A mechanic working on a GMC Denali called attention to its precarious status on a lift, leading to a discussion about whether the undercoating on newer Chevrolets might be a factor.
The discussion in question came from a video from creator Drac (@dracnaphobia), gathering more than 236,400 views as of Thursday morning, since going up on Nov. 23.
In it, the mechanic explains, “Just walked into the break room to warm up my breakfast,” showing his breakfast in a plastic container, before showing a GMC truck that appeared perilously perched on a rack.
“I hope whoever put this on the rack … knows that this is about to fall off,” he says to conclude the short video.
He also relays, via the caption, that this is something that happened two years ago initially and he was providing another view of it here … but that one took off.
As happens with a number of mechanic videos, self-styled mechanics come into the comments section to provide observations, and they can sometimes actually bring new, helpful information to the fold.
One such commenter queried, “Did it slip off? Lot of the newer Chevys have a super greasy undercoating that can slip off lift pads if not set perfect.”
Drac responded, “Yes. It slipped right off! This racks arm doesn’t lock.”
What is undercoating?
Not to be confused with rust-proofing, undercoating is, as Synchrony writes, “a protective layer that’s sprayed all over the undercarriage of your vehicle. This provides a rust-proof layer between exposed metal and salt, dirt and grime from the road. Since the undercoating protects metal from moisture and air, no rust can form.”
Do I need Chevy’s new undercoating?
As far back as 2018, Consumer Reports questioned the need to get undercoating on a car or truck.
The article began with a reader question: “I just bought a new car and declined the $800 protective undercoating that the dealer was urging me to get. Did I make the wrong decision?”
The publication concluded the decision was a sound one.
“Cars today are manufactured with corrosion protection, which makes this added treatment unnecessary, though it is profitable for car dealerships. Consumer Reports recommends that car buyers skip the undercoating and several other pricey add-ons, including VIN etching, fabric protection, and extended warranties.”
Other Chevrolet opinions
The comments section brought forth additional viewpoints on the undercoating question, as well as the truck’s placement on the lift.
“Almost brand new platinum f150 guy did this on [his] first day,” one shared. “Told me i was wrong, starting screaming at me and I fired him. Lucky he didn’t kill someone.”
“Just put some zip ties on it,” another quipped. “He’ll be fine.”
“GM puts this absolutely JUNK coating on the frames,” one offered. “I had a coworker who had one on his lift (GM dealer), and left for the night, next day we could see that the coating caused it to slide on the lift.”
“If it was straight you could put Crisco on the lift and the truck wouldn’t move,” another said. “That’s absolutely his own fault, not the ‘coating.’”
Drac clarified, “The coating along side the tech using a flat rubber lift adaptor instead of one designed for trucks is what caused it. After this event the shop finally got adaptors meant for truck frames.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator and to GM via email.
@dracnaphobia Closer look at the truck from the other post. This happened like 2 years ago. #wtf #wild #support #truck #gmc #accident #how #oof #expensive ♬ original sound – Drac
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