When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have an 03 crewcab 4x4 with 4.7. I just removed my bed liner to find significant rust around the tops of both wells. Question is, I'm sure im not the first, so does someone have a successful repair process? Im looking for another bed but thats turning out to be difficult. I would rather do a repair as good as possible. the sidewalls seem solid, but if I start grinding I may find more.
I've seen rust in the bed under a liner, but never that bad. If you're good at welding and fabrication, patch it. Otherwise I'd find a southern bed without any rust. By the time you cut all the rust, including what you find while you're cutting, there may not be much left to patch.
Dear Electrocoating, I introduce to you, SALT!....
Seriously, I know gas prices are high, but if you happen to be taking a trip down South, I see beds without a spec of rust on them in the Atlanta U-pull-its all the time.
Example: I took this a few months back when was searching for a seat cushion.
Last edited by Dodgevity; Jun 10, 2022 at 09:43 AM.
i got to thinking. (OW! My head!) I wondered what was available around here. Unfortunately, all the Dakotas are older than what you have. I did find this one, but it's a 2001. An older generation truck than yours I think.
It has a little rust around the wheel well openings, but is solid otherwise. I did find a whole truck for $1200, but it's in the rust belt and probably not much better than what you have.
i got to thinking. (OW! My head!) I wondered what was available around here. Unfortunately, all the Dakotas are older than what you have. I did find this one, but it's a 2001. An older generation truck than yours I think.
It has a little rust around the wheel well openings, but is solid otherwise. I did find a whole truck for $1200, but it's in the rust belt and probably not much better than what you have.
Better to go 11 hours south than 11 hours west (NJ to Kentucky) and still be in the rust belt, don't you think?
Better to go 11 hours south than 11 hours west (NJ to Kentucky) and still be in the rust belt, don't you think?
I'm on the edge of the rust belt. 50 miles north and cars dissolve. 50 miles south and you get surface rust and not much else. Just make sure it's originally from the south. I've gone 50-100 miles south and gotten really solid cars then sold them up north. I don't go any farther south than northern Alabama though. Get down towards the coast and you get salt spray and that's as bad, if not worse, than Michigan salt.
Rust incursion
