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We Callinan road-test a product that promises to keep rust away from your fourby.

Photography by Karen & Pat Callian

There's one great reason to never go beach driving. It's called rust. And it's not just the rust itself that keeps 4WDers away from the beach - it's the paranoia that your fourby will melt into a pile of red dust at the mere sniff of the old briny. That is why the rust-prevention industry has thrived over the past few years, as more and more 4WDers head beachward and into the realms of rust-land. No 4WD is safe from rust. Even your largely aluminium old Range Rovers have steel roofs, bonnets and chassis. So subjected to enough of the wrong conditions, they too will erode away. But if you think that the beach is the only place your fourby can contract metal cancer, think again. The mud that us four-wheel drivers love to splash through is also laced with traces of salt. And y'know that trip that your 4WD had over on the ferry from its place of manufacture? Yep, most 4WDs arrive uncovered on the decks of ships, splashed liberally with salt spray. In fact, inspect the inside of a chassis of a zero-kilometre 4WD, and you're likely to see the beginnings of rust on the chassis where the paint gun failed to reach.

Where there's a perfect covering of paint, the ability for rust to take hold is almost impossible. But as soon as a bit of wear and tear from stone chips and such effects your paint, it's then that the rust starts to bite. So a few years back, the boys from Staun (yep, of Staun Tyre Deflator fame) came up with a product that is designed to remove salt from the surface of metal, in much the same way as detergent removes mud and grime. Called Salt Assault, this liquid not only removes the salt, but it also puts a temporary protective coating over the metal to stop the rust from immediately taking hold. I've got to admit, I was a little dubious about that protective coating being there, until some of the solution landed on the windscreen of the F-250. It lasted a few kays too, despite being rubbed by water and wipers for a few days.

Salt Assault is applied by using the Staun Massojet and an applicator. Just tip the solution into the little bowl on the applicator, screw the lid on, attach the hose and you're off. A few tips, though. Turn the knob to off until you're ready to start treating the area required - otherwise you'll run out of solution in seconds. And make sure the applicator bowl is screwed on nice and tight, otherwise it'll spray you all over (like it did me!). Both the applicator and the Massojet use standard Aussie click-on garden fittings (like Gardena' branded stuff). I've road-tested the Massojet before, and found it brilliant at getting into tight places underneath my vehicles. And I've got the one with the compressor fitting too, which almost took a layer of paint off poor old Otis! But the Massojet really comes into its own when used with the applicator and Salt Assault. The kinked neck and tight nozzle on the Massojet means you can get right into the places where the rust starts. You can stick the nozzle right into those holes in the chassis, as well as the water traps found under most 4WDs. So not only can you blast away the grime, you can now coat it with the rust inhibitor too.

Speaking of that rust inhibitor, it's called a Vapour Phase Corrosion Inhibitor (VPCI). This VPCI neutralises the rust, stopping the corrosion at the source. However, the trick with any rust prevention is regular maintenance. So don't expect that just one application will have your fourby rust-free for life. Nope. The best bet is to give your vehicle a dose every few months, depending on your 4WD outings. But if you're hitting the beach regularly, a dose before and after your trip would be the go. But for the ultimate test, they even use Salt Assault on vehicles that work in salt mines. In fact, the fleet manager at one Aussie salt mine reckoned that he saved over $100K in one year on vehicle and parts replacements because of his maintenance with Salt Assault.

A MILLION USES
After talking the Lee Davis, MD of Staun, I learned of a few more ways to use Salt Assault. First, it's great to use on your fishing and boating gear. You can either spray everything down, or soak particular parts in a Salt Assault solution - like getting that grind out of your beach reel. You can spray down zips and eyelets of tents, and even put it through outboard motors. You can spray down boats, jetskis or better still - boat trailers that regularly get dropped in the drink. But back to fourbies, Lee reckons that it's great to clean up that surface corrosion that afflicts alloy bullbars. In fact, I reckon that a Massojet and some Salt Assault would be great for adventurers who are lucky enough to do the hot lap of Oz. With limited places to wash a 4WD and plenty of exposure to salt air, this might be a good accessory to have on your way around Australia. I should also mention that Salt Assault is fully biodegradable. So it will break down after a while in the environment. Nice one. You can pick up most of the Staun gear at a whole host of 4WD outlets around Australia. Check out Staun's website for your nearest stockist.