Ford aluminum body vs Ram steel - can the Ram do as well?

[dieselscout80]

Ram uses an aluminum hood.

 

[Hay Dude]

People in MY area that complain the most about their trucks rusting out are the ones who drive them through salt constantly and compalin the rockers & quarterpanels are rusted, or leave them parked on a damp lawn all night then can’t understand why the underside is rusted.

For guys who live in salty areas, its a challenge.

I’ll never forget back in the 90’s, a guy about 20 miles from me had a nice diesel F-350 for sale with only like 4,000 miles on it. This was back before computer pictures were readily available. I hopped in my truck to run up to see it. Drove great, but underside was rusted. I noticed he parked in on a mushy lawn for a few years and it ruined the underside.

 

[kozal01]

I live and farm in Michigan as well and relocated here from Northern Ohio (another rust capital). Not sure why I moved to Michigan, still scratching my head over that, maybe had something to do with my wife and her job at the Department of Defense or something and in many ways I regret moving here. Insurance, both auto and property is stupid high, real estate taxes are insane as well, roads are terrible (most resemble bombed out runways) and Michiganders drive like idiots for the most part, lots of reasons why I should have stayed a Buckeye.

Far as an aluminum bodied pickup truck, even GM is using aluminum for body parts and has been and while you probably won't experience rust (oxidation) through of body panels, have no doubt the aluminum oxidation is there, on the inside of the body parts and occurring for the same exact reason that steel bodies rust, cathodic oxidation from the salt and or brine applied to the highways that collect on the inside of your body parts. Simple fact. Like it or not, the salt / brine is eating away at your body panels. One important aspect of aluminum bodies and that is, the cost to repair them but I suspect that your electrical system will succumb to the salt / brine, long before your aluminum body fails. Living in Michigan has some distinct 'advantages'...lol

There is no corrosion anywhere on the body to be found, I have inspected the body and frame extensively every year since I bought it. Ford did their homework when they built these aluminum trucks. No galvanic corrosion between the steel and aluminum where they meet, which was my main concern. I had the frame coated inside and out when I bought it, they sprayed the underside of the body as well so that may help. Also, no electrical issues, it’s not a GM.

 

[5030]

Electrical issues aren't the exclusive realm of GM by a long shot. Ingression of dissolved salt and brine in connectors, Molex or conventional will ultimately corrode them. I have trouble believing you don't have some galvanic corrosion salt or brine related on the innerside of the aluminum body but if you say so. I accept that. if not, be patient as it will eventually happen.

 

[aircommuter]

The plastic inner fender wells are an issue because they allow the crud and salt residue to collect and do their dirty work on the innerside of the wheel wells where most people cannot or don't take the time to clean them. I do. In fact after pressure washing the wheel wells, I reach up under the wheel arches and make doubly sure I've got the crud out. It's the wet crud there that causes rust. Sake dal with frames, The crud laying on the lower and upper top flanges of a frame rusts them out, well on a lot of trucks today that aren't unibody that is.

Normal washing, me it a car wash or home wash, rarely if ever get that crud and mud (with a dose of sodium) removed.

So steel inner fender panels would be better?

 

[Catalyst]

A lot of the rust issues can be fixed with some well placed weep holes, which always seems to be an engineering afterthought... However, the structural integrity of a rusted through body should be a consideration. I really wish the mfg would consider some of this stuff for the Northern customers. Could you imagine a cheap factory option to have it delivered with cosmoline applied by the MFG?

 

[Runner]

I see a lot of Fords and Ram's with rotted out wheel wells. You must clean the wheel wells religiously or the crud collects in the arch and rots them out.

The problem is, no matter how clean you keep the fender wells, the rust is coming from the area where the steel inner fender meets the outer fender. You can't get in there to clean so it's just a matter of time before condensation in between the metal panels creates rust.

I commonly see less than 5 year old Fords, Dodges and Chevys around here that are rusted out over the rear wheels. I can't believe the manufacturers never solved that problem (and that they haven't been held to account with a class-action law suit). Actually, I do seem to remember one or more of the brands being sued and that they had to provide repairs way back, like 80's or so. You'd think that would have solved the problem, but they are still rusting (except for the aluminum trucks).

 

[kozal01]

Electrical issues aren't the exclusive realm of GM by a long shot. Ingression of dissolved salt and brine in connectors, Molex or conventional will ultimately corrode them. I have trouble believing you don't have some galvanic corrosion salt or brine related on the innerside of the aluminum body but if you say so. I accept that. if not, be patient as it will eventually happen.

Believe me or not I really don’t care. Unless you own one of these trucks I’m not sure why you would even try to argue about issues you think they may have but don’t. As for wiring or electrical issues from corrosion none of my Fords or Chryslers have ever had that issue. Perhaps if they were never washes in the winter but my trucks get weekly washed all year. My two GM vehicles were electrical nightmares, although none of it was due to corroded connectors or wiring.

 

[5030]

I happen to own both a Ford as well as a GM or should I say my wife owns a GM or Chevy Suburban LTZ, plus I own a Ford Focus RS turbo and I have to say that the engineering of the GM is light years ahead of the Fords I own and we are a Ford employee family. I can literally sit on the fender of the Suburban with my feet dangling in the engine bay but neither of the Fords we own can come close to that, not even my F350 diesel pickup truck and certainly never my Ford Focus RS.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Ram uses an aluminum hood.

And on at least one model, composite front fenders.