Dually Fender Fit Issue

[Casey Balvert]

I don't think this has been brought up on this forum that I am aware of. It was brought up a while back on another site.



The problem is the fit of the dually fender on the new trucks. While on vacation down south I noticed a line of scuffed paint where the dually fender contacts the side of the box along the top edge. It appears that when the fender is warmed by the sun it loosens and the edge of the fender slides down the box about a quarter inch revealing a line of scuffed paint. This if very noticeable on dark colors in part because the darker colors absorb more heat from the sun. When the top if the fender is heated by the sun it just flops up and down. This movement scuffs the paint and becomes very visible after a time. At some point it will go right through the paint and become a corrosion prolem. The fender becomes tight to the box with it cools down. I checked an older model and appears to be a totally different fender. It appears to be a design problem with the new trucks.



I went to the dealer this morning and the SM was at a loss and had not heard of any problem. Of course I don't think they sold more then three or four duallies this year. They sent me to a body shop who told me the only way to fix it was to glue the fender to the body. Whoa there!! I went back to the dealer and asked them to contact DC about the problem.



Since I am obviously not alone with this problem, has anyone dealt with this issue yet and if you have, what was the outcome? You folks may want to check your trucks then next time you leave it sitting in the sun for a few hours.



Casey

 

[Casey Balvert]

Since I had to do some work in the wheel well anyway, I pulled the rear fender liner. The dually fender is held in place by two separate methods. The front and rear edges of the fender have three studs each which protrude through holes in the side of the metal box fender and are held in place with nuts. The top of the plastic dually fender his held into place by two foot long metal plates, one in the front half the other in the rear half. The edge of the dually fender has a lip about 5/8 inch wide that turns in and lies flush with the box fender surface. The metal plates are each bolted to the metal box fender with three bolds and this is supposed to clamp the plastic fender to the metal box fender. As far as I can tell, this metal clamp is made of too light a material and fails to keep the lip clamped tightly. I put the plates into a vise and bent them slightly to increase the clamping force but I don't think it will last long. For the time being, the edge seems tight however. It appears that Dodge will need to beef up the clamps in order to fix this long term. Sure seems chinzy for a $40,000 plus truck.

 

[CKimball]

ya I saw the same thing on the "other forum" and it finally got cookin out here in the last week and yep... mine moved and got "ripley"... ran down to the dealer and of course by driving it it cooled down to the right shape... the SM was busy and I didnt feel like leaving the truck for a decade with these clowns so I took some aluminum stock and made my own plates and it seemed to hold it (flat all the way across)better. finished the right side last night so we shall see... my truck is silver so I can imagine Casey how bad yours must look!(with all due respect)... and your right 40k on a truck and... another mod we have to make!

Cameron

 

[ntenna]

Well, Casey, besides the obvious beef-up of the back plate, there is always good old fender-welt. Easy to get in black!



jh

 

[Briman]

I think that in many respects, the 03 is poorly engineered.

 

[TBOB]

Dually Fender Rub

I've had mine to the dealer, and as you say when cool and not in the sun, no can see. Service Writer saw it the day they replaced the diff gears, or should I say 3 days. They are a little slow, didn't have the right socket for the pinion nut. I will pass along the info gathered here, Thank you, TBOB

 

[dgieson]

Had mine to the dealer they saw the line and said they could buff it out have to take the fenders off. I left the truck for 2 day they did the left fender, guess it does not have a right one?? The tech said the bracket was stainless steel not aluminum and it just needed to be tightened. He could not get the mud flaps back on right, put the screws in the bolt holes and the bolts in the screw holes not nuts or washers on any. All he had to do was look at the right side, guess that was to far to walk. I had to take it off find the clip fasteners for the screws ( they were still on the fender liner just slid down a bit) and put the flap back on with the screws and bolts in the correct holes. The tech drill another hole in the fender 1/4 inch from the original one, it must have been to much work to push the fender in line.



Wonder if I can get back that part of the price of this truck that bought warranty and I will be my own warranty station. I have to do the work any way.



Dave

 

[Casey Balvert]

Well, I tightend the brackets but the problem is back after a couple of weeks. Not quite as bad as before but still a problem and it WILL eventually rub through the paint. I have asked the dealer to replace the clamping plates or whatever they are called. Maybe they made a change in the plates over the early production. Since I don't see a lot of people complaining about this, it may be limited to trucks produced early in the model year. And the plate on my truck are certainly not stainless. If they were, that would probably cure the problem as they would be less likely to lose tension. Hoping they went to stainless. Will see.



Casey

 

[Casey Balvert]

Can anyone verify that the bracket plates are made of stainless now? I know mine are just stamped out of galvanized sheet metal. Stainless would maintain the tension on the fender better.



Casey

 

[dgieson]

Casey, that is what the tech told me I have not looked. I will take a look when I can, I do not trust what he said.



Dave

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Casey,

Both of my trucks are showing the rub spot from the heat. The first was built in Sept 2002 the second was built April 2003. The only difference in the two is the filter minder.

 

[JHardwick]

Casey,



I took delivery of my dually in Febuary and have not seen the "rub" marks.



But, in all due respect, galvanized steel would be better for your situation.



Both aluminum and stainless have a greater coefficient of expansion than steel, so if heat seems to be the problem, stay with ther steel!!

 

[JHardwick]

Originally posted by Casey Balvert

Can anyone verify that the bracket plates are made of stainless now? I know mine are just stamped out of galvanized sheet metal. Stainless would maintain the tension on the fender better.



Casey

stamped out of sheet metal that has been galvanized would be the correct phrase

 

[Dean Upson]

stamped out of sheet metal that has been galvanized would be the correct phrase

That is just what mine is .



Dean