2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Door Rust!?

[Beach]

I have an "01" w/ 128K on it, and the bottom's of my door's are starting to go! I went to one dealer last fall, but they basically said since I am over 100k, I'm S. O. L. ! How can I fight this and is it worth it? I'd rather have new door's and not a repair. Once rust start's, you can't stop it! I know this is a big problem with these truck's, but is there something I can do or someone to talk to! There argument can't be on mileage! The truck is 5 year's old! Any suggestion's? Thank's

 

[Joe Mc]

Unfortunately I "think" you are SOL as far as getting anything from Mother Dodge. If she had it her way she'd cut the apron strings as soon as you rolled off the lot.



There are a myriad of products that claim to "halt" or "make rust paintable" and some may work. YOu can do a search on the inter-net I've had good success with Eastwood products and a friend of mine swears by "POR-15" (I think it's 15?) But, if the rust is showing thru the paint you still have to contend/attend with the looks. If you wish to get new doors ($$$) and want to protect them (or your repaired old ones) going forward you can spray your favorite lubricant (WD-40, pr the like) in the drain holes at the bottom of the doors. MAke sure the windows are up and be careful not to spray too much towards the speakers. If you do this before and after every winter it won't "hurt" anything. It would be best If you can take off your door panels, vacuum out any loose debris, flush with water and blow dry, then inspect with a bright light to see how bad things are, then decide how to proceed. I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but it is the one that I have to deal with also.



Maybe someone out in TDR land knows a better answer or one you will like better - maybe they'll know that your doors should be replaced by Mother Dodge - I'll pray for you - but, it is unlikely.



Best regards. Like Neil said "Rust Never Sleeps".

 

[Beach]

Hey Joe, thank's for the reply!

I'm hoping someone has a "magic" solution to the rust problem with these truck's! The orange is starting to creep off the edge of the door's and is now a 1/4 inch up the door's now. I've had the truck about a year 1/2 now and have watched it grow since I bought it! This winter was not good to it! I might get some estimates to do the whole bottom section of the truck to get rid of the rock chip's! I'd rather spend my money on wheel's or other goodie's, but if I let this go, the truck will end up being a rusty but trusty truck! :-laf Do you or anyone else know roughly what it would cost to paint/repair door's etc... Thank's

 

[DavidC]

Your best bet may be to find some Arizona doors and pay the shipping and have them painted and rust proofed. The problem where your rust is is that it starts forming where the outer skin is crimped over the inner panel. Trying to cut the lower part off the door and install new sheetmetal in that area will definately cause some warpage and bondo unless you find a professional restorer that can really work with sheetmetal. The next choice is to find the outer skin and seperate the outer and inner. Even at that it is not a Maaco job and would require some one that does not butcher your truck. I grew up on the east coast and I do not miss that rust one bit. Good luck.



Dave

 

[Oasis-3]

Rust

Don't feel bad Beach my 01 has 67,000 on it and the doors look like they came off a 60 chevy.

Everyone knows the Dodge part will rot away long before the Cummins part every gets warmed up.



Cliff

 

[SKargo]

We replace doors under warranty fairly often. It's a 2nd gen thing, these doors succumbing to the evil cancer known as rust. Heck, mine are doing it, but I am out of warranty as well. These doors ain't cheap either.

 

[Kawi600]

The only way to deal with the rust is to strip to bare metal with a sander or sand blaster and immediately apply a good quality etching primer like SEM, which comes in aerosol if you dont have a compressor. Then skim with bondo and sand, paint and put on a good quality clearcoat.

Ive got the same problem and I gutted the drivers door out and the whole lower door panel and sill is all fiberglass now. If you have through holes thats one of the ways to go. The trick is to get it early before it starts to get major.

Once painted, Id apply some silicone caulking to the seam where the panel rolls over the door sill, since that seems to be where it begins.

Also Ive had good results with 'must for rust' which is basically just phosphoric acid. It etches and reacts with the rust and dries to form a protective layer thats only breached when you get it chipped, so its good for door innards Id guess. I dont know how good it is to paint over though. Id use the etch primer.

POR-15 is also well recommended but Ive never used it myself.

 

[BOstiguy]

Oasis-3,

I believe your truck may still covered for this repair. When I had my 99' done in 2004 they told me it is covered for 5yr/70,000mi. under perforation. You may want to contact your dealer to find out.



-Bill

 

[JCyrbok]

got u bet Oasis, 55k here and they are rusting/blistering the paint and I even have my truck Ziebart'd! My rust warranty runs out on July 13 of this year. I'm rolling into the Dealership on 7/12 to have them fix it. No use getting it fixed now, just means the P. O. S. repair they do with begin to fail 4 months earlier! LOL.



J-

 

[Beach]

What are we talking about price wise for door's? I hate having a crappy looking truck and also hate spending my money I don't have! :{ I have heard good thing's about POR-15 but do body shop's actually use the stuff? If I spend the money on fixing the problem, it will likely return in 2 year's or less! Then I could spend an arm and a leg on new door's and be broke until I move into a 3rd gen or an early 2nd w/ a 12valve! Oh man the decission's!

 

[SKargo]

Those doors are pricey. We pay $900 something for one, and $800 some for the other for warranty jobs. IIRC that is retail. It damn well better be.

 

[Beach]

Holy crap is that expensive! I might just get the door's done and skip the rock chip's! I can't be spending my money like that when I have engine mod's to do to beat Joe Schmoe at the stop light! :-laf Maybe fix them and when the rust return's, sell and start over with a truck from down south with a 12v'r!

 

[Joe Mc]

When I plan to do mine ths summer I'm going to grind the rust off on the inside and outside. POR-15 in & out, seam seal inside and out (making sure to keep drains clear) then finish from the body line down with some type of protective coating, (rhino liner or something similar) black. That's the plan anyway.

 

[Beach]

I think I might do the same, or some kind of heavy rock chip protectant! I just did my taxes and I think the amount I'm getting back is going to really help! Now I'm looking at wheel's also and planning more bomb's,"injector's, exhaust, AFE". I can't stop sliding down that slippery slope! :{

 

[dieseldon02]

Just got mine back on Tuesday for the rust on the doors. 50,000 is when the body warrenty runs out, I had 49,700! The dealer didnt repair them, they replaced them with new doors, I figured that they would just fix the rust. My service writer told me that Dodge is having problems with the doors rusting on the lower inner edges. He also said that Dodge will NOT recall the trucks because of this. Figures!

 

[Kawi600]

When you look at how the joint is made on the bottom you can see how the rust starts. The door skin is wrapped over and bent back to hold it in place, but theres a gap behind the thing so water accumulates inside. Im going to try a bead of silicone and re-crimp the lower door skin next time around

 

[Joe Mc]

Just got mine back on Tuesday for the rust on the doors. 50,000 is when the body warrenty runs out, I had 49,700! The dealer didnt repair them, they replaced them with new doors, I figured that they would just fix the rust. My service writer told me that Dodge is having problems with the doors rusting on the lower inner edges. He also said that Dodge will NOT recall the trucks because of this. Figures!

So now that you have new doors protect them so when it rolls 100k you won't have to replace them or look at rust. Man you got lucky

 

[rowilson]

When you look at how the joint is made on the bottom you can see how the rust starts. The door skin is wrapped over and bent back to hold it in place, but theres a gap behind the thing so water accumulates inside. Im going to try a bead of silicone and re-crimp the lower door skin next time around

Whayever you do don't use silicone as a seam sealer since silicone acutally draws water to it to cure. Best use urethane sealer like the rear window is held in with. Order some Rust Check www.rustcheck.com or a product that is a sponsor on Dream Car Garage, Krown www.krown.com. Both can be sprayed into the door and stop rust by forcing moisture out of the pinch/crimp seam at the bottom of the door. I've used Rust check on my 87 Buick LeSabre with 267,000 miles on it and winter driven. Within the last couple years the rust has started on it but only in places where I was too lazy to take apart and spray into. Good stuff!