Remove your bed to cab seal asap!

[blackbetty14]

General announcement to remove the lower bed to car seal on all 4th and 5th gens. I have less than 1k miles and have had the truck a month and just got around to doing it. Already wore through the paint a bit and I’m not 100% sure why ram does this. Would it be hard for FCA to apply PPF to that are so the seal Doesn’t contact the paint? Perhaps make the seal Shorter so it doesn’t rub?

This is the long rubber seal at the bed where it meets the cab under the truck. Basically above the gas tank, exhaust etc. it’s kind of a pain to get off with the plastic Christmas tree fasteners but I did this on my 18 as well.

Below you can see the damage after 970 miles. I’ve applied alittle fluid film and rubbed it on with my hand to prevent rusting.

 

[Atcer2018]

Thank you for the heads up. Can you please show a pic from farther away so I can see where you are directing us to? This is my first Ram so I’m m not really sure what I’m looking at. Thank you.

 

[Dredger]

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about water and debris now being free to flow upwards into the cab vents after removing that seal.

 

[blackbetty14]

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about water and debris now being free to flow upwards into the cab vents after removing that seal.

Upwards from wat? The only thing spinning there is the driveshaft and the muffler and gas tank block at least 60% of that opening/gap.

 

[blackbetty14]

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about water and debris now being free to flow upwards into the cab vents after removing that seal.

Apparently a lot of the early 5th gens didn’t have them from the factory.

https://**************/community/threads/cab-to-box-seal-missing.16598/

 

[blackbetty14]

Thank you for the heads up. Can you please show a pic from farther away so I can see where you are directing us to? This is my first Ram so I’m m not really sure what I’m looking at. Thank you.

See attached green circle seal at the bottom of the bed where it meets the cab. You gain access from the bottom laying on your back.

 

[Tulecreeper]

That's not a 'seal', it's just more of a bumper.

 

[Atcer2018]

Thank you. Found it.

 

[blackbetty14]

Honestly, I'd be more concerned about water and debris now being free to flow upwards into the cab vents after removing that seal.

Also interesting that you brought that up. I had like 18” of snow and ice lodged in there that would have easily been where the vent was. I would think holding that frozen water where it could melt and enter the vent would also be a bad thing.

People have complained about wind noise with no seal but also state that with a seal added they have the same noise. I currently have some wind noise at the back passenger side but I can’t say for sure if it was there before or after I removed the seal. I want to say before as I had checked prior if I had a door or window cracked open. It’s not like a whistle it’s more like if you had a window open you could just hear the outside better.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

My understanding is that seal is there to deflect wind and water, mother Mopar didn't install it because of cost, there is a big write up about wind noises in the cab at high wind speeds and high MPH, that seal not being there could cause wind noise, that sound like a news years horn, I purchased that seal and installed it.

 

[mikeru]

It's more of a deflector than a seal or bumper. Its purpose is to deflect spray that's thrown up by the tires when the roads are wet. There is actually a significant amount of spray underneath a vehicle that's driving on a wet road.

 

[blackbetty14]

My understanding is that seal is there to deflect wind and water, mother Mopar didn't install it because of cost, there is a big write up about wind noises in the cab at high wind speeds and high MPH, that seal not being there could cause wind noise, that sound like a news years horn, I purchased that seal and installed it.

Did you have that new years horn wind noise? I put 50 miles on the truck and had no real noise with at least 8-10miles on highway going 80mph.

 

[blackbetty14]

It's more of a deflector than a seal or bumper. Its purpose is to deflect spray that's thrown up by the tires when the roads are wet. There is actually a significant amount of spray underneath a vehicle that's driving on a wet road.

Perhaps but for it to do a hard 90 at high way wind speed and pressure into that 1.5” opening after snaking around the tunnel insulation, gas tank, muffler etc seems pretty un likely. I agree that FCA wouldn’t invest in a seal it doesn’t deem necessary but I also question a lot about some other designs then lol. Rotting out 4ft worth of cab guaranteeing a new truck every 10 years seems plausible for the design. Worst case is I will trim it back so I have 1/8” gap from the paint and reinstall so it doesn’t touch the cab but blocks the water.

 

[Dodge 1500 4X4]

Did you have that new years horn wind noise?

Yes I did and it did make a difference.

 

[mikeru]

Perhaps but for it to do a hard 90 at high way wind speed and pressure into that 1.5” opening after snaking around the tunnel insulation, gas tank, muffler etc seems pretty un likely. I agree that FCA wouldn’t invest in a seal it doesn’t deem necessary but I also question a lot about some other designs then lol. Rotting out 4ft worth of cab guaranteeing a new truck every 10 years seems plausible for the design. Worst case is I will trim it back so I have 1/8” gap from the paint and reinstall so it doesn’t touch the cab but blocks the water.

You're not considering pressure differentials. That's actually a low pressure area when you're at speed. So the spray literally gets sucked up into it.

 

[Wild one]

I took that seal off my 4th Gen,then put it back on.At 70 mph in a decent downpour the back of the cab was getting dirty with-out the seal. My truck is a regular cab shortbox though,don't know if that would make any differance or not though.

 

[kdoublep]

Just lube her up. She'll slide instead of rub.

 

[jawzs2]

LOL, that is just waiting for a snide comment, but I won't go there.

 

[Mike Wenrich]

I looked at my truck and see vertical seals as well. They are on the edges of the bed. My 2004 does not have them. I can see to the ground between the cab and bed. But...I have had an intermittent squeak which I thought was coming from the back seat area. Or because I put a camper shell on. Usually when moist outside. Could not find anything even with someone sitting in the back. Did not know about these seals and I'll bet that is my noise. By lube are you thinking a common grease?

 

[jawzs2]

LOL - another softball, can you say K-Y Jelly