Has truck wheel well fender rust been eliminated?
- Thread starter Snagglefoot
- Start date
That and aluminum panels makes a big difference.
JHZR2
Staff member
I see pretty modern trucks with a lot of fender rust through front and rear. How obnoxious that this hasn’t been resolved, given the prices that they charge for trucks. Ditto for cab mounts which plague every super duty my FIL buys.
Yet people accept it and go buying $80k trucks they can’t afford.
There’s zero excuse. Just as many nooks and crannies on a car, and less access.
Yet people accept it and go buying $80k trucks they can’t afford.
There’s zero excuse. Just as many nooks and crannies on a car, and less access.
The good news is, after slamming the door, no more rust!
My 2021 Chevy HD has plugs along the inside of each bed side. A simple removal and some bar oil in my spray gun should buy me a few extra years. Way too easy to access that joint on the wheel arch to not take some action for rust prevention.
My 07 Ram is rust free and like new underneath. I take it often to the car was with the bottom blaster. Local washes here have that and they have a monthly plan of $25 buys you a wash everyday if you wish. That takes the work out of rust free.
Ford started using plastic cab corners in 2017 on the super duty, 2015 on the F150.
Had to replace a rear brake line on the 1992 Silverado a few years ago. Apparently corrosion is common with the lines on that vintage.
JHZR2
Staff member
How does that fix the cab mounts that have affected all the trucks he has bought before and after that?
Aluminum is not the lightweight corrosion-resistant miracle metal some people seem to think it is, and I'm genuinely interested in how the aluminum-bodied Ford F–series trucks will hold up over, say, 20 years.
In some environments aluminum will corrode as quickly as steel, if not quicker. The main difference is you don't see ugly, brownish rust, but you might see a little bit of black residue. That's aluminum oxide.
Also, under the right circumstances aluminum can burn as can magnesium. As a body part that seems unlikely, but unlikely things do happen on occasion.
In some environments aluminum will corrode as quickly as steel, if not quicker. The main difference is you don't see ugly, brownish rust, but you might see a little bit of black residue. That's aluminum oxide.
Also, under the right circumstances aluminum can burn as can magnesium. As a body part that seems unlikely, but unlikely things do happen on occasion.
I took these photos at the airport today. The squarish one is a GM and the curved one is a Toyota. Time will tell if these plastic inserts are the ticket.
Lots of SUVs and crossovers have those plastic inserts too. Look at Mazda's line for examples.
I am skeptical that the liners will solve the problem since the clips that hold them in are metal and go through the metal bed, in the past thats never been a good combination. Once the paint seal is broken by the metal clip its rust on. I see this two ways, either the liners keep salt and dirt from building up OR they slow it down a little but make it harder to flush it out when you wash.
I plan to keep an eye on the square GM’s. At least they are somewhat identifiable. I believe the square fenders ran from 2014-2018. I have not yet seen a rusted one.
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