Rust!
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 697
Likes: 185
From: Saskatchewan
Get it repaired if you want to keep the truck on the road before it gets just too terrible.
I bit the bullet and had mine done at the body shop.
I suspect the rust all started from water seepage into the rockers from higher up a leaky rear window seal and around the door latch for the rear doors. My inside rocker tapes were still intact,
One of the members here Laminar did up a nice thread on his rust repairs.
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/2011-s...repair-529372/
I bit the bullet and had mine done at the body shop.
I suspect the rust all started from water seepage into the rockers from higher up a leaky rear window seal and around the door latch for the rear doors. My inside rocker tapes were still intact,
One of the members here Laminar did up a nice thread on his rust repairs.
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/2011-s...repair-529372/
Last edited by MF cowboy; Feb 16, 2023 at 04:59 PM.
Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 71
Likes: 32
See my thread «Rust bucket» here under 1999-2004
If you’ve been driving in salt there will be more. The sills are a poor design, the drains clog up trapping salty water inside during winter. The internal paint isn’t all that good and most US trucks have never been treated when «young»…
In the front the inner fender, outer fender, radiator support and cab structure is all mashed together and spot welded on top of each other, a guaranteed rust trap. The rubber puck in the cab support traps moisture and the hole will grow to where the big washer on the underside can be lifted straight through. The bed supports have some drains but looks to have very poor paint inside when mounted, they will rust, especially the outer 10 inches of the front and back supports. The tank straps are protected with plastic and will trap salt, making the tank rust through. The bracket for the magic evap canister has improper drains and will trap crud and rust.
And you know about the doors. I have had to replace the lower 2-3 inches both inside and outside.
If you’ve been driving in salt there will be more. The sills are a poor design, the drains clog up trapping salty water inside during winter. The internal paint isn’t all that good and most US trucks have never been treated when «young»…
In the front the inner fender, outer fender, radiator support and cab structure is all mashed together and spot welded on top of each other, a guaranteed rust trap. The rubber puck in the cab support traps moisture and the hole will grow to where the big washer on the underside can be lifted straight through. The bed supports have some drains but looks to have very poor paint inside when mounted, they will rust, especially the outer 10 inches of the front and back supports. The tank straps are protected with plastic and will trap salt, making the tank rust through. The bracket for the magic evap canister has improper drains and will trap crud and rust.
And you know about the doors. I have had to replace the lower 2-3 inches both inside and outside.
Community Team
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 8,953
Likes: 7,486
From: Vermont
See my thread «Rust bucket» here under 1999-2004
If you’ve been driving in salt there will be more. The sills are a poor design, the drains clog up trapping salty water inside during winter. The internal paint isn’t all that good and most US trucks have never been treated when «young»…
In the front the inner fender, outer fender, radiator support and cab structure is all mashed together and spot welded on top of each other, a guaranteed rust trap. The rubber puck in the cab support traps moisture and the hole will grow to where the big washer on the underside can be lifted straight through. The bed supports have some drains but looks to have very poor paint inside when mounted, they will rust, especially the outer 10 inches of the front and back supports. The tank straps are protected with plastic and will trap salt, making the tank rust through. The bracket for the magic evap canister has improper drains and will trap crud and rust.
And you know about the doors. I have had to replace the lower 2-3 inches both inside and outside.
If you’ve been driving in salt there will be more. The sills are a poor design, the drains clog up trapping salty water inside during winter. The internal paint isn’t all that good and most US trucks have never been treated when «young»…
In the front the inner fender, outer fender, radiator support and cab structure is all mashed together and spot welded on top of each other, a guaranteed rust trap. The rubber puck in the cab support traps moisture and the hole will grow to where the big washer on the underside can be lifted straight through. The bed supports have some drains but looks to have very poor paint inside when mounted, they will rust, especially the outer 10 inches of the front and back supports. The tank straps are protected with plastic and will trap salt, making the tank rust through. The bracket for the magic evap canister has improper drains and will trap crud and rust.
And you know about the doors. I have had to replace the lower 2-3 inches both inside and outside.
I think Ford did finally address this with the 15+ aluminum bodies. My 17 looks perfect underneath on all aluminum parts. I yearly coat the frame, suspension, just the steel parts with woolwax and I don’t expect to ever find any rust there. Every generation seem to have their own issues, but 13th and 14th finally seem like rot won’t be the big one.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 668
Likes: 159
97-03 have a little bit different rust issues than 09-14. I wouldn’t say all of the same places rust exactly the same.
I think Ford did finally address this with the 15+ aluminum bodies. My 17 looks perfect underneath on all aluminum parts. I yearly coat the frame, suspension, just the steel parts with woolwax and I don’t expect to ever find any rust there. Every generation seem to have their own issues, but 13th and 14th finally seem like rot won’t be the big one.
I think Ford did finally address this with the 15+ aluminum bodies. My 17 looks perfect underneath on all aluminum parts. I yearly coat the frame, suspension, just the steel parts with woolwax and I don’t expect to ever find any rust there. Every generation seem to have their own issues, but 13th and 14th finally seem like rot won’t be the big one.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2022
Posts: 495
Likes: 190
From: Brockville, ON
I just finished replacing my rockers around New Years. I have a 2012 Extended Cab and used full patch panels (not the generic bent sheetmetal patches) and those that think the plastic covers are a "fix" or "repair" - WOW, not even close. Those panels are the same as putting a bra on a vehicle to "fix" rust on the hood edge.
Not sure if the SuperCrew is the same, but the Extended Cabs have three layers of rockers, the inner (basically vertical panel), the reinforcement panel (it is never seen and holds the rear door lower anchors) and the outer rocker (the cosmetic part you see). I replaced the reinforcement and outers myself over a long weekend. It took me about 32 man hours to cut out the old, coat the inner, both sides of the reinforcement and inside of the outer panels with POR 15 and reweld all back into place. I drilled holes in the new panels and rosette welded the panels together. On another weekend, some filler work, sanding, priming and painting brought the total to about 55 man hours for the complete job.
Not sure if the SuperCrew is the same, but the Extended Cabs have three layers of rockers, the inner (basically vertical panel), the reinforcement panel (it is never seen and holds the rear door lower anchors) and the outer rocker (the cosmetic part you see). I replaced the reinforcement and outers myself over a long weekend. It took me about 32 man hours to cut out the old, coat the inner, both sides of the reinforcement and inside of the outer panels with POR 15 and reweld all back into place. I drilled holes in the new panels and rosette welded the panels together. On another weekend, some filler work, sanding, priming and painting brought the total to about 55 man hours for the complete job.