Stamey

For those of you with 1994-2002 Rams, if you have rust, please tell me about it.<br>Where is it worst?<br>Where did it start?<br>How long has it been there? Or, is it spreading quickly?<br>Have you done anything to prevent it, stop it, or slow it down?<br><br>My 1999 has a little bit of rust on the door seams, along the bottom. You can't really see it because it is behind the weather stripping along the bottom of the door. Now that I know about it I have put some corrosion inhibitor on it to, hopefully, stop it in its tracks. My old 82 Ford is a rust bucket and I DO NOT want that to happen to this one, especially since I already have to plan on the Cummins outlasting the body anyway.<br><br>Those of you in the worse geographical areas for rust, I'd like to know the other places where rust has started and where it has spread so I can take proactive measures now.<br><br>If you live in Arizona or other arid place where you don't know the definition of rust, you probably don't need to get in on this discussion. <br><br>Thanks<br>Chris

dodgeman01

I have been really lucky. I have not had any rucs on my 94 or 93 ctd.knock knock on wood.<br>DM01

truckkiller

i have a 99 and other than where the paint wore off inside the door no rust. conecticut is one of the worst for sand and salt on the roads. the other day it was raining and they were out there throwing sand. go figure :

Stamey

Really? And you drive it in all the salt and whatever else they put on the roads there? How often do you pressure wash the underside?<br><br>Dodge, historically, has not had a great reputation concerning rust and this keeps me from driving it in anything colder than rain. That's why I kept my 82 Ford. Its body is falling apart but the four wheel drive works great.<br><br>I am just terribly concerned about this truck turning into another rust bucket, albeit maybe in 10 years. Then again, I've had that 82 Ford for 14 years, watching it rust. Much of that rust could have been prevented if I had been more religious about washing the underside after bad weather, and I'm in Virginia, who gets wimpy winters compared to you guys up North.<br>I know I'll never go mud-bogging in this Dodge, again unlike the Ford, which is another great contributor to rust.<br><br>Chris

98rammer

if you live in salt areas (like me) take a pressure washer every 1 or 2 weeks and done the underneath of it! other than that, there's the usualy paint peeling (maybe too much to find rust?). you may find a small spot or two on the door. a buddy of mine has a spot on his door about the size of a half dollar (1994), but he also works his truck and doesn't take care of it too well. a common place for rust to happen though is the outside window seal on the side doors- there's a metal strip inside the rubber which holds water and rusts. <br><br>Tom

Big dawg

No rust on my 01, but than again...living in San Diego CA we don't see too much snow 8). Just wanted to give my .02 worth... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D<br>Big dawg

Srigs

I sold my 96 1500 this year with no rust at all and I live in MN.<br><br>My current 97 2500 CTD has some minor in the wheel wells and drivers door bottom seam. &gt;

richard

There are a few spots that will over time show<br>1 Door Bottoms, front and rear<br>2 Wheel wells, rear<br>3 Rear bumper, center or just where the bumper starts to <br> raise from the center where the holes are for hitch *****.<br>

PistolWhipt

Other places to look are the low points on the frame itself. Up front by the engine mount / front axle area in particular. This is an area that is hard to reach with the pressure washer and the salt and water can have their way with the steel. <br><br>PISTOL<br><br>

vssman

Stamey,<br><br>I also live in CT (next town over from truckkiller) and I have to say our DOT loves to sand &amp; salt the roads. Sometimes the sand is more like gravel - my windshield can attest to that. The best way I've found to help control rust is to add running boards and/or big mud flaps. You have to keep the paint from chipping. I have very little surface rust under the truck and have had it since new.

Wilson

I live in Utah so I am no stranger to salted roads. When I bought my truck it had some rock chips on the lower fenders and it now has surface rust. Should I just sand them out and paint or use rust converter and if so, what is a good one that wont ruin the surrounding paint? I want to get this fixed before it snows to heavily here and they put a bunch of salt out.<br>Thanks in advance.

Stamey

Wilson,<br>I don't know how big your chips are, but I had some on mine, all around the wheel wells, none bigger than about 1/8 inch. The ones that had started rusting I hit with some 180 grit emery cloth to knock the rust out and feather into the surrounding paint a little, then put touch-up paint on it. I can't say it's the fix, but it looks better and you can't see the spots unless you look real close. I am watching them to make sure they don't come back as rust.<br>The problem with doing a big sanding job is matching the new paint back into the rest of the fender, rocker, or quarter panel. I couldn't justify that big a job for those little chips.<br>I just bought Mopar mud flaps off of Ebay and installed them to keep it form happening again. I have thoughts of the chrome wheel well trim, or whatever you call it, but I'm thinking it will look trashy. I don't like the mud flaps, but I value the paint more at this point.<br><br>Chris

98rammer

[quote author=vssman link=board=5;threadid=8624;start=0#83972 date=1040663700]<br> The best way I've found to help control rust is to add running boards and/or big mud flaps. You have to keep the paint from chipping. [/quote]<br><br><br>running boards are a great way to keep the rocks from flying up, but some designs of running boards hold the salt against them and the body causing cancer real fast..<br><br>Tom

redramnc

Stamey,<br>My 96 2WD came with the little chrome wheel well lips. They only go around the top of the well from the body line molding to the other side body line molding. IMHO my red (not two-tone) truck would look plain without them. Although they do not jump out at you when you look at the truck they are a noticable improvement.

TGCTD

Well since this is the first winter my truck has seen,it is a big concern for me too,since i luv this truck and would like to keep it 15-20 years. Where i am is the salt capital of the NE.All my other trucks i've had have become complete rust buckets within 5-10 years. Dodge is now coming with 100% galvanized steel and on the CTD they put sound deading/undercoating on the cab so i&quot;m hoping with that combined with the mud flaps and running boards,to keep the fenderbergs off of the paint,and washing the chassis off 1-2X a week that i can slow the process. I see quite a few of these trucks up here,up close and personal and i think the bodies on the 2nd gen. have been holding up good. Only trucks that are really worked/banged up are showing signs of severe rust. The bumpers on the other hand are a different story.They seem to be rott prone,but i would rather replace a bumper or two every 3-5 than get into body work TG