Warning! Install mud flaps before you go anywhere

[CLAYTON]

I have a couple of chips on the under side of the truck. . but oh well it's a truck and I figure stuff like that is going to happen. I wouldn't however mind slowing down that process by getting fender flares and mud flaps. . they have to help out a little.

 

[XcumminsX]

Not meant to flame anyone but : Yes its a truck... but who has the right to say that if we buy a truck we are gonna get a ***** paint job. I know my truck sticker price was over 40000 dollars... I expect a better paint job than a 20,000 car. I think the paint should be even stronger/better on a truck. . Since i dont use mine for what most of you use your for i want mine looking like a show truck. . its reasons like this people are going to switch over to the import trucks. . I looked at a titan at the auto show and that paint was 5x thicker than mine. .



Nick

 

[CLAYTON]

Originally posted by XcumminsX

Not meant to flame anyone but : Yes its a truck... but who has the right to say that if we buy a truck we are gonna get a ***** paint job. I know my truck sticker price was over 40000 dollars... I expect a better paint job than a 20,000 car. I think the paint should be even stronger/better on a truck. . Since i dont use mine for what most of you use your for i want mine looking like a show truck. . its reasons like this people are going to switch over to the import trucks. . I looked at a titan at the auto show and that paint was 5x thicker than mine. .



Nick

no i'm just playin... I just figure that there is not much I can do about it now except prevent future occurrences from happening. This is definitely the most expensive car or truck I have owned and I was ticked when I saw the first chip. I wish the paint was thicker too. I hardly take mine off road and I shouldn't have to worry about chips in the paint when I'm driving down a normal road.

 

[JMcDowell]

I agree with xcumminsx

The paint on my truck is crap. I have had this truck for only a few

months and there are rock chips all over the hood. I should have

spent the money on stonegaurd. I drive a Mercedes M class (02 with 80k miles) for work and it has fewer rock chips than my Dodge with 5k!!!!!

 

[AFacey]

I went with splash guards and clear mask. The rocker panels are coated from bumper to bumper with clear mask. You cannot tell. I'll see how they do when I start driving the gravel roads during hunting seasons.



My 02 just had larger mud flaps and it was spotless. Mud guards/splash guards are a must on these tucks. I hate the way they look, but oh well.

 

[Excessive Force]

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS????

Originally posted by MO'Donnell

Maybe getting a little too carried away over the paint - ALL of the new vehicle paint jobs are crap thanks to the enviro regs. GM & Ford are no better. The enviro-safe materials are way too soft & prone to chipping - that's why new vehicles are shipped with the white film on them.



Trick for was on the handles - use a little bit of Bleach-white or Purple Power on a soft bristle tooth brush. Does a nice job of getting the white off of the handles * other black trim, but it will also strip the wax off the paint if you're not careful.

When did MEXICO start worrying about the environment??

 

[lschultz]

Originally posted by XcumminsX

Why are some people bashing this guys for saying his paint sucks... Get a life. .



Here is what i did when i first got my truck and noticed it scratched easy and had some paint chips... Apply massive amount of wax with cloat coat strengthener, I used glass wax (it has a old red corvette in front) help out ALOT. Truck hasnt had anymore scratches or chips since them. CAUTION : DO NOT GET WAX ON THE BLACK DOOR HANDLES... I STILL CANT GET IT OFF... .



Nick

If you want to get that wax off the black door handles get you some peanut butter. Don't it works. Course get the creamy peanut butter. The wax I use to use would live a white haze on the door handles/molding. But the Klasse I use now does not turn the black parts white. Read about this over on a VW site under detailing so I decided to try it and it does work.

 

[CLAYTON]

Who would of thought peanut butter would work on something like that. . the guy that came up with that is either brilliant or has some strange fetishes I'll have to give that a try

 

[bworthington]

wax on handles

take a little bit of peanut butter and a rag. just on the end of your finger and rub. then wipe it off. did that to my 03 and it has been gone all year

 

[DwayneKelch]

Nick, All,



WD-40 works great to remove wax that sticks to door handles, bumpers, etc. Removes bugs and road tar too.





Dwayne

 

[FAST4DR]

Just ordered some F and R flaps from Genos, along with some 96oz mats!!!!

 

[DPKetchum]

So far paint on mine looks great. drove almost 5k without mud flaps and NO rock chips. Have 11k on it now. WHAT DO some of YOU ALL DRIVE THROUGH???No CHIPS ANYWHERE. And YES I do some gravel and dirt roads. I pull horse a horse trailer.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Learn my lesson with the 98. Mudflaps and rocker panel covers are a must (don't care for steps, nerfies, and such fooforaw). Live with the rest. From dust to rust soon enough anyway. Oo.



Oh, yes. Please, please, forgive me for making what may be construed as any derogatory comments toward Dodge - please, please.

 

[R.M.THOMPSON]

Hey,

Paint don't chip unless a rock hits it ! I think its the tires that are loading up with gravel. Not gonna complain about bad tire design, there off-road tires... Could always go with something sticktly for highway and most off the problem would go away. Maybe some real mud tires and real rocks would leave dents in the sheet metal. The only answer is stay away from road debri if we don't want our tires to pick it up. Rankram and myself have taken the same approach FWIW

 

[fozzy]

I also live in Utah and it is cold. Cold enuff to freeze the paint off of my sport bumpers. I have a silver sport and the paint is starting to come off the painted bumpers. Any one else having this problem?

 

[jlasich]

WOW! I've heard of people getting mad when their brand new transmission just got fried or their engine filled up with fuel, but I've never heard someone rant so much about rock chips. No offense PBJohnson2, but I think you should either trade the truck in for a Ford or Chevy (which you think are nicer looking, not over priced trucks anyway) or give it to me. You're obviously very unhappy with it so why keep it? Of course, if you do do that, what are going to do when the Ford or Chevy paint starts chipping from rocks? And yes, it will happen. Trust me.



As far as wafer thin sheetmetal, all of them are like that.



I would have to agree with the dealer on this one. Sorry.



How would you design the truck to be rock chip resistant? The Ford Superduty has a little bit of a flare on the backside of the fender. Do you think that it works? Let me answer that question: NO!



I edited my content to better stay on the topic!

 

[PJ]

might I suggest that this thread be closed as it is going no where

 

[ttreibel]

I have 14 months on my 2003 and my paint has not chipped but I do have some scratches, the patroit blue seems to show them more than other colors. I did have a bug splat on the painted bumper top that ate right into the paint could not get it off with removers or wax and elbow grease.



I did put mud flaps on right away because bumpers more than 20 inches in height need them in Idaho and Montana or risk a ticket.

 

[klenger]

TDR has a reputation for not "eating our own", ... unitil this thread. Opinions are fine, but some of the responses are becomming personal attacks.



I do have a comment on the lack of paint in non-visible places. I think one of the reasons that Dodge does not bother to paint there is because the sheet metal has extensive corosion protection before the paint is applied. I am kind of supprised at the number of holes under the truck were water and salt can get into the sheet metal.

 

[bighammer]

Originally posted by PBJohnson2

might I suggest that this thread be closed as it is going no where

I've been following this and feel there are some valuable suggestions, so I'm not closing it yet. It's also good for new owners to be able to express their ideas, experiences, etc.



I would appreciate it if the rude comments, posts with no helpful content, and attacks are left out. I have deleted some posts and edited others. I sent PMs to the offenders and hopefully we can go on in a positive way. Let's keep it clean.



Thanks



I think the title of this thread says it well. If you are going to worry about stone chips, get flaps ASAP.





EDIT: If you see something questionable and want to bring it to my attention, please PM me. Nobody has reported anything to me yet. I'm here a lot and happy to help out.