Preparing a virgin 350 for the winter

[Rammstein1224]

I have lived in the Midwest my whole life and have seen the damage the salt and snow can do to your body, I just bought a new 7.3 with brand new suspension and I was wondering if you guys knew the best way to protect my truck for the impending cold winter ahead.

[Rammstein1224]

Also how do you think my 44" TSL super swampers will do in the snow/ice?

[CowboyCody]

i have always wanted to buy a southern truck and rhino line the whole under/ back side of the body, and a strip 3" up from the bottom. i dont know how long that would prolong it but it would have to help. your big wide tires will be like slicks on ice and packed snow, in deep powder however they should fair pretty well. either way its not that it wont be driveable, its just that there are snow tires and then there are mud tires. they are designed different for a reason.

[firemedic5586]

I bought my 02 CCLB 7.3 in TX. its seen one full winter now in MN.

1) Make sure your glow plug relay is good to go. If it isn't you will know once it gets cold out. Ask me how i know.. There is an awsome after marker relay that you can get that costs less then OEM. Can find the mod on this board.
2) check your colant and make sure thats good. If it needs to be replaced, you might want to change it to something like Cat ELC. Mod is on this board.
3) Lighter oil for the winter, or run a synthetic.
4) Windshield washer resivior. Make sure it isn't water or other **** that freezes once the Hg drops.
5) There are a few companies out the that offer rust proofing. I flipped a coin and am using "Rust Check" costs $150, and they spray your truck once a year.
6) If you want good traction in snow and ice, those tires aint it.. The best tires I ever had were "Pizza Cutters" Tall, skinny, and agresive treads. pluss weight over your rear axle. Had this set up on an old Blazer that I plowed with. When I would get it stuck I would have to clipmb out the back hatch, cuz the show would be so high that the doors wouldn't open.
7) find your engine block heater plug in, make sure it works. Maybe put an extra heater on the engine. I tossed another one on the "Glues" to the bottom of the oil pan. With both going, it only takes about 2 hours to get my engine temp up to 80-90 degrees.

cant think of anything else off the top of my head.

[444 ci]

i would park it in a heated garage and buy a beater for the winter.

[silveradobeast]

i use a product called chassis saver its really good

CHASSIS SAVER TEST - YouTube

CHASSIS SAVER TEST - YouTube

[NoRalPh]

Originally Posted by silveradobeast

i use a product called chassis saver its really good

Well, I guess that would be great in a Body-Off restoration but, how could this possibly help this guy?

For Years, I bought an aerosol product called LPS 3 Corrosion Preventive and sprayed it all over the underside of my vehicles & trailers. All those steel lines especially, but just about everywhere. Recently the LPS 3 has gotten hard to find and Very expensive when I did (Grangers gets like $12 a can) and I now use (from the PB Blaster people) their "Corrosion Preventive" you can get at Home Depot.

I do this in the Fall and it has saved me from rotting lines and general rust (be sure to do the Oil Pan) and anytime I have to unscrew a brake line nut I'm So Glad to see it just turn instead of spinning, and breaking, the steel line

[CowboyCody]

Originally Posted by NoRalPh

I now use (from the PB Blaster people) their "Corrosion Preventive" you can get at Home Depot.

Interesting, how much is this stuff? is it similar to spray paint, or is it heavier like rhino liner, or more oily like PB Blaster?

[22crew]

Agree with buying a beater. I bought my 01 in 03 in Nebraska, thankfully it only had to endure a winter or two before it headed to Florida where i was stationed at the time. I have been stationed in the southeast for the most part and my frame looks amazing. Hit it with a .99 cent black rattle can a few times a year and i am good to go. BUY A BEATER.

[NoRalPh]

Originally Posted by CowboyCody

Interesting, how much is this stuff? is it similar to spray paint, or is it heavier like rhino liner, or more oily like PB Blaster?

It leaves a wax like coating, kind of greasy, but sprays on thin and congeals after a while. I just put on over itself the next year. It's not expensive, I just buy a can or two every so often, then in the Fall I have the 5 or 6 cans to "load-up" everything with again