So I am moving with my new cherokee to Utah where it snows a lot. I am curious what everyone that lives in an area like that does to prepare their Jeep to deal with all the salt.

I realize I am asking while it is still July lol

 

Clean and treat every paint chip all around. A oily undercoating that penetrates cracks is good and use a straw tip to get in all the drains. Especially the ones in front of rear tires.


Pay particular attention where your year is prone to rusting.

Keep jeep as clean as possible. Wash all salt and dirt ASAP.

 

You might post that question here:

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f36/

Let the guys know where you're moving to, and they'll know how bad they "salt" the roads since they live right there.

 

I REALLY REALLY hate rust, so I've got a lot to say on this:

I've lost 4 vehicles in the last 10 years to rust, and I did the best I could to preserve them too. I lived in PA and VT where they salt the roads on an almost daily basis. I now live in CO and here they use a milder version of salt if they even use it at all. There is more sand used here than back east, so you might want to wait till you get to UT to see what it's like there before you go all-out on it, as a previous poster said. I live in the mountains so it's probably a lot saltier around cities.

I just got a 99 with an absolutely pristine, factory-paint-still-on-it frame/body so I've been doing everything I can to make it invincible to rust. Checking all the drains and making sure they are clean is huge, as is keeping it as clean as possible so there is nothing to absorb and hold water and stuff against the metal. I tried using the 3M spray-can undercoating in my wheel wells this winter but it didn't last at all and I had them scrubbed clean before I applied it. I now plan on stripping what's left of that off, priming everything and then using POR 15 or some kind of hand-applied bedliner. I plan on covering the entire floorboard area (exterior) as well as the wheel wells and bottoms of the doors inside and out.

My 96 XJ was severely rusted when I got rid of it. The rocker panels rusted out, starting inside the front of the rear wheel wells. The doors had rust along the bottoms. It also had holes in the floors behind both front wheels as well as under the cargo area. I had begun to suspect the unibody-frame was rusting from the inside out too. It looked fine, but whenever I took a bolt out a whole lot of rust flakes and dust would come out the hole. The bolts on the hatch and rear tail lights and all trim were solid rust too. I've seen XJs with rust around the fender flares if they were coming loose and allowed dirt and ice and crap to build up between them and the body as well. These are the areas I'd keep an eye on.

The trick is to protect it before rust can start - once it starts it's way harder to get rid of it. Luckily the XJ is one of the more rust-resistant vehicles I've ever had so it's well worth the effort to keep it that way. Way better than my 99 Ford ranger that died in 2008 when the frame rotted and broke in 3 places over the rear axle between the spring mounts, and my 96 subaru that rotted out 3 of the 4 strut mounts before it made it ten years. I can't talk about my 89 4runner - that still hurts. *TWITCH*

 

Also - unless you're already prepared for it, you might want to be more immediately concerned about prepping for the cold. Strong battery, new coolant, and synthetic fluids all make a huge difference if it regularly goes below zero. Where I live it hits -30F for at least a week every winter!

Also, since you're going to UT, fall and spring are the best times for Moab and it's not to be missed. I like late April and early May or late September and early October. Summer there is like being inside an incinerator - your jeep will thank you! hehehe

 

Fighting rust is a losing battle in an area where they heavily salt the roads. Buy a beater for the winter and keep the XJ for your spring/summer/fall vehicle.

 

Sand down any rust, prime it, paint it, then bed-line it. I had rust come back where I only primed and bed-lined. Now I have a new jeep and I am going to have to repair the little bit of rust before it takes off.

Also, look into getting a block heater. My 89 didn't need one but my dad's 96 does, so it may be easier to go ahead and get one, they're cheap.

Another thing, 50/50 coolant freezes around -25F. Here in MN it drops down to -40F a few times so a lot of people run a 70/30 coolant mixture.

 

Mine lived in the UP of Michigan where they get 300" of snow some seasons and use a salt/chemical concoction on the roads that eats metal alive. Seems the simplest things worked best- some guys would soak the underside of their vehicles with used motor oil, or better yet- bar and chain oil (contains phosphoric acid that kills existing rust). Annually. Let'er drip for a few days.
Those vehicles seemed almost immune to rust.
I didn't do that and am paying the price. ITA totally with asking those who live there what works, and what doesn't.

 

I just keep the salt off by hitting the car wash every other week or so. It's easy to do quick and cheap with just a couple bucks.