Frame Wax/Undercoating

Silverado-Hareek · April 15, 2015

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2014/Oct/1002-silverado-strength.html

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pm26 · April 16, 2015

It's a fully boxed frame, not c channels. That's one of the reasons they dip it in wax to properly cost the interior surfaces of the boxed frame.

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Sorry, I was describing my 2006 Silverado frame. A fully boxed frame is of course stiffer than a C channel frame, but most likely it also is a great contributor to vibration issues. A C channel frame has better ability to flex and to absorb road vibrations.

Anyway, here is a frame rust video clip I found:

Edited April 16, 2015 by pm26

redwngr · April 16, 2015

It's a fully boxed frame, not c channels. That's one of the reasons they dip it in wax to properly cost the interior surfaces of the boxed frame.

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They have used wax dipped since at least the GMT800's.

Front section has been a hydroformed tube since then as well.

Silverado-Hareek · April 16, 2015

Sorry, I was describing my 2006 Silverado frame. A fully boxed frame is of course stiffer than a C channel frame, but most likely it also is a great contributor to vibration issues. A C channel frame has better ability to flex and to absorb road vibrations.

Anyway, here is a frame rust video clip I found:

I never had any vibration issues with my 2007 fully boxed frame and my current 2014 doesn't have any vibration issues other than the tires occasionally depending on the temperature outside. That will go away for good when I replace the tires. The vibration issues people are having with these trucks are related to the drive train and the frame won't change those conditions if something is out of balance or a part is failing the rear differential. I'd rather have a stiffer frame than one that flexes any day of the week.

I personally don't have a problem with the wax coating if it's applied correctly. It was never an issue on my 2007. My dad's 2003 suburban barely has any rust on it because Chevy did a better job then of applying the wax and probably used a better product as well. Guys up north with heavily salted winter roads should worry more with their 2014 and up trucks but if you're around the Virginia latitude and south, you should be ok. It will be 20+ years before rust becomes a structural issue in these areas of the country and this truck will be long gone by the 10 year mark if that.

Silverado-Hareek · April 16, 2015

They have used wax dipped since at least the GMT800's.

Front section has been a hydroformed tube since then as well.

I think they've been using wax longer than that. Late 80's early 90's maybe? I feel like I read that somewhere I don't know for sure though.

black00ta · April 18, 2015

The undercoating on my 15 is great, zero rust and the coating is durable...must have been an early build issue?

Edited April 18, 2015 by black00ta

navinke · April 21, 2015

So Frustrated!!!

My dealer painted two small patches in rear wheel wells and basically said there was no TSB.

Guess they figured I wouldn't check out the rest of the frame when I had a chance.

Now dealing with GM customer service...basically playing phone tag for a week.

I didn't order a rat rod!!!

So far VERY $HITTY service from GM

Silverado-Hareek · April 21, 2015

The undercoating on my 15 is great, zero rust and the coating is durable...must have been an early build issue?

Most likely. I swear this is the last first edition vehicle I ever buy from any manufacturer. If it hasn't been out for at least a model year or 2, I'm walking away.

mrp2004 · April 22, 2015

My 10 month old truck GMC Sierra SLT 2014 frame is rusting fast.

depogrog · April 22, 2015

Mine too, talked to service and after they told me its normal and all frames do that I convinced then to pull up the tsb.

Silverado-Hareek · April 22, 2015

My 10 month old truck GMC Sierra SLT 2014 frame is rusting fast.

Are those holes forming in the frame from the rust?

BuddyS · April 22, 2015

My 10 month old truck GMC Sierra SLT 2014 frame is rusting fast.

Are those holes forming in the frame from the rust?

Yeah, I would like to know if those are rust holes too. That's really concerning. What part of the frame is this, maybe a picture of it zoomed out.

nadrojcote · April 22, 2015

I'm guessing over time we will have a recall on our hands similar to toyotas. Most likely there was a flaw in the dipping process and the frame company will have to pay for new frames for our trucks. My 2005 tacoma didnt look as bad as my 1 year old sierra, but it did have a rust hole through the frame near the catalytic converter. Dana Corp. went out of business because of the loss from replacing all the second gen tacoma frames I was told. On the plus side my 10 year old truck got a brand new frame, lower control arms, ball joints, brake lines and hardware out of the deal. It looked like a new truck before I sold it.

steelcity · April 22, 2015

I have a 2003 Jeep Wrangler that I bought new. It has sat outside every day of it's life. It has 135,000 miles on it. The frame doesn't have a speck of rust on it! And that's after driving it through 13 shitty Pittsburgh winters! The 2013 Avalanche that I just traded with only 15,000 miles on it looked like it was 50 years old. Not just rust on the frame, but all the cables and fasteners and nuts and bolts. I liked that truck and lost a lot of money trading it in but looking under it made me sick. The wax coating on my 2015 Sierra seems different/better. Time will tell.

Edited April 22, 2015 by steelcity

Silverado-Hareek · April 22, 2015

I'm guessing over time we will have a recall on our hands similar to toyotas. Most likely there was a flaw in the dipping process and the frame company will have to pay for new frames for our trucks. My 2005 tacoma didnt look as bad as my 1 year old sierra, but it did have a rust hole through the frame near the catalytic converter. Dana Corp. went out of business because of the loss from replacing all the second gen tacoma frames I was told. On the plus side my 10 year old truck got a brand new frame, lower control arms, ball joints, brake lines and hardware out of the deal. It looked like a new truck before I sold it.

Unless these trucks start snapping in half like the Toyotas and GM's hand is forced by the government like they did to Toyota, I wouldn't expect much out of GM. They've demonstrated over and over again that they will do their best to get out of issuing a recall for things unless people start dying from it or it's a cheap easy fix like a software update. They've most likely addressed it on later builds as people have pointed out here with their 2015 wax coatings and us early adopters of the 2014's will be left out to dry.