Rust on Cab Roof, above Windshield

[ekroman]

Good Afternoon Ya'll



I love my 1990, and one thing is concerning me. I have rust on the leading edge of the roof, above the drip rail.



I know it's coming from the inside out; the paint is bubbling from underneath. I just thought it's an unusual location for rust to start.



I'm going to cut it out and weld in a new piece when I get to it; right now, I'm dealing with pouring a concrete driveway and I don't have time to address it. I'm repainting the truck in the spring.



Has anyone else seen this problem? Thoughts?



Thanks

Eddie

 

[Sootscooter]

My truck is showing the sme symptoms, but its not bad yet. If I can hold it off, Im gonna fix the problem next year when I plan on having it repainted. Good luck. I wouldnt mind seeing a picture or two of your repair job. Ryan

 

[Greenleaf]

Yep. .



Same problem, same spot.



I had the spot cut out and the roof painted last spring. Already bubbling up through the new paint.



It's on the drivers side only. The other side is ok.



-S

 

[GBechtold]

I have the same problem on mine too I have a lund visor and it is rusting pretty bad right in the center at and including the drip railing any body else have visors on theirs

 

[ARhine]

Is there a good way to prevent this?



Where does it rust exactly, in the windshield gasket or up above in the drip rail on the top of the cab.



Maybe paint this are with some por15 and then repaint would be a good deal?

 

[JLEONARD]

I have it too... mainly on the driver's side.

I think I'll make it a convertable... it'll be easier. :-laf

Jay

 

[RGuzzo]

the whole damn roof top

my 93 club cab nothing on my 90 although I repainted the whole truck about 5yrs ago. Ive never seen it on another truck then again you would have to be 6 and a half feet tall.

 

[KEENO]

Count me in..... Mine Too!



Solution: Lift the truck & put bigger wheels on it! Nobody can see it then!



KEENO

 

[dusthomps]

Same problems for me. The roof on the 92 has been professionally fixed. On my 91, someone had redone it in bondo. Looked horrid so I put a Lund visor on it and looked really close at it about two months ago. I discovered that there were about three quarter sized holes all the way through the outer layer of metal. I took the visor off and laid in fiberglass and repainted the roof. Put the visor back on and its hardly noticeable.

 

[TKingsbury]

The solution is simple, buy clean western trucks :-laf :-laf :-laf . No rust, no problem .

Travis. .

 

[WJune]

Don't sweat the small stuff! If you live in the Midwest, pretty soon the fenders, doors, an rockers will be so bad, you will need a western cab anyway. Im'e already there !

Salt should be outlawed, winters are for 4x4.

Seriously, pull the headliner to repair it right.

 

[ekroman]

Mine is above the drip rail, and on the passenger side.



For those of you who think you are exempt for having a western truck, I have bad news for you. My truck came from Texas, where it spent most of it's previous life, except for the first year in Oregon.



I don't drive it in the snow much (we really don't get much snow here, and when we do, I stay home; not worth sitting in the traffic to go to work).



I know how I will fix it; I'll drop the headliner, cut out the affected metal, replace with new metal welded in, and paint the backside. I used to work in a body shop years ago (a very long time ago), so it's not new territory for me.



I had a Lund visor on mine when I got it, along with the cab roof lights. I removed them both when I painted it a few years ago, and there was no sign of rust then. Funny thing, there is no rust showing where I welded the holes shut for the visor and the roof lights.



I really appreciate all the feedback!



Eddie

 

[1stgen4evr]

rotting roof

This is a problem with the cab on LOTS of trucks. So you 'ain't the lone ranger' if you have rust on a dodge. It might even be something that everyone will have to deal with over the long haul. For those who have not had the headliner out, there are two layers of metal there. Maybe someone will offer cab corner filler pannels like the lower fender and rocker pannel repair parts.



I have a crew cab that is rusted on the front and back cab corners. I think it is sweating under and between the two layers of roof.



James

 

[SGibson]

it always seems to be worse on trucks w/roof lights, my 89 ctd has rust-thru, my 88 d-350 has none nor my 78 d-200,my 75 d-600 and 75 c-900 also have rust free roofs, go figure, the newest one is the most corroded. the 2 big trucks are also 7. 5 & 9ft tall so they are probably above salt spash from other vehicles

 

[don b]

for those of us who dont have that probllem yet, it would seem sensible to spray penetrating oil in cavities like doors ,rocker pannels, roof area,etc. might delay rust on trucks with problems too. when i lived in nova scotia, lots of people undercoated their vehicles with old engine oil and that seemed to delay the rust. has anyone tried similar things?

 

[ekroman]

I remember hearing from an old timer about how he used to spray the underside of the car with old oil to keep the road salt at bay, and he would go a long time before seeing rust (about 15 years, which was a long time in the 1970's).



I've never done that myself. However, there is no rust on the floor above the transmission rear main seal leak, where the oil is slung against the bottom of the cab!



It's possible you get the rust from sweating between the panels, but it's more likely caused by bare metal or incomplete coating, such as not painted & not primered.



My old 85 D100 had absolutely NO RUST, and it spent it's entire life in Virginia, and was not babied. It was well maintained, but it was never kept in a garage, and was driven every day.



It's good to know I'm in good company, even though it's not a favorable situation. Thanks for everyone's input, and I'll let you know when I tear into it and what I find.



Eddie

 

[GBechtold]

Did anybody ever hear of Gibbs penetrating oil we spray it on antique farm machinery at the end of the show season it helps preserve the paint and wood and comes right off with soap and water. Some of the guys that use it say that you can even prime bare metal with it before painting it works pretty good on the frame of my truck.

 

[Robin]

I just got back from a Dodge dealer's body shop. Hit a deer, or rather a deer hit the truck, a '97 dually, and tore off the left rear aftermarket fender flare and running board. Also tore up the factory dually fender. Deer are nothing but rats with antlers. Anyway, I had the shop foreman look at the roof which has two places where the paint has come off and the metal starting to rust. He said that this is the result of the bean counters saying to use four layers of paints instead of five or six. He said the sun gets to the bottom layer and oxidizes it, then the paint peels off. The truck is outside all the time.



He is also going to refinish the right rear dually fender. Its paint is starting to get spots.



He's going to give me some touchup paint, later I may have it repainted. Only about 87000 miles and too many mods to want to buy a new or later one.

 

[EZGZ]

My roof issue is just starting on the passenger side. It has spent its whole life in colorado.



Black truck and the hood and roof started to go many years ago. It's to big to fit in garage so has to live outside. I now have a cab over camper on it so that keeps the sun and shade off the roof. The hood looks down to bare metal by the radio antenna but it never seems to rust. I am going to just get some rustoleum paint and lightly sand and paint it. I was never ment to have anything that looks nice for long. That seems to apply to women to. Ether they get dry and rusty or they run off. :-laf

 

[JCrank]

Down here near the OBX, we often spray the undersides of our vehicles with boiled linseed oil to help fight rust. It is a little messy, but it works good. Also has anyone tried mounting zinc anodes on their rigs (like the ones used on boats, outboard motors, and crab pots ?) I've heard they work great also, though I've never tried them.