Are your drive-shafts this rusty? Damn thing is fully covered in a layer of rust after 3 years.. My buddys Tacoma doesn't look nearly like this, and is a year older. I know it would have some rust, as it looks like unprotected steel but I hope that my truck is not worse than the norm. Does your Dak look like this too?


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Yes my driveshaft looks like this. I dont remember it ever not being this way. Its a form of weathering steel. It will not change at all, and there's no need to have it painted. Here's a brief definition:

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_steel

We have designed and built some bridges with this type of steel. Its nice stuff. You may have seen guide rails made for it too.

 

oooohh...this thread made me feel better about the underside of my truck. I had wondered why my truck looked like this too (considering we get rain 2 times a year, lol). good to know it's supposed to be this way.

 

I really like this type of steel in this application. The oxidation forms its own self-healing protective coating. Painted parts like the ones on the Tacoma if I remember correctly, once chipped will continue to rust. After 4 or 5 years they may look like they are in better shape, but give it 10 and they will be much worse off.

 

Good news to me. It is so uniform that this makes sense.

 

your buddys tacoma may also have an aluminum driveshaft...

 

Please, these things are rust buckets. I’m still waiting for my oil to start leaking from a fully rusted oil pan that I tried to get replaced by the dealer after warranty. Not. I sanded it, treated the rust and used encapsulation paint to try to stop but its stating again and I give the F__K up. I had other (posted here) rust repaired under warranty also. I look under Toyotas and GM trucks and they are older and look nowhere as bad as my 07. Here is a test you might want to do and it will take you a few minutes. Open your left door lift the plastic cover over the side rail and the lift the rubber door seal look at the vertical stamped welded section rust just eating away from condensation held by the seal. Look at your unpainted door hinges, rust forming. Look at a Toyotas hinges, no rust. As I said Chrysler had too and did cheap out almost everywhere notably with coatings and choices with metals and plastics. I mean just think of how easy you interior scuffs and digs with no effort. I have never seen anything like it. I rent maybe twenty vehicles a year and I get to judge and compare and I have a real insight to who is doing what right and is not doing right. If Chrysler doesn’t get their crap together then they will fail just by lack of quality alone.

 

Gray I don't know if you just got another lemon or what but my truck is nowhere near what you claim. The interior is not designed to be the lap of luxury but the materials used are quite tough and believe me I keep my eye on rust, there is hardly any on my truck other than the exhaust tip which is my fault for trusting that it was stainless steel like the auction claimed. Toyota has plenty of rust problems, as for GM, well anyone who has owned one as I have in the past only needs to hear two words: rocker panels.

 

Gray you might want to go out and buy a Toyota or a Chevy... I think if you do some research the 95-00 Toyotas had a huge rust issue... As well as what Altair said, I have seen several Chevys with rock panel issues. I am not sure what kinda quality you are looking for. My interior is flawless as well as near the seals. I am not sure what you do to that poor truck. Do you run it through brine water everyday or something? Wash the damn thing more! I wash my atleast once a week sometimes 2 weeks. Mines an 07 and I have NO RUST anywheres except for the driveshaft which is designed for it. I mean for real man, at least once a week you log in to complain about something, get rid of it if you arent happy?!