I recently purchased my first American truck last weekend, went with a 2004 F250 Crew Cab 6.0L. I've owed foreign cars up to this point and have never experienced frame or under body rust. Les Schwab performed a front-end lift and installed new tires today, which got me looking under my truck.

I was surprised to see rust everywhere; on the frame bolts, engine, bumper components, etc... For you experienced Ford owners and especially the ones driving newer rigs, is this common? I'm kind of shocked.

The truck arrived on train in Eugene, Oregon and I picked it up from the dealer. I would have expected this from a dealer on the coast but we're nowhere even close to the ocean and I don't believe Oregon is using salt on the roads. I love the truck but I’m concerned seeing as how I’d like to keep this one for a lifetime.

 

I've had about twenty new cars/trucks over the past 30-40 years (mostly Fords and Chryslers) and never had any such as you describe, even if they had a few dealer miles on them. It should be interesting to hear what your dealer has to say.

 

Thanks tigerman. It had 29 miles on it when I took ownership of the truck with 511 miles on it today. I fear that once this rust takes hold it’s just going to keep going deeper and deeper. I'll give the dealer a call tomorrow.

 

My 99 has some rust issues underneath as well, which surprises me. My 98 Chevy 3/4 ton ext cab 4x4 is pretty well free from rust everywhere. At the bottoms of the doors on the truck, rust is bubbling pretty bad along those drains in the seam. I have been spraying it with penetrating oil every so often which seems to have stopped it pretty well. I dunno why but the recent model Chevies seem not to rust anywhere on their bodies as early or often as Fords do. Of course, Ford can't beat them everywhere. They were just jealous of the PSD!

 

I hear you. When I got my 01 f 250 (in october 02) most of the unpainted surfaces had rust. Its not flaking off rust like happend to my first car, a 2nd hand 76 datsun 200sx. That thing just about rusted away to nothing. It's more like light surface oxidation. Frame rails, drive shafts, axle's, steering components...basically anything not painted. On my friends new dodge, most of that stuff comes from the factory painted.

Now granted I live on eastern long island and the air is salty, but it does concern me since I opted for the diesel and plan on owning it for awhile. Of course I never said anything to the dealer. My first "new" vehicle. Didn't realize I should have went to the dealer to complain about every thing. Too late now for them to care about it. I'm looking into having the underside sprayed with oil up un VT. Sounds messy though.

-Shawn

 

it's surface oxidation. Mmost new trucks have unpainted rear driveshafts, front driveshaft slip yokes, u-joints, steering knuckles (where the ball joints are), portions of the drag link and tie bar are also often unpainted.

Just break out some acetone, rag and your favorite can of semi-gloss black paint.

Don't coat the rear driveshaft too heavy or you may throw off it's balance.

I put mine up on heavy jack stands and had a friend hold the brakes lightly while I lightly coated it when spinning. (hint: make sure you're not in 4wd!) lol


I think the factory ought to paint this stuff before it leaves, too!

Ever seen heavy equipment? They paint EVERYTHING! (including hydrolic connections) lol
-T

 

I noticed the same thing last weekend when putting a lift on my new 04. Rusted driveshafts. Rusted threads on tie rods. Rusted knuckles. All bare metal. Is this actually considered acceptable these days on a $40,000+ truck? Does it cost that much to paint these at the factory? I don't think I should have to paint everything after shelling that kind of money out.

This is my first American truck, and I am a little disappointed with all the surface rust everywhere. I guess I'm lucky I live in the desert as it shouldn't get to much worse. Its a dry heat.

 

Like said before, it's just surface rust! Rattle can it like Kehale said! The surface rust actually protects the metal from completely rusting through. I live in So. Texas, on the Gulf, and I'm constantly on the beach, so we know about cars rusting through! Heh, if you want, I'll snap some pics of my frame, it's really grungy looking

 

If you guys are serious about stopping rust this stuff is the only stuff I would use. I buy it by the gallon..the stuff is a miracle to a referbish guy like me...

http://www.rustbullet.com/Application.htm

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Misery loves company and I'm glad I'm not the only one with rust on a brand new truck. I'm still going to take the bumper rust up with my dealer and I'll work on the rest with a little elbow work and paint.

Happy Holidays

 

Ithink I'll expand on that a little. That surface rust on things like the drive shaft is not a big deal like others have responded. I did get my '99 SuperDuty undercoated (twice...because the dealer didn't do a good job the first time) before it hit the road. And since then, I have done a couple touch up jobs where rocks have hit in the wheel wells. Sometimes you have to get that tar undercoating off, afterwards, on things that you don't want it on or ha ve to service e.g. fuel line at the fuel filter. Every now and then I wipe off the sway bars, radial arms, axles (all painted stuff) with a kerosene rag just for the hell of it.