3rd Gen Question

[td96ram]

I am going to be looking into a different truck in the future and move up from my 96 to a 3rd gen. My question is i see some of them with rust above the rear wheel wells is this common with certain years? My 96 is rusting away bad and i don't want to move into another truck prone to rust issues.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

Tim

 

[AWeiman]

here is our experince in the family, my uncle has an 03, my wife has an 06 both virtually rust free in that area. my wife's has a very small spot you cant see unless you are looking for it. now my little brother has an early 07 that has developed some paint bubbling and rust in the real wheel well area. enough that it is very noticable.

 

[td96ram]

Thanks Adam i wasn't sure if it was more common in certain years.

 

[RDeFayette]

I've had 3, and my dad has had 2, 3rd gens no rust to date.

Biggest reason that I can find is cleaning salt and mud/dirt out.

mud/dirt will accumulate in the drain holes trapping all the nasties and promoting rust.

PA loves salt so a trip to the car wash a couple of times every winter to clean the underside and in the wheel wells does wonders.

 

[JR]

You may want to consider looking a little further from home in your search for a truck if cars are prone to rust in your area. I know in my area in the heart of the rust belt a clean bodied vehicle in itself will bring premium dollar. Travel south 6-8 hours and theyre a dime a dozen.

 

[AWeiman]

You may want to consider looking a little further from home in your search for a truck if cars are prone to rust in your area. I know in my area in the heart of the rust belt a clean bodied vehicle in itself will bring premium dollar. Travel south 6-8 hours and theyre a dime a dozen.

i would agree. my brother's 07 was not bad when he bought it 2 years ago and it went down hill quite quickly. it was a local vehicle.

 

[JR]

i would agree. my brother's 07 was not bad when he bought it 2 years ago and it went down hill quite quickly. it was a local vehicle.

Exactly. Rust generally starts in all the places you dont see. In between panels, on top of frame rails, behind fender skirts, etc. All the places road salt gets up into and generally doesnt get washed off of. Its started the death rot well before you can physically see it by walking around the vehicle and by the time you do see it, game over. Even 10 year old vehicles around here can be in sorry shape if the owner doesnt take an aggressive proactive approach from the time the vehicle is new to fight the cancer

 

[RDeFayette]

worst thing to do to a vehicle is undercoat it.

If (when) the undercoating starts to seperate it leaves nothing but a place to TRAP all the goodies that start/cause rust.

No undercoating use Fluid Film and visit the car wash.

No rust yet.

 

[BIGNASTY]

worst thing to do to a vehicle is undercoat it.
If (when) the undercoating starts to seperate it leaves nothing but a place to TRAP all the goodies that start/cause rust.
No undercoating use Fluid Film and visit the car wash.
No rust yet.

Was told the same thing before we moved to MT I was thinking of getting zebart undercoating truck was new in So Ca and had no rust problems and I thought about some kind of protection. Was told by a friend of the FIL's just to get a pressure washer and wash the undercarriage every month or when it gets especially crusty, Still no rust ANYWHERE on the frame or body panels. He has a first gen Dodge and NO RUST!!!! good enough for me

 

[LNaugle]

I have heard that the trucks in TX and NM are fairly priced compared to our area (CO), and should obviously be rust free. My 03 has been a Co truck all its life and is not showing any rust. One of my techs is from WI and he told me his dad stepped through his 05 SD bed a couple of weeks ago. OUCH!

 

[Ozymandias]

My 2004 has had terrible rust on the cabin along the floorpanels behind the frontwheel, had to weld a lot.

May my car came from the Rustbelt to Europe, and we have a lot of salt on the roads too.

Frame is still good but needs rust protection too.



I use FluidFilm and PermaFilm on the outside of everything and melted Grease for the Inside Protection.

 

[crispyboy]

worst thing to do to a vehicle is undercoat it.
If (when) the undercoating starts to seperate it leaves nothing but a place to TRAP all the goodies that start/cause rust.
No undercoating use Fluid Film and visit the car wash.
No rust yet.

I have to disagree with this statement. My dad owned a 78 Jeep Cherokee which was Zeibarted (most anything out of the 70's would rust quickly). The vehicle was sold 8 years later with ~200k miles and no rust. Cincinnati is part of the rust belt. It is important to wash the underside of any vehicle driven in road salts as soon as possible. I've seen way too many rusty frames and rocker panels in this area to think otherwise.

 

[crispyboy]

worst thing to do to a vehicle is undercoat it.

If (when) the undercoating starts to seperate it leaves nothing but a place to TRAP all the goodies that start/cause rust.

No undercoating use Fluid Film and visit the car wash.

No rust yet.

I have to disagree with this statement. My dad owned a 78 Jeep Cherokee which was Zeibarted (most anything out of the 70's would rust quickly). The vehicle was sold 8 years later with ~200k miles and no rust. Cincinnati is part of the rust belt. It is important to wash the underside of any vehicle driven in road salts as soon as possible. I've seen way too many rusty frames and rocker panels in this area to think otherwise.

 

[RDeFayette]

Ziebart has undercoating and rust protection.

For all intents and purposes the rust proofing (the stuff they sprayed inside the fenders/doors/panels everywhere you can't see, but not underneath/under carriage) is exactly the same stuff (or pretty close) as Fluid Film.

Undercoating (Ziebart or otherwise) is the black gunk the put on the under carriage that eventually flakes off and traps water/salt/dirt.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Took a look at the Fluid film sounds great except the part below about rubber goods, Don't need to eat any rubber parts up that would be kind of self defeating. Does it come off easy it said to use pressure washer and or mild detergent. My pressure washer can suck up a detergent and spray under pressure both. How much of this product would it take to coat a truck they sell it in spray can, 1 gal , 5 gal and 55 gal?







Fluid Film protects all metals, and will not harm electrical connections, paints or plastics. Caution should be used around rubber goods: May cause swelling. It provides powerful protection for equipment in shipment, in storage and in use.

 

[JR]

i have coated the underside of my truck twice and my mower deck twice with one gallon of fluid film

 

[RDeFayette]

You can get it at Grainger, Deere, New Holland, Agco dealers and http://www.fluid-film.com/shop

comes in aerosol can, spray pump, brush on, quart, gallon, 55 gallon drum. http://www.fluid-film.com/products/

I usually get 2 quarts and use a siphon feed spray gun (the kind used for applying solvents, NOT spraying paint)

twice a year. Doesn't hurt the rubber parts that I've found. Then again I try not to spray 'em and if I do do I don't drown 'em either.

 

[td96ram]

There is a rather large truck dealer about 1 1/2 hours from me by the name of Lenz truck and they adverise rust free trucks. I figure i would take a ride and see if they look as good in person as they do on their video walk arounds.

Thanks again guy's for the input.

Tim

 

[BIGNASTY]

My 2004 has had terrible rust on the cabin along the floorpanels behind the frontwheel, had to weld a lot.

May my car came from the Rustbelt to Europe, and we have a lot of salt on the roads too.

Frame is still good but needs rust protection too.



I use FluidFilm and PermaFilm on the outside of everything and melted Grease for the Inside Protection.

Thanks Ozy looked up both products one looks like a thinner or more penetrating type were the other one looks more like a coating that is more permanent. Either way I do like the advertisement of the product THOSE CANT BE BEAT!!!! BIG or SMALL I LOVE THEM ALL

 

[jhenderson]

Fluid Film is a good product. My 04 has 315,000 miles on it. It has plowed snow every year, and run on salted roads all winter long. Look on EBAY. You can buy a kit for undercoating. I use about 1/2 gal on my pickup. Spend the extra money and get the up-grade application gun. You will save enough product to pay for it in the first gal.