what all should i do to detail my truck before winter...and can u tell me anyone products that are good...thanks for ur help...

 

It would be a good idea to apply a coat or two of synthetic wax like Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax to your trucks paint for winter protection. Use a long lasting tire dressing like Detailers Advantage foam spray on your wheels. It has silicone in it, and will preserve the life of your tire's sidewalls and protect them from dry-rotting over time. If you have any chrome or aluminum on your truck, use a metal polish to help protect it from road salt, road grime, etc.
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Other things to check:

-Spray a shot of WD-40 into your key holes to keep the locks from freezing up.

-Use winter windshield washer fluid.

-Wipe down your weather-stripping around the doors with a silicone-based tire/rubber spray. I used Detailer's Advantage tire spray...

-Check the strength of your anti-freeze with one of those syringes with the floating *****. If all the ***** float, your anti-freeze is ok.

-Check your tire pressure periodically. Tire PSI varies more in the winter months.

-Spray the under-carriage with high-pressure water to remove any road salt at least every week.

-Buy a good quality set of wiper blades. They'll come in handy this winter.

 

Matt,

I see that you are down in Texas and I am not sure what part you live in. Everything that Peacemaker stated is very important especially for those of us in the Northern climate. Where I live we usually end up getting about 120-130 inches of snow during a winter. I try to get my vehicles prepped for winter by the beginning of November as the weather can change on a whim. It is usually around mid-April before the weather gets decent enough to do a detail to get rid of Ol' Man Winter grime.

 

I concur with Peacemaker. This is pretty much what I do (and I'm also a Texas Resident). I'd suggest getting some spray de-icer for your windshield, as sometimes the mirrors, back windshield, etc get you blinded after an ice storm. (I don't like to risk marring/scratching the windshield, so scrapers are a no-go, though I have one. I don't have heated mirrors or back windshield, so I'd be blinded there, and my windows take forever to clear up after ice hits.)

As for the spray, though, this'll be my first year to try it out. I'll post results soon (after it ices--- probably tomorrow.)

Also--check the tread on your tires. I know this sounds obvious, but ths is sometimes overlooked. definately check your spare, too. Lastly, keep a few emergency items handy:
-emergency vest (if you have to change a tire)
-emergency blanket (if you're not in a city, they're a good idea if your phone has no reception and you get stranded)
-pad & pen (if --god forbid-- you get hit in a wreck. Ice sucks. There's a lot of wreckless drivers out there)

Maybe I'm a little overprepared, as this is not even scratching the surface of what I keep on hand, but as a Firefighter/EMT, I have seen some really bad stuff that could have been prevented by a few simple items in store.

 

Well, I just used the spray de-icer (from Prestone), and am very satisfied. I started at the driver's side window, and worked around. By the time I got back to the driver's side, the ice was melted. Great stuff if you're in a hurry.

(The ice in the windshield was approximately 1/2 inch thick, so it required another application and about 1 minute of defroster/set time to work completely. I probably could have sped this up with wipers, but I don't want to tear them up.)

I strongly reccommend this type of product to everyone.

 

Thanks f-150sport03. I'll look for the spray de-icer on my next trip into town.