Hinge Corrosion - is it a think on the Gladiator too? Anything else?

[PetePetePete]

This is one of the key things keeping me from buying another Jeep. If they could deal with this, I could likely see past the other stuff.

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[NachoRuby]

Rubicon hoods are steel.

Are you sure? Mine seems to be aluminum.

 

[NachoRuby]

This is one of the key things keeping me from buying another Jeep. If they could deal with this, I could likely see past the other stuff.

Other than the hinges, I haven't seen it. Not saying it doesn't exist, and the environment in Hi is I'm sure fundamentally different than in PA. As many jeeps as I see a day, I just haven't seen the peeling/bubbling hoods or doors here. The hinges are something of a problem, but as I live in the rust belt, I see way worse than some missing paint on aluminum hinges everyday, so I'm willing to ignore it. There are some cars that are just notorious for rust holes, and on our old '97 TJ, the actual frame and undercarriage started to rust (but she was old, and had seen many a salt spray). So I'll settle for some bubbling hinges.

 

[NachoRuby]

Well, if you look at the picture that Fred posted, the corrosion is on the door and not the hinge.

Also, the hood corrosion is not new. I've seen several reports of it on the JL forums. I also remember seeing a TSB on aluminum corrosion which included hoods and doors.

Unfortunately, bubbling of aluminum hood and aluminum door paint is a fairly common issue as reported on the JL forum.

Hmm. Was there a bad round of prep or something, or a root cause? As many JT and JLs and JKs as I see, I've noticed lots of hinge corrosion. Haven't seen the corrosion on the hoods or doors themselves. I'm not trying to be argumentative, just wondering. Was it narrowed to a certain build date period? If it's an issue to look out for, I certainly will keep an eye on it, but I'll probably just get it fixed, should it occur, especially if it's under warranty. No reason to trade in the vehicle as long as I'm not having mechanical issues.

 

[Hootbro]

Are you sure? Mine seems to be aluminum.

Yeah, disregard I think I confused it with something else.

Edit: Mixed up the info with the Euro/Export Spec models which require steel for their safety laws over there.

 

[Phishs]

Yeah, disregard I think I confused it with something else.

Edit: Mixed up the info with the Euro/Export Spec models which require steel for their safety laws over there.

I believe the Mojave ones are steel.

 

[Hootbro]

I believe the Mojave ones are steel.

I could have sworn my Rubicon hood was steel as when I bought my Sport/Willys that replaced it, the hood seemed way lighter but I cannot state that as absolute fact the Rubicon hoods were steel.

 

[jac04]

I believe the Mojave ones are steel.

Yes, the Mojave has a steel hood.

 

[PetePetePete]

Other than the hinges, I haven't seen it. Not saying it doesn't exist, and the environment in Hi is I'm sure fundamentally different than in PA. As many jeeps as I see a day, I just haven't seen the peeling/bubbling hoods or doors here. The hinges are something of a problem, but as I live in the rust belt, I see way worse than some missing paint on aluminum hinges everyday, so I'm willing to ignore it. There are some cars that are just notorious for rust holes, and on our old '97 TJ, the actual frame and undercarriage started to rust (but she was old, and had seen many a salt spray). So I'll settle for some bubbling hinges.

Hinges are a known issue, but I'd wager it'll be a bigger problem as time goes on.

 

[syreeves]

You know what doesn't peel? Bedliner (assuming it is properly prepped). Jeep should just offer it from the factory...

 

[NachoRuby]

Hinges are a known issue, but I'd wager it'll be a bigger problem as time goes on.

Exterior color likely plays a role too, if it's like other models. Blacks, dark greens, and reds are notorious for peeling, for whatever reason, across all brands. I guess time will tell. Hopefully my waxing regimen and vehicle OCD will help some.

 

[jac04]

Hinges are a known issue, but I'd wager it'll be a bigger problem as time goes on.

Hinges were the main problem on the JK. On the JT and JL, the majority of the corrosion issues are on the aluminum body panels , either adjacent to the hinges or in the lower seams where moisture will tend to sit. There are still some reports of corrosion on the hinge itself, but very few compared to the panel corrosion.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/bubbles-in-paint-at-door-hinges.32756/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-corrosion.60028/

 

[PetePetePete]

Hinges were the main problem on the JK. On the JT and JL, the majority of the corrosion issues are on the aluminum body panels , either adjacent to the hinges or in the lower seams where moisture will tend to sit. There are still some reports of corrosion on the hinge itself, but very few compared to the panel corrosion.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/bubbles-in-paint-at-door-hinges.32756/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-corrosion.60028/

We sold our JL with the idea of buying a Gladiator... but I think the corrosion issue is going to be a problem. I tend to keep my vehicles to the very end, but I can't do that knowing the paint is already a problem. If things change, I'll revisit.

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