Courtesy Krista Callaghan
Krista Callaghan’s Jeep JK - ‘Miss Behavin’ - deep into the thick stuff.
Words by Peter Boyer
Any trail in a thick forest throughout the season includes at least one water crossing or wetlands to endure. Fellow off-road enthusiast - Krista Callaghan - has a motto on her Jeep JK, ‘look pretty, play dirty,’ which explains in a few words about the excitement and challenges that water obstacles represent.
If your trail position is in the middle or the end of a group of 4x4’ers, what could start out as a water obstacle may be more mud than water by the time it’s your turn to cross. It’s mostly harmless fun and nothing a pressure washer can’t easily clean off, right? Maybe, maybe not.
Peter Boyer
Get to know your vehicle’s tight places to clean mud and other debris.
How thoroughly you clean the undercarriage after each immersion in silt, sand and mud can affect the longevity of your vehicle’s frame, suspension, braking system and drive components. I’ve seen more than a few 4x4s on hoists in shops with enough sand and muck packed into their frames that it has influenced me to take good care of my Jeep after any muddy trail run.
Maintenance is the backbone of preserving a vehicle’s condition. It’s no secret that cleanliness always counts but I always take a few extra steps to ensure a clean running machine. This eliminates debris, dirt, mud or anything else that can hinder the performance or cause premature corrosion of systems or components.
Peter Boyer
Starting with a pressure-washed frame, use a blowgun on a compressor and a Shop-Vac to effectively get rid of mud and other debris.
A Pressure Washer is your Friend
Don’t let that soft silt, sand or mud build up or harden. It’s easy for clay-based muck to get into your rig’s frame or systems. It can eventually turn into pottery from the sun’s heat and could potentially bake or mould into place if it’s left on too long.
When it gets to that point, that hardened muck bonds to the frame and will most likely need to be chipped or scraped out - not an easy job to do, especially in hard-to-access areas of your rig. Doing a thorough cleaning right after any trail run with a good blasting of a pressure washer can go a long way to prevent this.
Peter Boyer
I like using Fluid Film to provide a protective layer to a clean surface. I also use a homemade extension wand to reach inaccessible places.
It’s also important to know your rig. Every boxed frame has access points and vulnerabilities that you’ll see once you regularly maintain it. One example is the front bump-stop tubes on a Jeep JK that are hollow and the single small drain hole at the bottom can get clogged, which can cause premature rust. I always make sure my JK gets a special blast from my pressure washer in this area to ensure drainage.
Similarly, the presence of skid plates and aftermarket bumpers are places where caches of mud can accumulate and also cause premature corrosion. Boxed frame sections can particularly be problematic.
Peter Boyer
The extension wand has a 360-degree tip that spreads out the application in all directions.
Use Compressed Air and Your Trusty Shop-Vac
At least once a year, perform a ‘dry clean-up’ with compressed air and a Shop-Vac.
Starting with a dry frame that has been pressure-washed, use compressed air and a Shop-Vac on any access holes to blast out or suck up the dirt and rust in the frame. Be sure it’s as clean as possible.
You might be surprised by the quantity of debris that’ll come out. I’ve seen some resort to drilling additional holes to facilitate this. However, on my 2-door JK, it’s possible to systematically get access to both sides of the OEM frame without adding more holes.
Peter Boyer
The author’s 2011 JK, which is relatively clean and rust-free through regular maintenance.
Spray the Cleaned Frame and Suspension Brackets with Fluid Film
Other elixirs may work as well but Fluid Film is excellent for this since it creeps into tight areas, flows into seams or hard-to-reach areas, and can be applied right from the pressurized can. It’s also non-toxic (as it essentially consists of a lanolin formulation) so no harm will come if it contacts your skin.
Fluid Film is widely available at a reasonable cost and I use two cans to coat the inside of the boxed frame with enough left over to use on each body mount. It’s commonly on sale at major retailers and I have recently purchased it for as low as $10.97 per can.
Conclusion
A deep cleaning project is rewarding but it may induce some reticence the next time you’re the last man to approach that chocolaty water crossing. The important thing is that these procedures may need to be done regularly, especially if you frequent the trails throughout the season. The elbow grease involved can potentially add years to your 4x4’s life and make it easier to check over before your next run.