Body Work

[jbetzelb]

A year ago I took my truck to a ford dealer for minor rust repair around both rear wheel wells. Paint had some bubbles showing on both sides. I had it rust proofed when I bought it new in 01. 10 year unlimited mileage. Anyway, they fixed it no arguments, no cost to me. Looked good when they got done. Now it is rusting again in the exact same places. Paint bubbles on one side and it looks like they welded in some metal on the other side since it is breaking out. Gave the truck up for 10 days last time and I didn't expect to have to do this again. What is the proper way to fix this right? What terminology do I need to use when I go back on this? Cut outs, full fenders???

[bigcountrysg]

Typically you would grind down the area and around it. Then you can either patch it which is most likely what they did before or you can have a whole bedside put on which will cost more. My opinion is Ford has had this problem since the 70's and I think it is about time they figure out what to do to stop it. My 2002 actually has rust holes. I am going to do cut fender flares from Bushwacker when I have the extra money.

[kkbodyshop]

where do you live ?do they put salt down in the winter if so keep the wheel wells clean time to time . if they replaced the rusted metal with good metal and it rusted again they did not cut out all the bad metal and it rusted the new metal again. take it to a pro auto body shop not the ford place. i own a paint and body shop and we have replaced rust just like what you have talked about with no problems. one last thing when you get this fixed put some good under coating in the wheel wells

[jbetzelb]

Originally Posted by kkbodyshop

where do you live ?do they put salt down in the winter if so keep the wheel wells clean time to time . if they replaced the rusted metal with good metal and it rusted again they did not cut out all the bad metal and it rusted the new metal again. take it to a pro auto body shop not the ford place. i own a paint and body shop and we have replaced rust just like what you have talked about with no problems. one last thing when you get this fixed put some good under coating in the wheel wells

I live in Omaha and yea we see a lot of salt. I am stuck going to the dealer I bought it from. It is warranty work and the dealer that sold me the rust proofing has to do the work.

[nvrdun]

I have done bodywork for about 15 years and in my own opinion the only way to fix wheelwell rust is to replace the panel. In this case the bedside, I have seen it time and time again and it will most likely come back. Usually crap gets stuck between the inside of the bedside and the outer wheel house, then the rust begins from the inside out.

[Need4racin]

Dun is correct on how it is started. The only way to correctly remove rust is to cut all of the rust out. Then if you do that you have to weld in a patch panel and smooth it out so you can't tell. The best way to do it is to have them replace the whole panel. The panels are just like skins on the bed.

Tell them the rust is to deep in the panel already, if they completely remove all of the rust, it's going to take more time fixing the panel than it would to just replace the panel with a new one.

[jbetzelb]

Just a follow up--- I took it to Ford and they are going to replace the panels on both sides under the rust warranty. Nice thing is it was their idea to replace instead of patch. I didn't have to fight about it.