Cleaning road crud from steering components
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,962
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From: Topeka-Pothole capital of the universe
Cleaning road crud from steering components
What do you use to clean the years of accumulated road crud from
the underneath side of the car. More specifically, the steering
components and suspension?
Thanks.
the underneath side of the car. More specifically, the steering
components and suspension?
Thanks.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 49,198
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From: All in!
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03-'10
Re: Cleaning road crud from steering components (TFeld78)
Ooh...this is a good one.
Also, with whatever method is recommended, is it something that can be done in a driveway or should that crud not be washed into the street?
Also, with whatever method is recommended, is it something that can be done in a driveway or should that crud not be washed into the street?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
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From: Moon Township PA
Re: Cleaning road crud from steering components (TFeld78)
I just jacked up my 72, put stands under the frame and settled into a comfy postition flat on my back with an old, slightly dull kitchen knife with a real heavy blade. I took an old screwdriver and my shop light under there with me. Make sure you have eye protection. I scraped forever, it seems and I was rewarded with a nice looking steering rack and front suspension. Then I started cleaning the frame rail under the steering box and got a bunch of junk from that area too. As a side note, I was rewarded when I was under the car when I spotted something on the side of my driveshaft. I took the car out of gear (front wheels chocked) and took the E brake off to rotate the driveshaft. It still had the yellow stencil on it! :D When the scraping was all done, I took an old wire brush and sprayed all of the components with Simple Green and brushed them. They really looked good although I have driven the car over 3000 miles since then, it is still fairly clean. I am guessing that a good cleaning once a year at a car wash will help keep this area clean.
Gary
Gary
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Joined: Dec 1999
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From: olean ny usa
Re: Cleaning road crud from steering components (TFeld78)
if you plan on having older vehicles in your life it is a good idea to get a pressure washer. I used one on mine and after a couple passes it was clean, then used a couple cans of engine degreaser to wash off the final film of grease and painted everything with POR15 and rustoleum.
not sure you wanna do this in your driveway unless you want to clean the driveway too, it will be plastered with the oily muck that you blast off there.( assuming the engine leaks a little and the grease from steering components will come off too)
I did mine in the garage and then asfter the water dried off, swept it into a pile and then used detergent to clean the floor.
not sure you wanna do this in your driveway unless you want to clean the driveway too, it will be plastered with the oily muck that you blast off there.( assuming the engine leaks a little and the grease from steering components will come off too)
I did mine in the garage and then asfter the water dried off, swept it into a pile and then used detergent to clean the floor.
Team Owner
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
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St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: Cleaning road crud from steering components (tictocdok)
Problem with high pressure washers is that it forces water into places it should not be.
Like bearings, grease joints, electrical items and so on.....
If it is really bad take it to a detail shop / full service car wash and have them use STEAM !! Not high pressure wash, make sure they know the difference.
I had an old El Camino that the PO had ignored a valve cover leak on both sides. The entire engine compartment was nasty, black and sticky.
When the car wash was done steam cleaning it I found out the engine was painted Chevy orange (thought it was black), engine paint was in excellent condition, that I had a chrome tranmission pan and inspection cover and that other items were new also. Really made a huge difference.
Like bearings, grease joints, electrical items and so on.....
If it is really bad take it to a detail shop / full service car wash and have them use STEAM !! Not high pressure wash, make sure they know the difference.
I had an old El Camino that the PO had ignored a valve cover leak on both sides. The entire engine compartment was nasty, black and sticky.
When the car wash was done steam cleaning it I found out the engine was painted Chevy orange (thought it was black), engine paint was in excellent condition, that I had a chrome tranmission pan and inspection cover and that other items were new also. Really made a huge difference.
