LR4 mud in rocker panels

[atlantaM3]

so a while ago went through some mud that was deeper than expected. Today I pulled my slider off to clean up, and there is mud on the backside of the bolts. Is there a way to flush out the inside of the rocker to get this stuff out? I am planning on keeping this for a really long time, and don't want the sills/rocker panels to rust out.*

Any advice appreciated on this one.

James

 

[DiscoDavis]

so a while ago went through some mud that was deeper than expected. Today I pulled my slider off to clean up, and there is mud on the backside of the bolts. Is there a way to flush out the inside of the rocker to get this stuff out? I am planning on keeping this for a really long time, and don't want the sills/rocker panels to rust out.*

Any advice appreciated on this one.

James

Pressure washer then silicone all the bolts, threads, etc.

 

[Victory_Overland]

Pressure washer then silicone all the bolts, threads, etc.

Concur. Once you get them all washed out, try and air dry with compressor or blower or whatever! Then get yourself some good cans of WD-40 or silicon with the loooooonnnnnggggggg flex nozzles. Plug up the holes as much as you can and fog the inside. WD or silicon work great for protection. It will not keep the mud out, but it will protect from the inside for standing moisture and helps keep the mud from sticking the next time you off-road.

I do this on the back side of my TR front and rear bumpers as well.

 

[atlantaM3]

make sense. Any ideas how to get a pressure wash nozzle into the rocker panel?

 

[Victory_Overland]

make sense. Any ideas how to get a pressure wash nozzle into the rocker panel?

If I remember right, under the front wheel fender flares. Most of the mud gets in there I think from the various holes in the frame/unibody. The cross member is hollow and i think it runs into the rockers.

 

[Jwestpro]

If I remember right, under the front wheel fender flares. Most of the mud gets in there I think from the various holes in the frame/unibody. The cross member is hollow and i think it runs into the rockers.

I don't think a cross member runs past the main frame tube. I've had mine off many times and don't recall a place where that occurs.

This is one design feature of my sliders that allows spraying in all along the top lip to flood the length of the slider which mostly just moves it around unless you wait long enough for the water to run clear.

Of course having these galvanized is the best way to not worry about rust for essentially the life of the vehicle.

 

[vitola231]

silicone eats metal, I would suggest automotive seam sealer for use on any metal, it contains no silicone. Or windshield adhesive.

 

[Victory_Overland]

silicone eats metal, I would suggest automotive seam sealer for use on any metal, it contains no silicone. Or windshield adhesive.

Correct, if the silicon contains acetic acid. So yes, be sure you use grade silicon without acetic acid because that is what eats the aluminum in silicon products. Automotive silicon usually doesn't have acetic acid for this reason. acetic acid is the etching portion that helps make silicon stick and remove some surface contaminates.

Very good catch @vitola231. Another good reason to use WD40 anyway as it never really dries like silicon does and it's a cheap underbody corrosion protectant. Relatively speaking. Lol

 

[atlantaM3]

so not EVER EVER EVER going to drive through mud over 9' deep again if can be avoided.... I don't know how to begin getting all this crud out of this thing.....