Box frame question

[RDBuck]

Looked at an 04 today and have a question about the frame. Are there any drain holes on the low points to let out road salt and water? There are plenty of holes to let water in but I could not find any to let it out. It would seem that this could be a serious problem after a few years.

 

[XJSuperman]

Aren;t the frame channels (boxes) open at either end of the truck?

 

[y-knot]

No I believe the ends are open. The question is a good one, and deserves some thought. There are a few holes in the sides, but none on the bottoms of the low spots that I am aware of. I will look again tomorrow if the weather permits. Dodge is in the business of making trucks. They pay alot of attention to frame strength, flexibility, pay load capacity, material selection, method of manufacture, rigidity, and cost per unit. While there frames do seem stout, Dodge and there German staff do nothing unless it helps their bottom line. So while everyone enjoys the commercials and articles boosting of all it's merits, the bottom line is these new frames have only replaced the old frames because they are cheaper to produce. Also while Dodge has many reasons to spend research dollars (Euros?) of bringing down unit cost, they do not have the same drive to devote to frame longevity.

 

[klenger]

Yes, there are holes in the bottom. I used them to fish the mounting bolts inside the frame for my PullRite hitch.

 

[rbattelle]

Originally posted by klenger

Yes, there are holes in the bottom. I used them to fish the mounting bolts inside the frame for my PullRite hitch.

I second that statement... I have personally witnessed these holes. I dont' recall, however, whether there are any at the lowest points of the frame.