Rust patterns

[Gordon Maney]

Do all the trucks in the range from 1972 to 1993 rust in the same ways/places or are there differences in where they rust and why?

[USN78W150]

rust

I live in California, so rust is not an issue. I have seen some former military trucks here that have minor floor pan issues, but it can be attributed to the fact that from April through October, the windows are left rolled all the way down 24/7 due to the heat. Any time it rains, the floors get flooded.

[Gordon Maney]

You are lucky. Our roads are salted in the winter.

[n1265]

Also with military vehicles, It is not uncommon to use the pressure washer to get the mud out of the INSIDE of the truck...

[74w300uteline]

parking after rain

I've gotten into the habit of parking my trucks facing uphill (30degree slope) one day downhill the next.You would be suprised how much water comes running out of a supposedly dry truck.

[The Other Ross]

I'd say the 72-75,s rust the least 'till you get into the mid 80's and then they galvanized everything.Rear wheel arches,then floor boards,bottom of the front fenders behind the wheel well,bottom corners of the doors,bottom of the door proper where the doorskin folds over,the very bottom of the "A" post,the cab mounts.Basically everywhere the factory drains plug up and trap water.Also frame behind the driverside front bed corner(again dip,drip drip),the spring hangers on the rear and where they rivit to frame(this is all the way to '93),Rear frame Xmembers(easily replaced if you can find them).Basically find a southwestern truck and put your eastern running gear in it.Can you tell I've been sorting parts and working on trucks today?

[The Other Ross]

I'd say the 72-75,s rust the least 'till you get into the mid 80's and then they galvanized everything.Rear wheel arches,then floor boards,bottom of the front fenders behind the wheel well,bottom corners of the doors,bottom of the door proper where the doorskin folds over,the very bottom of the "A" post,the cab mounts.Basically everywhere the factory drains plug up and trap water.Also frame behind the driverside front bed corner(again dip,drip drip),the spring hangers on the rear and where they rivit to frame(this is all the way to '93),Rear frame Xmembers(easily replaced if you can find them).Basically find a southwestern truck and put your eastern running gear in it.Can you tell I've been sorting parts and working on trucks today?

Oh,and I completely forgot CORE SUPPORTS.

[712edf]

Pretty much what Other Ross said.....TX,OK,NM,AZ,UT,NV,CA seem to have to least issues, but snow/road salt comes into play the farther north, northeast & higher altitudes you go.......Same for heading to the gulf coast or eastern seaboard. More moisture=more headaches.

My 78 originally came from Lubbock. Only 1 half-dollar sized rust spot on the entire truck. Of course it beat all to heck anyways.

Bucky

[Gordon Maney]

I'd say the 72-75,s rust the least 'till you get into the mid 80's and then they galvanized everything.

Rear wheel arches,then floor boards,bottom of the front fenders behind the wheel well,bottom corners of the doors,bottom of the door proper where the doorskin folds over,the very bottom of the "A" post,the cab mounts.

Basically everywhere the factory drains plug up and trap water.Also frame behind the driverside front bed corner(again dip,drip drip),the spring hangers on the rear and where they rivet to frame(this is all the way to '93),Rear frame X-members (easily replaced if you can find them).

Basically find a southwestern truck and put your eastern running gear in it. Can you tell I've been sorting parts and working on trucks today?

I am struggling to mesh your first paragraph above with the rest of what you say. Can you help me with that? I think you are telling me where all they rust. You mention the 72-75's rusting less, but then mention galvanizing.

[The Other Ross]

The 72-75's seemed to have a different sheet metal spec they didn't rust much but would get stress cracks,usually in the front wheel arches,especialy in 4x4's due to the solid leaf spring front suspention. From 76 on it was rust city my kids '76 has rust in all the above mentioned spots and then some.In the mid 80's Dodge made a big deal out of galvanizing,you will still see these trucks with the paint completely beat off and the galv shining dully through.

[papardun]

rusty trucks

Pennsylvania = rust -- My 78 is the least rusted of the ones I have had, I had one that was so rusted that the clutch wouldn't always engage because the body would shift to much. I've heard about these supposedly rust-free trucks from other parts of the country but have never saw one -- I think they're just fanciful stories...

[712edf]

rustfree dents

I've heard about these supposedly rust-free trucks from other parts of the country but have never saw one -- I think they're just fanciful stories...

Other than a hole in the lower fender behind passenger side front wheelwell, mine is otherwise rust free. But its about as smooth as a golf ball. Millions of dings & dimples. A previous owner applied a Krylon camouflage paint scheme that was peeling in places, welded on in other places. I finally resided that this was going to be a functional truck with little regard to aesthetics.

As with every other Lifestyle Dodge I have owned, NO tailgate. Somewhere there are millions of tailgates, Bermuda triangle?

Bucky

[Gordon Maney]

I have long had the fantasy of buying rust free vehicles and sheet metal from dry, warm places like California, Texas, or Arizona. It would be fun. I don't mean as a business, I mean to use and keep.

[USN78W150]

Pennsylvania = rust -- My 78 is the least rusted of the ones I have had, I had one that was so rusted that the clutch wouldn't always engage because the body would shift to much. I've heard about these supposedly rust-free trucks from other parts of the country but have never saw one -- I think they're just fanciful stories...

Come to California or the southwest and live the dream. Rust is not in our vocabulary, and has not been invented here. :) I have two Dodge trucks ( '77 and '78 4x4's) that have zero rust anywhere on them. Two out of two is a pretty high percentage rate of rust free vehicles, I would say. Anything that has salt sprayed all over it for several months a year will eventually rust. It is unfortunate that they salt the roads in many areas of the country.

[ram fan]

Pennsylvania = rust -- My 78 is the least rusted of the ones I have had, I had one that was so rusted that the clutch wouldn't always engage because the body would shift to much. I've heard about these supposedly rust-free trucks from other parts of the country but have never saw one -- I think they're just fanciful stories...

Having lived in PA for most of my life, I use to believe that myself. I've seen vehicles with nothing but a jagged border under the doors and fenders from all the rustout and rot. I'm sure parpardun has seen the same. I now live in MO where rust isn't much of an issue. My '77 883 has next to no rust anywhere on the truck, something I only dreamed about while living in PA.
Getting back to the topic. The 70's Dodge trucks I have seen with rust seem to be mainly behind the front wheel on the lower part of the fender, floor issues and the typical rust over the rear wheels. We once owned a '77 Chevy heavy half in PA. Those Chevy cabs seemed to go all at once at the rockers, corners and supports along with the fender issues. The truck was actually a good work truck, but the body rotted out from around it. We also had a '75 Ford Super Cab 3/4 ton. The funny thing with that truck was it was rustproofed when new and actually looked pretty good from the outside, however the cab left go in that one too, so much that it bore weight on the linkage from the (automatic) column shifter to the tranny and was sometimes hard to get in gear unless you parked it to where the weight was off of the linkage. Although they may have, I haven't seen a Dodge cab go bad like the Fords and Chevies.
Craig