So, I'm in a 2005 Ram 1500, It's the 5.7L Hemi (Daytona package). I am just wondering what are "normal" things to expect. As of right now, the engine has a faint ticking, as did the 2002 Durango(5.7) I just had, and my dad's '06 Charger(5.7 R/T) also had a tick. I belive it's the amount of aluminum dodge uses on their engines which carry the soundwaves everywhere. Or I've heard it's just the 5.7 'tick'. But mainly I'd like to know some serious places rust/rot STARTS on these trucks.

 

A slight tick is perfectly normal on a Hemi, it's known as the "Hemi Tick".

Biggest spot for rust is up on top of the rear wheel wells, it gets a LOT of guys...

 

I guess I didn't look extremely hard at the body when I was truck shopping, but I was talking the dealer plate frame off yesterday and there are tiny bubbles starting on the bottom of my tailgate. And the bumper has some HORRIBLE body work on the passenger side. Being a beginner body man myself, I will do a better job when I fix it.

 

I grew up in central NY, SALT IS A B*TCH!!!

I had a Jeep J10 pickup when I was a teenager and by the time the thing was seven years old I had a paneled bed and my floorboards were home-made urethane covered plywood. We won't even talk about body panels, the areas around the doors or frame rust though, LOL...

 

Haha, I'm in the Kingstona area of NY, and I personally have not had anything rot so bad that it looked horrible. When a car/truck gets to a certain point, it's off to a new home. Ha ha ha.