Frame corrosion or pitting.

cobra1_d_163409 · October 4, 2016

I washed my truck this weekend and noticed a small hole by the rear wheel well . It looks like maybe under the undercoat was a defective frame. I put my key to see if it was just some dirt but turns out that some rust has eaten through some of the frame. Truck is just over a year old. Being brought in on Saturday.

amxguy1970 · October 4, 2016

It didn't eat through any of the frame. It is surface rust (if there is any dent or hole then something foreign caused it). There will be light rust spots on spots of the frame and other parts where some metal is exposed or coating didn't cover or got scrapped off, it is nothing to be concerened about.

Tyler

cbrsilv15 · October 4, 2016

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/158871-rusting-frame/page-22?do=findComment&comment=1829851

Vikes · October 4, 2016

Interested how this turns out...

2doorpost · October 6, 2016

Started off by owning a 2008 Silverado. Nice truck. Frame held up A-OK without any issues for 3 years and 100k miles.

I went through the frame rust issue on the 2008s replacement , a 2011 GMC Extended Cab. GM was of no help at that time, and the sloppy fix was a stop gap measure at best . I ended up trading it in on another GM product, which held up a lot better.

Fast forward to 2015. Back to a new Double Cab Chevy 1500. Virtually the same frame design as the 2011. Holding up better due to much lower miles and closer paying attention and hosing off underneath the truck. Painted the rear end assembly gloss black, since it wasn't painted from the factory and starting to rust.

I did some checking around in 2011 when I had all the trouble. The three frame plants had labor issues in 2009, and turned some workforce. Quality control apparently went out the door. A lot of complaints started after that. And I'm talking about new trucks right off the lot.

If you get a truck with a decent wax clad frame on it, consider yourself lucky. Doesn't matter which plant its made.

GM made them "Supplier of the Year" in 2012.

BigBadSierra · October 6, 2016

If you want to preserve the under side of your vehicles you have to take care of them,

I make sure I wash the salt out from the underside in the spring IE hand wash it. This is the biggest thing I put 350,000KM on a 93 Cutlass Supreme drove it for 10 years and it had zero rust on it. The engine and transmission where wore out but it looked good.

Salt sits there all summer when the air is moist with dew and eats and eats.

I also keep the metal parts painted IE the rear end I touch up the paint and keep it looking black.

This included the places the WAX frame coating that had fallen off on the 2014. The 2016 is holding up better so far.

The under side of my 2014 still looked new when I traded it in.

redwngr · October 6, 2016

Started off by owning a 2008 Silverado. Nice truck. Frame held up A-OK without any issues for 3 years and 100k miles.

I went through the frame rust issue on the 2008s replacement , a 2011 GMC Extended Cab. GM was of no help at that time, and the sloppy fix was a stop gap measure at best . I ended up trading it in on another GM product, which held up a lot better.

Fast forward to 2015. Back to a new Double Cab Chevy 1500. Virtually the same frame design as the 2011. Holding up better due to much lower miles and closer paying attention and hosing off underneath the truck. Painted the rear end assembly gloss black, since it wasn't painted from the factory and starting to rust.

I did some checking around in 2011 when I had all the trouble. The three frame plants had labor issues in 2009, and turned some workforce. Quality control apparently went out the door. A lot of complaints started after that. And I'm talking about new trucks right off the lot.

If you get a truck with a decent wax clad frame on it, consider yourself lucky. Doesn't matter which plant its made.

GM made them "Supplier of the Year" in 2012.

3 frame plants for full size pickups?

2doorpost · October 9, 2016

3 frame plants for full size pickups?

Kentucky, Mexico and Canada at that particular time. My GMC had a Canadian frame.

2doorpost · October 9, 2016

If you want to preserve the under side of your vehicles you have to take care of them,

I make sure I wash the salt out from the underside in the spring IE hand wash it. This is the biggest thing I put 350,000KM on a 93 Cutlass Supreme drove it for 10 years and it had zero rust on it. The engine and transmission where wore out but it looked good.

Salt sits there all summer when the air is moist with dew and eats and eats.

I also keep the metal parts painted IE the rear end I touch up the paint and keep it looking black.

This included the places the WAX frame coating that had fallen off on the 2014. The 2016 is holding up better so far.

The under side of my 2014 still looked new when I traded it in.

Cant really put too much pressure on the coating, as it may peel or chip off. But I agree, ordinarily, keeping the underside clean does help.

BigBadSierra · October 10, 2016

Cant really put too much pressure on the coating, as it may peel or chip off. But I agree, ordinarily, keeping the underside clean does help.

It's called hand washing.

Trucko20 · October 10, 2016

Do any of you use any kind of rust-protection product on the underside of your trucks? If so, could you explain the process for applying it?

redwngr · October 10, 2016

Kentucky, Mexico and Canada at that particular time. My GMC had a Canadian frame.

Are they hydroforming the front rails somewhere else and shipping rails to Kentucky?

2doorpost · October 10, 2016

Are they hydroforming the front rails somewhere else and shipping rails to Kentucky?

I was under the impression the entire process front to back was done in each plant and then shipped to the point of assembly.

I don't know how long the stack sits waiting for build, inside or outside storage, or if a chemical wash/bonding agent is applied before the coating is put on.