Frame rust

[Groo]

The only two vehicles I have ever purchased new were taken off the road with frame rust damage. I am desperate for a solution to frame rust. I am actually considering a 4500/5500 class of vehicle because they have heavier C channel frames instead of the thin wall hydroformed garbage found in so many trucks and SUVs these days.
It looks like the front of the Ram medium duty trucks and other medium duty trucks are the normal closed section frame from the 2500/3500 still. would these medium duty frames still rust and fail there? or would they drain through the C channels in the back?

seems like they aren't drastically more expensive than a 1/2 or 3/4 ton as well.

Do people here have any other solutions to frame rust? I won't buy another new truck that won't last much over a decade. $50k needs to not be scrap metal after 10 years and 100k miles.

 

[PoMansRam]

Just curious where you live and what rust preventative techniques you've used over the years.

 

[Johnny G Bagwell]

Lots of solutions but ill tell you my options based on my experiences. Get you a gallon or two of fluid film and spray that on the underside. YouTube fluid film application and there is a guy that explains all tools needed and breaks down his professional opinion about it and other methods of underside coating. I suggest not doing any type of rubberized coating because it can trap moisture and cause corrosion to spread like wildfire. I work in Aviation and we use fluid film for aircraft critical components that are left to weather and it works. I've seen trucks with rustoleum, linex, rhino liner, and other self don't yourself bed liners, and none compared to fluid film. Its super easy to do and doesn't cost much in tools to do as long as you got an air compressor already. You do whatever you want or feel is best but I promise you if you do fluid film you'll never worry about it again. You can also check as some places have a shop that will do it for you.

2020 Ram 2500 6.7 Cummins Ezlynk tuner by Duramaxtuner.com

 

[PoMansRam]

I agree on the use of Fluid Film or Woolwax. I've used both products along with Krown over the years. I prefer to use FF or WW and do the job myself. The problem is, these are far from a once and done product and must be redone at least yearly for maximum benefit from them. These products will wash off in areas that see a lot of road blast.

There are higher dollar spray products available that last much longer. Noxudol is one of them. I haven't tried it, but hear it's outstanding stuff. https://www.amazon.com/Noxudol-Rust...ds=Noxudol&qid=1588553287&s=automotive&sr=1-2

 

[Groo]

frame failures I have experience with nearly all start from crap trapped inside the frame tubes. If its not a once and done, subsequent applications will just cover dirt. seems to me the frame sections need to be filled or be completely open. that is why I am looking at the >1 ton truck options.

traditional rust proofing looks to be mainly oriented towards the body. I can still drive a truck with fender cancer. I can't do much with a truck that has frame cancer.

 

[tron67j]

Just curious where you live and what rust preventative techniques you've used over the years.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan which is just like Upstate NY where I lived. Salt is almost as ubiquitous as Oxygen for many months of the year. Other than good rust preventative that is snaked via spray tube into frame holes, I took my trucks to car washes all the time as soon as the temperature went above 20°F. Used wand and pushed in frame holes. Waste a lot of money but never lost a frame to rust holes. Good luck to you I feel your pain.

 

[bigdodge]

frame failures I have experience with nearly all start from crap trapped inside the frame tubes. If its not a once and done, subsequent applications will just cover dirt. seems to me the frame sections need to be filled or be completely open. that is why I am looking at the >1 ton truck options.

traditional rust proofing looks to be mainly oriented towards the body. I can still drive a truck with fender cancer. I can't do much with a truck that has frame cancer.

Fluid film is an oil. It's made to creep into crevices and displace water. It works but it takes maintenance.

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[Groo]

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan which is just like Upstate NY where I lived. Salt is almost as ubiquitous as Oxygen for many months of the year. Other than good rust preventative that is snaked via spray tube into frame holes, I took my trucks to car washes all the time as soon as the temperature went above 20°F. Used wand and pushed in frame holes. Waste a lot of money but never lost a frame to rust holes. Good luck to you I feel your pain.

worse than the UP, I lived around Detroit for part of both of these vehicle's life. The region makes its money selling new cars, and they built it over a huge salt deposit. That said, I've seen plenty of local vehicles just as bad.

 

[PoMansRam]

To me, some dust and dirt helps fluid film type products stay in place for longer. Even if there is some salt dust in the mix like mentioned above, these products repel water, so with no water, that salt can't attack the metal. It turns to a thicker, greasier mess of a build-up over the years, but I'll work through that any day rather then deal with rust.