Rusting Raptor Rocker panels

[Phoward0032]

No worries. I held off on taking mine off until I had some hole plugs to try. Now they're all properly sealed up.
View attachment 61515

For whatever reason, my tape was clear.
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Are you still selling these kits? If so, where can I get one? I just picked up my second raptor. My first one was pretty rusted out…this one is super clean and I really want to plug it up underneath before it has a chance to start withering away. If you do not still do the kits, can u point me to the vendors you used and I’ll grind on it. Thanks!



All the best,
Dave

 

[ratty]

my rocker panels are completely gone... dissolved... nothing but air under there now. The rust has spread up towards the front and rear of the cab as well at the lower hinges of the doors, and it's eaten away at the lower rear door fixed latches.... it's beyond repair at this point. The door skins around my door handles are toast as well, both door latches had ripped out so I made some custom aluminum plates that mount inside bolted to the latch mechanism to hold the door handles on as there's nothing to hold onto anymore. Plus about 6inches of the lower skin on my tailgate has dissolved away as well. My bed is starting to break through from the rust as well, I was just loading some stuff in the bed a few days ago and it collapsed from my weight from rust under the bedliner in one spot... totally rusted out under there too. I have my 40 year old '84 Chevy Silverado crewcab dually that has been sitting outside for the past 8 years in an open lot (the motor seized up when the oil pump seized on my way to work one day, I ended up selling the engine, and no place to work on it, so it's just been basically abandoned outside in the elements), and it has less rust than my 14 year old Raptor. The Raptor is great, but the body steel (I use that word loosely) is junk, it's incredibly thin, probably was insufficiently galvanized, and is just a junk body. The chassis is great, powertrain and drivetrain great, I've got 225,000 miles on it... but the body, is junk. So, not surprised you're having rust issues. And it will spread fast too.... I'd sell it now while you have the chance, I waited too long.

 

[mprice1234]

Inevitable when you live and drive in the salt belt. When I lived in Illinois, I hated seeing all the cancer cars and trucks. Moving to Colorado was a smart move for many reasons and would never go back.

 

[ratty]

Inevitable when you live and drive in the salt belt. When I lived in Illinois, I hated seeing all the cancer cars and trucks. Moving to Colorado was a smart move for many reasons and would never go back.

Sure, the rust belt will, well, rust one's vehicle... but I've never had a vehicle rust this fast. If you read my comment just above, my 40 year old truck is not nearly as rusted as my 14 year old Raptor, and the rust on it is repairable... and it's been sitting in the rains and snows in a lot for the past 8 years. The rust on my Raptor is not repairable, the steel sheet used on the body is the equivalent of toilet paper. It is true like they say, they don't make 'em like they used to. They don't want our vehicles to last very long anymore, they want you to buy news ones, over and over again.

 

[mprice1234]

It's not the rain and snow that rust a vehicle sitting in a field as much as driving in all the road salt they dump on the roads.

 

[dj30417]

It's not the rain and snow that rust a vehicle sitting in a field as much as driving in all the road salt they dump on the roads.

Or the beach.

 

[rschap1]

My area roads get COATED with liquid chloride.
It just EATS everything driven around here.
I see some neighbors' cars and trucks with holes after 1 or 2 winters.
I have been storing my "nicer" vehicles and driving beaters whenever I can.
Raptor still has cab corners and rockers so it gets stored.
It is a RARITY locally.

 

[Irregular F150]

My area roads get COATED with liquid chloride.
It just EATS everything driven around here.
I see some neighbors' cars and trucks with holes after 1 or 2 winters.
I have been storing my "nicer" vehicles and driving beaters whenever I can.
Raptor still has cab corners and rockers so it gets stored.
It is a RARITY locally.

Yeah i NEED to store the truck cause i already have to do cabs and rockers after 2 winters ughh