Underbody wash

[cdx2k1]

Hey guys.Does an underbody wash prolong joint and rubber life?I heard this from a past BMW Salesman.

[X_Factor]

underbody wash and shock oil spray!!

i know the shock oil lubes the rubers n stuff under there and eliminates alot of annoying noises

[Rudman]

I was of the opinion that shock oil preserves the rubbers as well, until I heard the oil can actually get the rubber too soft and degrade them.

Any comments?

[MG Man]

that shock oil thing is longtime rubbish
u never spray rubber boots , seals etc with petroleum based oil. It deteriorates them.....not to mention shock oil traps dust and dirt, which in turn traps moisture
The only thing u need to do after an underwash is to lubricate joints if your vehicle has grease nipples. Otherwise, leave it alone.........

[eitech]

hmm, well i lun sumtin dey..no more shock oil spray then,,ah feel sumbody go comment otherwise...

[X_Factor]

well i did it once...and to be honest it stopped alot of little screechey noises i used to get when stopping...the ppl used belray shock oil

[venum]

I agree with MGMan

petro products are a no-no

but to be honest, the couple of times I did an underwash and Shock Oil, it REALLY made the car QUIET

Silicone oil is better for underbody protection

but all oils will trap dust, dirt and ultimately water = rusting

[eitech]

but look i underwash and didn't use shock oil and d car not squeakin or makin any noise..

[Greypatch]

just under wash

[Rx]

look how I saving money now ...I'm accustomed to having the Foz underwashed and shock oil afterwards


Underwash alone from now !

[RadDogJr]

Under wash only does thr trick. Oil as was mentioned does trap dust & actually encourage wear on rubbers. Try rubbing the rubber boots (as MG Man said) with your hand after application of shock oil & driving a few hundred kms and see the results

[TurboDrive]

Petro. based oils and rubber don't mix. Why u think they say don't put vaseline on yuh condoms .

[*Phoenix*]

Wash to get rid of dirt and grime. And just lubricate joints..... But i must say from using shock oil it helps ALOT with the sqeeks... Plus i cant see how a non corrosive lubricant like shock oil can damage rubbers.

[trinianouk]

^^^

[villain]

how about WD40?

[SPEC_C]

i hear a lot a people say d shock oil duz damage d rubbers an seal etc...dont know how true it iz.......a feel a go stop usin d shock oil doh...

[THE SYNDICATE]

I was of the opinion that shock oil preserves the rubbers as well, until I heard the oil can actually get the rubber too soft and degrade them.

X2

[X_Factor]

but what did they design the shock oil for?...im thinking here...if it was designed for that purpose of going on rubbers etc..and it is harmful i dont think the practice and product would still be on the market?

[Rory Phoulorie]

but what did they design the shock oil for?...

I am sure that you do know that some automotive dampers are filled with oil whereas others may be gas charged. Guess what type of oil are used in oil filled dampers?

[MG Man]

but what did they design the shock oil for?..

for underwashing, hence the name

[dredman1]

ok - i'm digging up an old topic here.

Anyone can say decisively if shock oil damages the bushings or rubbers under the car?
I can see how some petroleum based products can harm rubber, but shock oil is used in shocks which have rubber valves, as well as some hydraulic systems such as jacks, which would also have rubber seals. Hard to believe they would put stuff in those things that would damage the seals.....right???
For the record, I did an underbody wash today and opted NOT to have shock oil sprayed afterwards. There are no squeaks or noises now, but when I look at the suspension arms, springs and other parts under the car now, they are clean of oil and grease, but they have little rust spots on them that I did not see before with the layer of oil & grease/dirt.
I'm guessing this is what the shock oil is for - to prevent rusting. Anyone care to give a definite answer to this dilemma??

[Rory Phoulorie]

I am speaking from my own personal experience.

In the 10 years that I had a car from new, with every oil change at the 5000km interval, I used to get the car under-washed and sprayed with shock oil.

The only rubbers I ever had to change in those 10 years were the stabiliser bar rubbers after about 8 years. I also changed the CV joint boots on each side once (never had to change the CV joints at all). That car never exhibited any signs of rust.

The main drawback that I saw with the shock oil was the increased rate of accumulation of dust underneath the car. But I used to be running off 5000km in a month, so I never really had any large accumulation of dust underneath anyway.

[+G0thiC_CitY+]

well boi..so many good and bad bout the shock oil..aint kno if to do it or not!

[Sanctifier]

I was of the opinion that shock oil preserves the rubbers as well, until I heard the oil can actually get the rubber too soft and degrade them.

Yup. Thats what I read too. Diesel or Shock oil etc doesn't protect the suspension.
Shock oil (diesel even worse) + grease + mud = Muck. Not good rustproofing IMHO.
The layer of muck also traps moisture too.
The rust on the suspension is still under the muck. You just don't see it.

It also melts asphalt based undercoatings used to rustproof older cars.
Stopped using either in service bay at the gas station many years ago.

[ryansouthman]

bess advise underwash with water, and greese joints at regular intervals especially in the wet season.......

[trinimark]

I've never used shock oil on my 15 year old Fielder. I bought it foreign used in 2014 and have put over 130,000 km on it since then. I've never had to change any suspension parts, and last month when I had it checked, they told me only the shock mounts and rear shocks will need replacing soon.

[nervewrecker]

ok - i'm digging up an old topic here.

Anyone can say decisively if shock oil damages the bushings or rubbers under the car?
I can see how some petroleum based products can harm rubber, but shock oil is used in shocks which have rubber valves, as well as some hydraulic systems such as jacks, which would also have rubber seals. Hard to believe they would put stuff in those things that would damage the seals.....right???
For the record, I did an underbody wash today and opted NOT to have shock oil sprayed afterwards. There are no squeaks or noises now, but when I look at the suspension arms, springs and other parts under the car now, they are clean of oil and grease, but they have little rust spots on them that I did not see before with the layer of oil & grease/dirt.
I'm guessing this is what the shock oil is for - to prevent rusting. Anyone care to give a definite answer to this dilemma??

Brake fluid does eat the seals in the system as well, yet still we use it.

Best thing is no shock oil because it accumulates dust and dirt. I use the interchem tyre shine because I like how the shine looks and it does not damage seals etc. When it clean it clean, but it gets stink fast.