you'll blast all the dirt & debris onto the hood blanket. I upgraded the spray tips and had the wand setup on a quick connect system. Very easy to switch out in the wash bay.



Unless you have your vehicle high up on a hoist, you'll never be able to clean as good via a basic PW. You'll end up getting yourself as wet as the part you're washing. Laying on the ground will duplicate the same effect.



This tool brings detailing to a whole nother relm that not many really never knew how to cross.
 
weekendwarrior said:
I typically take a spray bottle with APC mixed 1:1 and spray a good coating over the bottom. I let it dwell for a few minutes, then rinse with the pressure washer. Then I hook the canister with car washing soap onto the pressure washer wand, and suds up the bottom side of the car. Next, I have a long bristled brush, with a 4 foot long handle that I got at Wal Mart. I take the brush and scrub everything I can get to. Lastly, I do a final rinse with the pressure washer. This technique works fairly well.
Click to expand...

This has been how I get my best results also! Then I use Adams Under Carrage Spray!
 
Yeah, I guess if I had to drive in that stuff you guys do up north that would be a good reason to justify the expense. Down here on my own weekend car, once its clean, it pretty much stays clean so just minor touch ups are needed. My daily driver is a different story, I dont four wheel, so its about as clean as it will be other than the fender wells which I do wash.
 
I lay down on my back and crawl under my Jeep with a water hose, brush, and Megs Super-D. Having a lifted jeep makes things easier. :)



DSCF8109.jpg




If you cannot get under your car easily then Jack stands are the only way to go. Make sure you do it on level and hard ground.



Ive found that the stoners tire shine in a can works great under there. Its not to $$ and it doesnt run. Goes on even and doesnt seem to attract dust or dirt.



Ive got mud guards so it stays cleaner under there than you think it would. Front suspension and the rear axle is really all that gets dirty in the rain.
 
David Fermani- These wands are probably in those "gotta try for yourself" category where they're hard to appreciate when you've never used one. People sorta scoffed at mine until they used it, but after that it was a different story.



Any info on your upgraded spray nozzles? I doubt I could get the OE ones out of mine after all these years, but it sounds like your wand sprays a lot better than mine does (even with my boosted pressure) and you've sure piqued my curiosity :D



cajunfirehawk- Yeah, our different locales make all the difference. In the summer I sometimes think I'm wasting my time doing the undercarriage of the more pampered cars as they never seem to get very dirty. But then I try washing them with a white cloth and YIKES :eek: they were pretty soiled after all.



gbackus- Wouldn't surprise me if they just did one production run and when those are sold they'll be gone again. I'm almost tempted to buy another one :o Maybe I could upgrade it with those nozzles David Fermani is using :think:



BlueLibby04- Yeah, ground clearance makes a huge difference! I can squeeze under our dog-haulers but I gotta jack/etc. the regular cars; one's a piece of cake, the other is a major PIA.
 
Accumulator - take it to a car wash supply store and have them swap it out for you. They're the same tips that are used in a wash gun. Nothing special. Each tip is only like $5-10 & I'm sure labor won't be that much.
 
David Fermani- Hm...perhaps easier said than done..no carwash supply stores in my area and I'm not on speaking terms with the only carwash owner in my area.



How did you spec your new nozzles; how do you know what'll be better than the OE ones?



I realize that this is something that can be just *so* quick, obvious, and easy but I'm not getting it that way if you know what I mean.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top