So I was inspecting the Corrosion-free oil spray job I got on my truck last week. I was lucky to find a company here in Mchigan that does this fairly close to my house and they did a heck of a job!

Had the truck on the ramps and was removing and replacing the cheesy tape Fomoco uses instead of drain plugs on the under/inner side of the rocker panels. The guy spraying the corrosion-free pointed out the tape, but it did make it easy for him to spray the inside of the rockers. He showed me how the tape was peeling and I replaced it with adhesive asphalt type thick tape. This is a potential spot for junk, dirt, debris to get in and clog the drain holes, and promote rust. Mine are now coated with corrosion-free (oil based gel type goo to prevent/slow down rust).

Anyways, that is spot number one and I have read here and on other forums that some people are aware of this.

The other issue I noticed was while I was on my back with the trouble light, I noticed leaves hanging down from the drain area of both lower front fenders (just in front of the doors). I live in Michigan so leaves are not uncommon especially in the fall.

So I decided to remove my factory mud flaps (4 screws and 3 clips), and was able to pull my fender liner away from it's normal position in that area. Got my big paw up there and found a mound of leaves and moist muck! A combination of decaying grass, leaves and dirt. I mean 2 or 3 hand fulls of this junk.

So took the garden hose and held the fender liner away from the lip of the fender and blasted it all away clean on both sides, cleaned things up pretty good, greased up the screws and clips and reassembled.

As I mentioned, I live in Michigan, so I expected a little of this stuff, but I bought the truck used this past August, and I really have no idea if it was used off road all that much (did not find any mud or junk in the under carriage when I bought it and the truck looked well cared for). This was a surprising amount to me and I am glad I found it. I would not want that stuff to sit damp and be frozen or holding salt all winter or for the rest of the time I own the truck for that matter!

So heads up, it only took me about an hour total time to remove mud flaps, pull rear lower portion of fender liner away from fender, scoop the junk out then blast it out with the garden hose, let it drip for a few, grease up the screws, clips, and the holes, then reassemble.

Remember, all that stuff (leaves, twigs, grass paper, dirt, etc.) that drops from the windshield and down in front of the cowling flows to the sides of the vehicle, right down the inner fenders, and gets hung up where it gets narrow and smaller. Then it just sits, trapping more junk, decomposes, creates more mess and encourages rust by holding moisture, road salt, etc. This is something I am going to do every late fall. KD

 

Good tip KD. I'm in Ohio so much of your issues with leaves, grass, etc. are mine as well. And I'll be getting the truck oil sprayed this weekend as well. Always good to be on the lookout for potential hazards.

 

In the greater Detroit area myself and have a planned oil and filter change myself, will take a look, thanks for the tip and welcome to the forum!

 

thanks for the heads up. I hate the tape Ford uses on the backside of the rockers, it just doesn't last. My old '05 had rubber plugs that filled the holes but I guess Ford decided that was too expensive and switched to tape. At least they put something there though, my super duty had all kinds of open holes underneath it.. I've been using Gorilla Tape to cover all the holes and keep an eye on it and replace whenever it starts peeling(which happens quicker when the tape is coated with fluid film all the time).

 

I did measure the round holes in the backside of the rocker panels, those are 4 mm or 1.60 in with my digital calipers so that is like 1 5/8 inch. But, there are oval holes and square holes that I did not measure.

Sorry, halfway through the job yesterday I had something come up that made me hurry up and finish things up quickly. However, the inside of the rocker panels were a lot cleaner than the inside lower fenders.

I'm not kidding, that stuff was nasty in the fenders. KD

 

Good write up, thanks. These corners are always for start for unseen rust and needs to regularly clean and greased.

 

I used aluminum exhaust repair tape on mine. That stuff has some serious glue on it, and the tape itself is waterproof, so it holds up well. It's been on there 3 years now and every time I check it, it's still tight and secure. Every fall I remove a couple of pieces to spray Fluid Film in the rockers, then replace them with new pieces. Like anything else, making sure you have a clean surface for it to stick to is critical. I wipe it down with acetone before putting the tape on.

 

I have no clue where this tape is located. Can someone describe or post a pic please.

 

It's on the inner side of the rocker panels. You have to be under the truck to see them. I have a few pics posted in this thread: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...st-at-bay.html