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

[Oaktree]

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.

Lots of vehicles have plastic cladding around the wheel wells. Trouble is they trap salt/moisture, make it very difficult to clean out and hide the rust until it gets bad.

I've always had my vehicles undercoated every fall, initially with Fluid Film and more recently with something called NH Oil. No, it doesn't prevent rust, but it does extend the vehicle's life here in road salt country.

 

[MT Kioti]

With the recent price increases on trucks I'm starting to wonder if my penchant for trying to get an F250 at (what I consider) a decent price is futile.
Since my wife agreed we needed a new truck I had focused on Fords due to the no rust body in my rust prone environment (Mississippi).
But with ~ a $10K difference in price I'm wondering if diligent rust prevention could make up the difference.
Comments?

I would never buy a Ford again. The place where I work bought 5 new from the dealer. within months they all developed transmission issues which were concerning, from a safety aspect. The dealer stated that Ford considered this issue "normal" and refused to fix them. After months of back and forth, we got them repaired by a local transmission shop for about $2K each.

This isn't to say that Dodge or Chevy are any better. I've personally had too many quality issues with Dodge.

I currently own Toyota. Expensive, but worth it. I've run Toyotas for up to 30 years with little problem and minor maintenance. You pay more at first or you pay all the time. I would choose reliability and the "buy once, cry once" philosophy.

 

[D&D]

While I don't have the issue of driving on sales roads, I wonder if one could set up a powerful sprinkler to drive over for rinsing salt of the underside.

or buy one

https://www.thegreenhead.com/2025/04/vehicle-undercarriage-water-broom-pressure-washer-attachment.php#:~:text=This%20convenient%202-in-1%20pressure%20washer%20attachment%20combines%20a,and%20a%20foam%20cannon%20for%20powerful%20cleaning%20versatility.

Not an endorsement, one of many such at Northern Tool, etc

 

[Snobdds]

I know of a place in Colorado that puts sacrificial anodes on metal body panels and then grounds them to the frame. Mountain towns of Colorado put tons of salt on the roads and a car will be lucky to survive 5 winters there. The rusting via salt is to due positive ions, that use the salt solution as a vehicle, to seek a ground. If those ions seek a ground via an anode, the body panel will not rust. Physics.

It seems to really prevent rusting.

 

[klm]

With the recent price increases on trucks I'm starting to wonder if my penchant for trying to get an F250 at (what I consider) a decent price is futile.
Since my wife agreed we needed a new truck I had focused on Fords due to the no rust body in my rust prone environment (Mississippi).
But with ~ a $10K difference in price I'm wondering if diligent rust prevention could make up the difference.
Comments?

are you comparing Ford vs Ram model for model and feature for feature and getting $10k difference?

 

[5030]

Lots of vehicles have plastic cladding around the wheel wells. Trouble is they trap salt/moisture, make it very difficult to clean out and hide the rust until it gets bad.

I've always had my vehicles undercoated every fall, initially with Fluid Film and more recently with something called NH Oil. No, it doesn't prevent rust, but it does extend the vehicle's life here in road salt country.

Called inner fender cladding, aka: plastic inserts. The trick is to always carefully clean the wheel arches of salt and brine residue and in my case, mud from the road we live on. When I purchased my 97 in 97, Ziebart was all the rage and I purposedly passed on it. 'Rustproofing' is just an excuse for collecting rust inducing chemicals and compounds that promote corrosion.

My 97 OBS 4 door 4wd long bed is in great demand today. Been offered what I paid for it new in 97, but it's not for sale. Have pictures somewhere, I'll have to dig them out and post one...

 

[Tomtint]

It all comes down to how much you drive in salt/what you do about removing salt if you do and whether or not you keep your truck in a garage.

It has very little to do with the brand.

I’m in an area where salt brine is used generously. Yet my vehicles don’t rust. I rinse off the frames, springs, exhaust, spring mounts, axles, everything underneath for a good 10-15 minutes. I also rinse the rinse out fenders, shocks, undersides of doors.

Salt isn't corrosive until it gets wet. Up here, plowing snow its usually sub 32* so washing does nothing but build ice. If someone has a garage where a vehicle can be power washed inside..THOROUGHLY.. It may help the rot cycle for a couple years, But the areas inside the frames, between springs, behind placed the rinse can't hit.. Will all rust and the wash will expedite that as well. Im a believer in spraying the underside yearly with an oil base product.

 

[5030]

I know of a place in Colorado that puts sacrificial anodes on metal body panels and then grounds them to the frame. Mountain towns of Colorado put tons of salt on the roads and a car will be lucky to survive 5 winters there. The rusting via salt is to due positive ions, that use the salt solution as a vehicle, to seek a ground. If those ions seek a ground via an anode, the body panel will not rust. Physics.

It seems to really prevent rusting.

Been doing that to saltwater boats with steel hulls for decades.

 

[5030]

Salt isn't corrosive until it gets wet. Up here, plowing snow its usually sub 32* so washing does nothing but build ice. If someone has a garage where a vehicle can be power washed inside..THOROUGHLY.. It may help the rot cycle for a couple years, But the areas inside the frames, between springs, behind placed the rinse can't hit.. Will all rust and the wash will expedite that as well. Im a believer in spraying the underside yearly with an oil base product.

Exactly why I use the car wash up town and they employ a hot water chassis wash plus I wash it in my heated garage as well. I own a diesel fired hot water / steam pressure washer. Not a cheap date by a long shot but like any expensive piece of equipment, it will outlast me. 20 years old and back then was over 5 grand. Beckett oil burner with a CAT triplex pump and a 15 horse Honda electric start engine. Wash down all my equipment with it as well.

 

[5030]

I considered at one time doing the 'Fluid Film' chassis deal but it's just way too messy plus you have to 'renew' it on a regular basis. I have a 2 post lift in the garage but while I can access the underside, the Fluid Film would get all over and I did not want that mess in the garage at all. I do use it for limited uses. Makes a dandy battery terminal corrosion inhibitor.

 

[arto98607]

With the recent price increases on trucks I'm starting to wonder if my penchant for trying to get an F250 at (what I consider) a decent price is futile.
Since my wife agreed we needed a new truck I had focused on Fords due to the no rust body in my rust prone environment (Mississippi).
But with ~ a $10K difference in price I'm wondering if diligent rust prevention could make up the difference.
Comments?

No rust issues to speak of in our part of the country!

Does it really need to be a brand new, why not buy couple of years old low mileage F250?

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Well in north eastern Mississippi everything iron based rusts. I agree it does not rust through as quickly as in the north where there is a freeze thaw cycle but exposed steel develops rust quickly.

After 15 years I'm still amazed at how minimal the rust issue is here, compared to SoCal where I used to live.

Freeze/thaw cycles don't seem to matter, or things frequently getting wet. Steel just doesn't rust much here.

For example, this crankshaft was put in the scrap metal pile just over two weeks ago, and it has rained and/or snowed every day since. Yes, it's starting to rust in two spots, but it wasn't oily to begin with and has laid around in the garage for some 20 years.

Another example are these 6x6 posts for a lean-to, put up about eight years ago, which have obviously been exposed to the weather ever since.

To me it seems like air quality (including any salt in the air), humidity, and even elevation, has a lot to do with whether things rust or not.

 

[aircommuter]

Most of the wheel wells have been plastic in the lat twenty plus years. It’s the rest that needs attention. Typically aluminum on vehicles creates higher insurance.

 

[Hay Dude]

Salt isn't corrosive until it gets wet. Up here, plowing snow its usually sub 32* so washing does nothing but build ice.

Salt lingers on roads for weeks after it’s applied. If you get salt applied and then it thaws in the sun, it’s in the moisture on the roads surface for a long time and up in your frames and all the crevices.

If someone has a garage where a vehicle can be power washed inside..THOROUGHLY.. It may help the rot cycle for a couple years, But the areas inside the frames, between springs, behind placed the rinse can't hit.. Will all rust and the wash will expedite that as well.

Not if you use HOT water. I do because it evaporates more. I then pull the truck inside. It’s as dry as a popcorn fart in under an hour. Place a fan on the floor that blows underneath and it’s even faster.

Im a believer in spraying the underside yearly with an oil base product.

So am I.
But if you have salt packed into those crevices, spraying the underside with an oil base product won’t help in those areas.

 

[5030]

Most of the wheel wells have been plastic in the lat twenty plus years. It’s the rest that needs attention. Typically aluminum on vehicles creates higher insurance.

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.

 

[kozal01]

I'm in Michigan, heart of the rust belt and I will never buy anther steel bodied truck after owning my 2015 aluminum body F-150 for several years. They don't dent as easy and with 10 years on Michigan winter roads the body is still in perfect condition. No corrosion, no dents, no nothing, still looks brand new. The Frame is still steel so it requires maintenance but after having several rusty trucks with less years on them than my 2015 I'm a fan for sure and for me worth the $$. Rust repair isn't cheap.

 

[1Mech]

I sure am glad I live in a relatively corrosion free environment. My cars get washed when the rain falls, if salt is used on the roads once or twice a year, it is often washed off in a good rain a week or two later. A belly wash is driving through a large puddle at moderate speed. My 2006 Caravan is just starting to show a hint of rust near the wheel wells.
I can always tell if a vehicle I am working on has lived in Kansas City or points north, time to get the hot wrench out to break things loose under the car or truck and hope the bolts don't break off!!

 

[Elviscaretaker]

I know of a place in Colorado that puts sacrificial anodes on metal body panels and then grounds them to the frame. Mountain towns of Colorado put tons of salt on the roads and a car will be lucky to survive 5 winters there. The rusting via salt is to due positive ions, that use the salt solution as a vehicle, to seek a ground. If those ions seek a ground via an anode, the body panel will not rust. Physics.

It seems to really prevent rusting.

Why they are used on boats in salt water. Really hadn't thought of that for vehicle use, good idea. I've not had any rust issues though, I'm one of the "wash the underside" types. LOL

 

[dj1701]

I'm in Michigan, heart of the rust belt and I will never buy anther steel bodied truck after owning my 2015 aluminum body F-150 for several years. They don't dent as easy and with 10 years on Michigan winter roads the body is still in perfect condition. No corrosion, no dents, no nothing, still looks brand new. The Frame is still steel so it requires maintenance but after having several rusty trucks with less years on them than my 2015 I'm a fan for sure and for me worth the $$. Rust repair isn't cheap.

I have a 2016 f150 with 180,000 miles. The body is still like new. Dove her 112 miles a day in western NY weather, and we all know how NY loves their salt.

 

[5030]

I'm in Michigan, heart of the rust belt and I will never buy anther steel bodied truck after owning my 2015 aluminum body F-150 for several years. They don't dent as easy and with 10 years on Michigan winter roads the body is still in perfect condition. No corrosion, no dents, no nothing, still looks brand new. The Frame is still steel so it requires maintenance but after having several rusty trucks with less years on them than my 2015 I'm a fan for sure and for me worth the $$. Rust repair isn't cheap.

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