Jeep Gladiator Corrosion TSB Disaster

[rhaney02]

What causes this? Northern winters? Bad luck on purchasing Jeeps with improper paint prep? Certain colors or years affected? Mine is 5.5 yrs old and I have zero issues like that. My paint is great actually. I’ve been over every inch of it detailing it very recently. 2020 Sting Gray.

It's called galvanic corrosion which happens when steel is mated to aluminum without a protective layer in between.

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[rhaney02]

Paint still doesn’t match. They got all the blemishes out, but said they can’t get it to match any better than that. Saga gets worse. They detailed the Jeep and whatever they cleaned it with totally removed the finish from my newly installed Clayton track bar ends and sway bar end links.

I would be super pissed at this point.

ETA: I would be super pissed, especially with new parts. I would point it out to the dealer, however I doubt they would do anything about it since they are aftermarket parts. Totally sucks.

 

[TheTrailGeek]

I would be super pissed at this point.

ETA: I would be super pissed, especially with new parts. I would point it out to the dealer, however I doubt they would do anything about it since they are aftermarket parts. Totally sucks.

Yeah, this is a brand new Clayton Offroad lift that's been on my Jeep for about 14 weeks. I'm in total disbelief at this point and don't even know what to do. All the jam nuts, track bar ends, sway bar end links and the metal cloak zinc plated bolts I bought are all trashed. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from with this dealership. Regarding the paint not matching, I took it to 3 different dealers on the way home and two said they wouldn't touch it because they don't do paint correction work. The 3rd said they don't like to, but they didn't say "no" so who knows.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It's called galvanic corrosion which happens when steel is mated to aluminum without a protective layer in between.

Except the hinges aren't steel.
Galvanic corrosion requires water - and happens where the two meet
(having dealt with all types of metals, combinations, plating and so on, I've posted some extensive stuff on this)

The hinge bodies are not steel or iron.
Most of the issues are not at the joint between the two pieces but are on a surface away from the joint.

 

[TheTrailGeek]

Except the hinges aren't steel.
Galvanic corrosion requires water - and happens where the two meet
(having dealt with all types of metals, combinations, plating and so on, I've posted some extensive stuff on this)

The hinge bodies are not steel or iron.
Most of the issues are not at the joint between the two pieces but are on a surface away from the joint.

^ This!! None of mine were right on the joint. 6 out of 8 hinges were wrecked.

 

[Vtur]

Here's my theory. Jeep receives roll of sheet metal that comes with the green rust protective coating. Jeep then stamp cut to shape and stamped to shape, but Jeep NEVER recoated those exposed cut edges. And, it couldn't be painted due to the sealent adhesive. I think it's why corrosion is always starting along the panel edges, likes doors, hood, tailgate.....

 

[rhaney02]

Except the hinges aren't steel.
Galvanic corrosion requires water - and happens where the two meet
(having dealt with all types of metals, combinations, plating and so on, I've posted some extensive stuff on this)

The hinge bodies are not steel or iron.
Most of the issues are not at the joint between the two pieces but are on a surface away from the joint.

Are the hinges/plates aluminum as well?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Are the hinges/plates aluminum as well?

I wish I knew the metals they were made of. I'll guess a magnesium alloy, perhaps aluminum, but they won't hold even the strongest magnet I have.

Most of the bubbling I have seen on them is on the hinge, even in the center. It sort of implies an issue with prep or something, perhaps multiple factors?

 

[rhaney02]

I wish I knew the metals they were made of. I'll guess a magnesium alloy, perhaps aluminum, but they won't hold even the strongest magnet I have.

Most of the bubbling I have seen on them is on the hinge, even in the center. It sort of implies an issue with prep or something, perhaps multiple factors?

Would it have anything to do with the hinge inserts or the bolts mounting the plates to the door?

ETA: Was able to get attraction with a magnetized bit at the hinge and on the bolts.

 

[TheTrailGeek]

Sadly, I think I'm at the end of my paint fight. The dealer has said there's nothing more they can do. They offered to cover the cost if I can find another dealer to fix it, but after going to 3 different dealers, 2 won't touch it and the 3rd that might consider it has bad reviews from their body / paint shop and is saying the canopy would have to come off which is more work than I can pull off by myself. They offered to replace the front sway bar links, but after climbing around under my rig this weekend, almost everything zinc coated on the suspension is stripped. The suspension has only been on the Jeep since mid-Feb. I emailed them pic and send them a message and am hoping they will at least attempt to make it right, but not sure how it will play out at this point. I just can't get over all the problems trying to get what was supposed to be a simple fix done has caused.

My message to the dealer:

"Do you happen to know what product was sprayed on the suspension components during the detail? Whatever was used—whether a degreaser or an acid-based cleaner—has stripped the zinc coating off of multiple components, including the front and rear sway bar links, both track bars, all control arms, and the jam nuts. I have videos of the suspension (With timestamps) between the first time you all had the Jeep and second time and they clearly have all the coating on them so it has to have been something the detailer used.

There is already visible pitting and corrosion on parts, and I’m concerned that whatever was used may also have damaged the bushings, particularly on the control arms. The reason I replaced the suspension in the first place was because the Mopar lift that your shop installed 18,000 miles ago creaked and popped from the start. I suspect that may have been due to torquing everything while the Jeep was still in the air.

This current suspension was ordered on Black Friday and installed mid-February. It’s only a few months old, and now the hardware looks like it’s been through a Michigan winter—stripped coatings and visible corrosion. In some of the photos I’ve shared, you can see where traces of the original zinc plating remain, which makes the contrast even more obvious.

I’d really appreciate any insight you can provide into what was used during the detail and what steps we can take to address the damage.

All the best,
David"

 

[Hootbro]

I would be surprised if they even address anything about the aftermarket stuff and say that is on you.

 

[Stan H]

Sadly, I think I'm at the end of my paint fight. The dealer has said there's nothing more they can do. They offered to cover the cost if I can find another dealer to fix it, but after going to 3 different dealers, 2 won't touch it and the 3rd that might consider it has bad reviews from their body / paint shop and is saying the canopy would have to come off which is more work than I can pull off by myself. They offered to replace the front sway bar links, but after climbing around under my rig this weekend, almost everything zinc coated on the suspension is stripped. The suspension has only been on the Jeep since mid-Feb. I emailed them pic and send them a message and am hoping they will at least attempt to make it right, but not sure how it will play out at this point. I just can't get over all the problems trying to get what was supposed to be a simple fix done has caused.

My message to the dealer:

"Do you happen to know what product was sprayed on the suspension components during the detail? Whatever was used—whether a degreaser or an acid-based cleaner—has stripped the zinc coating off of multiple components, including the front and rear sway bar links, both track bars, all control arms, and the jam nuts. I have videos of the suspension (With timestamps) between the first time you all had the Jeep and second time and they clearly have all the coating on them so it has to have been something the detailer used.

There is already visible pitting and corrosion on parts, and I’m concerned that whatever was used may also have damaged the bushings, particularly on the control arms. The reason I replaced the suspension in the first place was because the Mopar lift that your shop installed 18,000 miles ago creaked and popped from the start. I suspect that may have been due to torquing everything while the Jeep was still in the air.

This current suspension was ordered on Black Friday and installed mid-February. It’s only a few months old, and now the hardware looks like it’s been through a Michigan winter—stripped coatings and visible corrosion. In some of the photos I’ve shared, you can see where traces of the original zinc plating remain, which makes the contrast even more obvious.

I’d really appreciate any insight you can provide into what was used during the detail and what steps we can take to address the damage.

All the best,
David"

Dude seriously.. okay after 5 yrs it will have a lot more knocked off if it goes anywhere beyond the driveway. Go to the Hardware store buy a can of rustoleum black and paint that stuff use a piece of cardboard to control over spray . I did and mine is 4 yrs old and made it look great. I literally put a wire brush and also a paint stripping wheel in my cordless drill sanded it down and painted it. Yours aint even showing surface rust mine was still ha e a couple spots to fix if it ever quits raining around here. It's a simply fix. Many guys on here have done exactly what I am telling you.

 

[TheTrailGeek]

Dude seriously.. okay after 5 yrs it will have a lot more knocked off if it goes anywhere beyond the driveway. Go to the Hardware store buy a can of rustoleum black and paint that stuff use a piece of cardboard to control over spray . I did and mine is 4 yrs old and made it look great. I literally put a wire brush and also a paint stripping wheel in my cordless drill sanded it down and painted it. Yours aint even showing surface rust mine was still ha e a couple spots to fix if it ever quits raining around here. It's a simply fix. Many guys on here have done exactly what I am telling you.

I get it. I really do. Most of what I drive on are gravel roads and driveways thus the million chips in my doors, hinges and flares. It's bugging me more because my Jeep went to the dealer and came out worse in every way. Sure, that finish would probably look like that next year, but it didn't look like it when it got to the dealer. Sure, they fixed all the corrosion on my tailgate and hood, but then the hood and tailgate came back mismatched colors with all kinds of flaws in the paint. It's more utter disappointment that this rig I put so much time and effort into came back in worse shape then when I left it when it should have been the other way around.

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