How to Clean the Undercarriage of a Truck

Many truck owners think that proper truck maintenance just involves making the body look shiny, doing frequent oil changes, and replacing parts. While these are exceptional practices to keep on doing, you might want to add one more task to your list, which is cleaning the undercarriage. You might think it’s not necessary to clean it at all since no one ever sees it, but having it free from dirt and grime improves its lifespan.

Fortunately, it’s not a hard task to clean and protect your truck’s undercarriage. With the help of these steps, the entire process should be easy. This guide is brought to you by Carolina International Trucks. We are your number-one truck dealer in South Carolina.

Use Undercarriage Spray

You can shop for this product online or at your nearest auto-care store. Using undercarriage spray is an easy way to save time when you're cleaning your truck's chassis, not to mention how affordable it is. This product coats each component from your undercarriage, even the hard-to-reach places. A few sprays will not only prevent the buildup of oil and dust, but also loosen up anything that was already there, making it easier when you’re ready to wash it off.

Consider Getting a Pressure Washer

If you do not own a pressure washer, we advise you to consider getting one. This will make the whole process much easier in getting mud, dirt, and gravel out from all the cracks. If you have a lifted truck, having easy access to the undercarriage shouldn't be as difficult. However, if it is a challenge to get underneath the truck with a pressure washer, you can use jacks to raise the vehicle. This will create space for easier access. Remember to always put safety first when lifting your truck and follow all the precautionary measures.

Use a Degreaser

To get rid of tough oil grime, a degreaser will get the job done for you. You can find these products online or at your nearest auto-care store, too. Degreaser dissolves grease, which saves you time in your truck’s undercarriage maintenance. You can either choose to spray the entire chassis or just the areas where it’s most needed. Wait for at least 15 to 20 minutes for the product to settle, scrub off the build-up, then wash it away with your pressure washer. 

Protect Your Truck’s Undercarriage

After rinsing your undercarriage, you’ll want to consider long-term protection for it. To achieve this, you can use a rubberized coating spray. This helps to prevent rust and assists in keeping the undercarriage clean when exposed to moisture, mud, dust, or any other substance that it might encounter. Also, be sure that the entire surface is dry before applying this product. Spraying it on wet metal surfaces is likely to cause rust to develop more quickly since the moisture is trapped underneath the rubberized product.

We hope this guide was helpful to you. For additional information from the experts, visit Carolina International Trucks. Our staff is ready to answer any questions and give you further tips and tricks. Whenever you need a reliable truck, remember that our inventory includes the best of the best. We are your favorite truck dealer in South Carolina.