Frame Wax/Undercoating

Willshire · January 30, 2016

Rubberized undercoating

HondaHawkGT · January 30, 2016

Rubberized coating is the worst option if the frame has any rust already. It'll look alright on the surface but you're just trapping the moisture, road salt, etc. underneath the surface. I've seen it accelerate corrosion when poorly applied.

Edited January 30, 2016 by HondaHawkGT

redwngr · January 31, 2016

What can we use to repair this? What are they using at the factory?

Frame is dipped in wax at the factory.

steelcity · January 31, 2016

Rubberized coating is the worst option if the frame has any rust already. It'll look alright on the surface but you're just trapping the moisture, road salt, etc. underneath the surface. I've seen it accelerate corrosion when poorly applied.

Doesn't moisture, road salt, etc, need oxygen to accelerate corrosion? Without oxygen how can rust thrive/survive?

Edited January 31, 2016 by steelcity

HondaHawkGT · January 31, 2016

Doesn't moisture, road salt, etc, need oxygen to accelerate corrosion? Without oxygen how can rust thrive/survive?

Rubberized coating isn't a 100% hermetic seal there will always be areas with porosity or poor adhesion to the steel that serve as pathways for water, salt and oxygen to travel.

Google is your friend. Toyota and Jeep owners have been struggling with rust for decades and have tried everything. New owners will try rubberized undercoattong and when they peel it back to see how it's working, they're horrified by how much rust is underneath. It'd be a nice simple option if it did work but it doesn't.

Edited January 31, 2016 by HondaHawkGT

Kokanee kid · February 2, 2016

Hardly any miles and a fair bit of rust In the past I have used rust check in a can, it worked pretty well. And you can reapply whenever you want. I would rather do it myself than have the dealership spray black rust paint on it.

Kokanee kid · February 2, 2016

Looked this morning. The third member doesn't even have paint on it Just rust.

Rock1500 · February 3, 2016

I'm taking my truck in on the 20th over the rust forming on the frame for this very same reason. It's so sad they cut corners like this.

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Rock1500 · February 3, 2016

When will GM use some other coating on their full-size truck frames?

The new Colorado/Canyon frames appear to be painted rather than the wax-type coating.

I've been thinking of upgrading from my current truck but this issue is a sore spot that GM should have addressed years ago.

I would much rather see a painted frame from the factory, and then have it professionally undercoated/rustproofed as I live in an area where road salt and liquid de-icers are used.

You can get the frame powder coated after the fact?

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Shredzy · February 3, 2016

You can get the frame powder coated after the fact?

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?, I had my truck rustproofed & undercoated by a local Ziebart shop, anything has to help other than the wax coating from GM that we have all seen flake or wear off.

pickmeup · February 27, 2016

I think GM should hold the frame mfg accountable for this because they build and Coat the frame . By that I mean if the wax cant stay on for at least 5 years because of careless application . With the price of these trucks is 60 months asking too much ? This fix of lets spray some black rust paint or black coatings on spots that are showing immediately and report to GM frame coating issue is resolved. My opinion is take the bed off and raise cab if you have to and strip frame down bare and apply a new coating even and everywhere. Hell GM jump on the frame mfg you sub these out to...hold them accountable for cost of a FIRST CLASS fix for GM customers . Hell the wax coating on my 05 silverado held up very well until about year 7 or so.

redwngr · February 29, 2016

We don't know that GM isn't going after the frame plant/supplier. (OEM's recovering warranty cost from suppliers was common when I was in auto parts manufacturing. I suspect that they still are.)

We don't know that any changes to the process weren't asked for by GM. They would certainly would have had to have GM's approval if changes were made. It may also be that changes to material/process were required because of ever-changing environmental emission issues.

Graphic · March 1, 2016

I think GM should hold the frame mfg accountable for this because they build and Coat the frame . By that I mean if the wax cant stay on for at least 5 years because of careless application . With the price of these trucks is 60 months asking too much ? This fix of lets spray some black rust paint or black coatings on spots that are showing immediately and report to GM frame coating issue is resolved. My opinion is take the bed off and raise cab if you have to and strip frame down bare and apply a new coating even and everywhere. Hell GM jump on the frame mfg you sub these out to...hold them accountable for cost of a FIRST CLASS fix for GM customers . Hell the wax coating on my 05 silverado held up very well until about year 7 or so.

I was under the impression that GM dipped the frames at the factory... That it was part of their process. Looking at my own when I had still had it you could tell there was no real adhesion to the frame by the wax. GM has been doing this wax for years. My 08 looked good, the 2010 Avalanche my wife owns looked good, the 2014 was literally flaking off. Something in the materials or the process changed. I don't think the wax will last forever, but I did expect it to last more than 8000 miles.

It wasn't as bad as others have shown pictures of, but bad enough after 1 winter I wanted it fixed. Got the "O hell son, that's normal" from the dealer. After everything else, I was done at that point.

Graphic · March 3, 2016

I see I wonder what Ram does to their frames. I haven't really heard anything bad about their frames.

They paint them. I have 8000 miles on my Ram and the frame looks pretty much the same as new. This is the same mileage I traded the Silverado in at. I am sure the Ram has issues that will creep up, but so far so good in my case.