Some competitive items may include rivets or claim to use corrosion-resistant hardware, but when different corrosion-resistant metals come into contact, they can erode by a process known as galvanic corrosion also called bimetallic corrosion.
Galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process in which one metal corrodes preferentially in the presence of an electrolyte when it comes into electrical contact with another. Once 2 distinct metals come into touch with one other, it may result in early rust and corrosion.
To avoid rust and corrosion, MillerCAT Shield utilizes only zinc-coated rivet nuts and stainless steel hardware. The Prius’s underbody steel frames are covered but do not come into frequent contact with the aluminum shield.
Also after drilling holes in the frame, the only items that come into contact with uncoated steel are the zinc-coated rivet nuts and the zinc functions as a protective shield between the metals. MillerCAT considers each piece of hardware to ensure that none of the components cause early rust or corrosion.