Preventing door rot?
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2016
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Preventing door rot?
My brother who is a previous F350 owner claims that the double gasketing at the bottom of the doors on superduties is responsible for trapping water/moisture and leading to the common lower door rot on these trucks. I guess I understand that without rocker panels that extend beneath the doors as in other trucks Ford might have wanted to prevent road spray from creeping up into the cab.
My brother insists I must take the lower of the two gaskets off my new F250 to prevent imminent rust and rot problems. Has anyone done this? Is the gasket really the problem? At least in my neck of the woods, any SD you see with rust or rot has it over the rear wheel wells and at the bottom of the doors. I did order my truck with wheel well liners, and plan on unloading a case of fluid film on it in the spring... I'd like to prevent both of these common problems if possible...
Let me know what you think!
My brother insists I must take the lower of the two gaskets off my new F250 to prevent imminent rust and rot problems. Has anyone done this? Is the gasket really the problem? At least in my neck of the woods, any SD you see with rust or rot has it over the rear wheel wells and at the bottom of the doors. I did order my truck with wheel well liners, and plan on unloading a case of fluid film on it in the spring... I'd like to prevent both of these common problems if possible...
Let me know what you think!
Cargo Master
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 2,338
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From: Livermore Ca.
Clean your truck and take care of it and the truck will never rust. get a power washer and wash the frame off I don't use it on the body just the frame and suspension. It always crackles me up about guys that go mudding then drive around with all that crap on there truck. You can tell its been on there a while . 
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2016
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Clean your truck and take care of it and the truck will never rust. get a power washer and wash the frame off I don't use it on the body just the frame and suspension. It always crackles me up about guys that go mudding then drive around with all that crap on there truck. You can tell its been on there a while .
The stupid foam pads that are in between the panels for the bed hold dirt and moisture and it will rot from the inside out.
If you live in the north, it will eventually rust.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,339
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From: NJ
I have an 04, every so often I take a can of Fluid Film with a straw and blow a bunch into the drain holes in all the doors, I live in a high salt area and have absolutely no rust on the bottom of the doors so far
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Well I got to work today and had a minute so I went outside to look at my truck and assess its filth from driving in the slush the last 2 days. Sure enough the lower door seals are packed with sand and road grime. The outer door skins actually form a channel that seems to be a great place for **** to collect. My Tacoma doors had a bead of caulk applied at this seam before the door was painted so there was nowhere for water to collect. Seems like a no brainer. I didn't buy this truck for its fit and finish but good lord, Ford, throw a little effort into the details! I understand this is a work truck, but for the money we have spent I don't think a little refinement is out of the question...
A buddy of mine has a lift in his garage so once the nicer weather hits we are going to unleash some serious fluid film on our trucks. I may even squirt some on it before then. While I'm at it I think I'll paint all the things that were already rusty the day my truck was delivered. I don't mean to sound overly ****, but maybe I am!
A buddy of mine has a lift in his garage so once the nicer weather hits we are going to unleash some serious fluid film on our trucks. I may even squirt some on it before then. While I'm at it I think I'll paint all the things that were already rusty the day my truck was delivered. I don't mean to sound overly ****, but maybe I am!
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More Turbo
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 546
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From: VA- Shenandoah Valley
Ford isn't the only manufacturer with door rot, so it isn't due to the seal design. It is due to water that gets past the window seals and drains down inside the door. They rot from the inside out, because of that moisture. Between the design and the drain holes clogging with dust and debris, the moisture sits in there and does its damage. That's why I coat the insides of my doors with fluid film- to keep the moisture that I can't keep out of there, isolated from the metal.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2003
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like said above, the doors rot because of a poor drain design allow the water to sit inside the door and start the rusting from the inside out. I coat the inside of my doors and the lower seam on the outside with fluid film.
Elder User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 749
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From: Phoenix, Az
A lot of trucks (and cars) get undercoated. The coating plugs the body and door drain holes. This keeps water and such in the doors and other places. I had a car, and I kept hearing water sloshing. I discovered the doors and the quarter panels (behind the rear tires, were full of water. This led to the entire bottom of doors and QP's rusting away completely. I did the entire rear end of a Camaro, back in the early 70's, and found foam strips between the inner fenders, and the quarters that kept water in the joint, as well as undercoating that promoted water retention and caused corrosion.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2011
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If you watch the video I posted it looks like they finally changed the crappy design. Hope it works!
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...und-video.html
A KROWN treatment will keep the rust away.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...und-video.html
A KROWN treatment will keep the rust away.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 43
From: Land of Taxes
Krown Rust control. Sacrificial Anodes, Electronic rust control etc...And wash out the salt n dirt each time the truck gets a bath...Around here thats daily. I did Krown on mine so far so good. LPS3 is another good one. Bottom line is get something to wick into the cracks n crevices other than water dirt n salt or you will have rot unless you live in Arizona. I do not recommend the tar like under coating.
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