Well, anyone having rust issues with their trucks? My 06 from the day I bought it was starting to rust on the underside. The rear end is starting to rust through the paint, the rear brake calipers are rusting (figure a little brake fluid spilled), the driveshaft wasnt even painted from the factory... Anyone else have this issue and ever complained about it? Its a $40,000 truck and rusting? I with they would do the VW thing and galvanize the whole frame.

 

Get you a can of black spray paint, and spray to your hearts content.

Eric

 

Yes, I just consider painting under the truck when I get it as normal procedure. As well as taking the tires off and anti-seizing them while I can still get them off.

 

It is normal for these items to rust. I bet your steering box is the same. Dont worry about it as it wont hurt a thing. It is just the way that the manufacturers have been making them since the first day trucks rolled off the line.

 

What he said. Aparently you have never looked under any vehicle more thatn 6 months old. Personaly I was vary suprized how long it took my truck to rust in all the normal places. It has been threw 2 winters now and it still is not all rusted like I figured it would be. If you try and wory abought the frame and axles and such items rusting you are in for a long long ownership. You will never be able to stop it.

 

yeah..thats the problem. Looks like the manufacturer sprayed over rust.

I just dont see why its like that. Other car manufacturers arent like that. My moms 12 year old Acura isnt rusting... my mustang didnt (with the exception of the driveshaft). I just think its poor build quality and its BS when you pay $30k+ for a vehicle. Stuff like the driveshaft should have been prevented by spraying $1 worth of paint on it. Brake calipers should have been cleaned up after the fluid spilled.

The frame and everything else looks great...just some problem spots.

 

I’ve never had an American car that didn’t have rust on the underbelly of it in a year. But on the same token I’ve had several foreign cars that don’t have any rust on them. I think it roots down to the reason that American car makers are in toilet and Toyota is making good profits. The American car makers look for every chance to cut costs to make a bigger profit. Companies like Toyota don’t cut corners on their vehicles but makes the cost more, but they last longer and hold their value.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not bashing American car makers; it’s just their business strategy. I live by the ocean down in Galveston, TX. And I constantly have to keep everything washed and painted the underside of my Dodge to keep rust away. My 01 Toyota 4runner doesn’t have any rust at all and I’ve never had to do anything much to it aside from a wash once a month. My dodge has been in the shop for all kinds of stuff and there is always a TSB on some corner they cut. My Toyota has 160,000 miles on it and I’ve never had it in the shop for anything except routine maintenance.

The problem is the car companies keep cutting corners and we keep buying them, so they have no reason to stop cutting corners. I think the only reason DC isn’t in the toilet like Ford and GM are is because they got taken over. If left to their own devices I think they would be in the same boat as Ford and GM sooner or later.

 

I'd be all smiles if I were one of you 06 guys... look at my latest new thread I started...

 

my truck looks new underneath- no rust on my draft shaft-but i have a yearly carwell application applied on my truck


http://www.carwell.com/

 

2 winters of Illinois salt has taken it's toll on my `05. Gonna splurge the $$$ and have my paint & body guy undercoat the truck when he puts the new exhaust sys in.

BTW: I think DC refers to rust as the "Active vehicle lightening system" designed to increase your fuel economy as the vehicle ages. This counteracts the effects of engine wear and power loss.

It also ensures you buy a new one every 6-8 yrs.

 

Just wait a couple of years until the rust comes out on the seams on the doors. All 4 of mine have rust at the seams. Both front fenders have no paint on them behind the wheel wells. The rusty driveshaft is the least of your concerns. And I oil spray mine every year.

 

Get a cheap spray gun and spray drain oil on the underside a couple of times.Its cheap and works well.

 

We have two products up here in Canada called Krown and Rust Check.
Basically a specially formulated oil that creeps and is not harmfull to rubber gaskets and seels.
You are supposed to do it every year,
Many I know do it every other year.
Only about 100 bucks or so and drips for a few days, but works well.
If you are going to use motor oil, I suggest new oil, as old oil has many corrosive chemicals as byproducts of combustion.
Heck , a gallon of new oil is only about 10 bucks.
BTW I have heard that ATF is better to use as it is easier on the rubber parts.
Krown rust proofing is kind of red...ummm?

 

Surface rust is normal on unfinished parts. By the way, VW does'nt galvanize. They use the same process as Mercedes and Porsche. They spray hot wax on everything, and pour it into the inside of the doors to keep the bottom edges of the doors from holding standing water.

 

I got rust all over the place on my 06. Was under there yesterday and noticed how nasty rusty my exhaust is already! What else can you expect from a 43,000 truck?


Tony