Painting the bare metal underneath Hinges?

[AustyPosty]

I've always been disappointed that Jeep doesn't paint underneath the hinges, it makes sense from the assembly line perspective, but it really sucks for the actual owner of the Jeep. From my understanding, this unpainted section can start to corrode, and then travel up neath the paint on the rest of the door and cause bubbling. From my research this corrosion is not due to dissimilar metals as both the door and the hinge are aluminum.

This brings me to my question. What's stopping me from simply painting the unpainted section before the metal has a chance to corrode? In my head I'm just wondering why not try to prevent it from happening in the first place rather than wait for it to happen and then have to replace the doors or have to send it to a stealership for paint work(which may not even turn out that good).

Has anyone ever done this and how did it turn out?

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[Freems]

My guy at the dealer this morning explained that the aluminum pieces that make up the doors and hinges are made from dissimilar aluminum alloys. The new process includes a dielectric between hinges and door skin, that new process Jeep has been using to stop the corrosion. He also explained that two of my four doors have to be replaced because the corrosion has went to deep into the skin and door frame structure. Might be an interesting idea to pull one door apart and coat it, reassemble it and watch, especially if your past the paint warranty.

 

[AustyPosty]

My guy at the dealer this morning explained that the aluminum pieces that make up the doors and hinges are made from dissimilar aluminum alloys. The new process includes a dielectric between hinges and door skin, that new process Jeep has been using to stop the corrosion. He also explained that two of my four doors have to be replaced because the corrosion has went to deep into the skin and door frame structure. Might be an interesting idea to pull one door apart and coat it, reassemble it and watch, especially if your past the paint warranty.

My Jeep is basically brand new, no corrosion, so im just curious if painting them now can save the hassle later. I also wonder if a late model 23 has this new dielectric between the doors and hinges, and if it even works.

 

[Freems]

My Jeep is basically brand new, no corrosion, so im just curious if painting them now can save the hassle later. I also wonder if a late model 23 has this new dielectric between the doors and hinges, and if it even works.

Great questions…when I pick mine up in a couple of weeks, I’ll put forward your questions to my service tech guy and update this post.

 

[AustyPosty]

Great questions…when I pick mine up in a couple of weeks, I’ll put forward your questions to my service tech guy and update this post.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[robinja]

Having just gone through Jeep paint warranty for bimetallic corrosion issues, I was told dealerships are no longer spot treating the corrosion. They have begun replacing hoods, windshield frames, doors, hinges, and tailgates in their entirety. The new parts are paint matched to the vehicle and wherever dissimilar metal parts meet, such as a door and hinge, an insulator is being inserted between them - a thin film. You can certainly try to fix corrosion yourself and may see good results, but you have a paint warranty and the paint warranty gets extended if Jeep makes repairs for you. If you attempt to fix yourself, and then try to get repairs under warranty, they may not honor the warranty. Something to think about, if you have dents, dings, scratches, etc. these might be taken care of during warranty repair or be a great time to get them done as I did.

 

[AustyPosty]

Having just gone through Jeep paint warranty for bimetallic corrosion issues, I was told dealerships are no longer spot treating the corrosion. They have begun replacing hoods, windshield frames, doors, hinges, and tailgates in their entirety. The new parts are paint matched to the vehicle and wherever dissimilar metal parts meet, such as a door and hinge, an insulator is being inserted between them - a thin film. You can certainly try to fix corrosion yourself and may see good results, but you have a paint warranty and the paint warranty gets extended if Jeep makes repairs for you. If you attempt to fix yourself, and then try to get repairs under warranty, they may not honor the warranty. Something to think about, if you have dents, dings, scratches, etc. these might be taken care of during warranty repair or be a great time to get them done as I did.

You definitely raise some very good points about preserving the warranty, and getting a brand new door or hood may not be such a bad thing, especially if by then I have excessive scratching or dents, which I already have a crap load of pinstriping all over my doors lol.

 

[Badunit]

If there is a slight gap between the hinge and the door you have the hinges with the zinc shim. You can see the difference in the TSB in the link below. My 2023 appears to have the shims.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10234479-9999.pdf

 

[AustyPosty]

It is from galvanic corrosion of dissimilar metals.

If there is a slight gap between the hinge and the door you have the hinges with the zinc shim. You can see the difference in the TSB in the link below. My 2023 appears to have the shims.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10234479-9999.pdf

Do we know if vehicles build after February 3rd have these shims or is this something that you can only get from the service bulletin?

 

[jac04]

The new process includes a dielectric between hinges and door skin, that new process Jeep has been using to stop the corrosion.

The new parts are paint matched to the vehicle and wherever dissimilar metal parts meet, such as a door and hinge, an insulator is being inserted between them - a thin film.

The new hinges use a zinc shim per the TSB. This zinc shim is not a dielectric insulator. The new shim actually introduces a dissimilar metal in order to cause galvanic corrosion and the shim acts as a sacrificial anode.

So, instead of the aluminum hinges and doors/hoods corroding due to the trapped moisture between them, the zinc shim will corrode. It is a temporary solution at best to get through the corrosion warranty.

 

[Freems]

The new hinges use a zinc shim per the TSB. This zinc shim is not a dielectric insulator. The new shim actually introduces a dissimilar metal in order to cause galvanic corrosion and the shim acts as a sacrificial anode.

So, instead of the aluminum hinges and doors/hoods corroding due to the trapped moisture between them, the zinc shim will corrode. It is a temporary solution at best to get through the corrosion warranty.

so what has gone wrong with the original process used since 1941 to paint the jeep doors of the past? I’ve owned several jeeps over the years and this is the first Jeep l’ve owned that has these issues? When they switched to aluminum alloys for hinges and body panels? or did the steels ones rust out as well?

 

[ShawnwFL]

Having just gone through Jeep paint warranty for bimetallic corrosion issues, I was told dealerships are no longer spot treating the corrosion. They have begun replacing hoods, windshield frames, doors, hinges, and tailgates in their entirety. The new parts are paint matched to the vehicle and wherever dissimilar metal parts meet, such as a door and hinge, an insulator is being inserted between them - a thin film. You can certainly try to fix corrosion yourself and may see good results, but you have a paint warranty and the paint warranty gets extended if Jeep makes repairs for you. If you attempt to fix yourself, and then try to get repairs under warranty, they may not honor the warranty. Something to think about, if you have dents, dings, scratches, etc. these might be taken care of during warranty repair or be a great time to get them done as I did.

just had mine done under warranty in October. They did order brand new hinges but they did not replace the hood, only repainted it. They showed me what the paint shop charged them and it was $3800. seems steep but I wasn’t paying so I’m not complaining.

I agree with robinja, just have Jeep do the repair under warranty. They gave me a loaner the week it was in the shop and the hood and hinges look brand new now. If the corrosion comes back in another 30k when if it’s off warranty you can try the diy fix but I would let Jeep pay while they are still around/a going concern.

 

[Splenda]

If there is a slight gap between the hinge and the door you have the hinges with the zinc shim. You can see the difference in the TSB in the link below. My 2023 appears to have the shims.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10234479-9999.pdf

I see the TSB is only for earlier Gladiator. Did they start implementing this fix at the factory at some point?

 

[BlackOak]

just had mine done under warranty in October. They did order brand new hinges but they did not replace the hood, only repainted it. They showed me what the paint shop charged them and it was $3800. seems steep but I wasn’t paying so I’m not complaining.

I agree with robinja, just have Jeep do the repair under warranty. They gave me a loaner the week it was in the shop and the hood and hinges look brand new now. If the corrosion comes back in another 30k when if it’s off warranty you can try the diy fix but I would let Jeep pay while they are still around/a going concern.

You are the fortunate one my dealer didn't have body shop so they would only supply the door and hinges and 1/3 of the cost even though I went to a jeep certified body shop the first replacement door actually look worse than the original one the body shop refused it and I had to wait an additional month body shop did a super job hoping to hear more about the class action corrosion law suit don't use that dealer anymore

 

[Churro]

so what has gone wrong with the original process used since 1941 to paint the jeep doors of the past? I’ve owned several jeeps over the years and this is the first Jeep l’ve owned that has these issues? When they switched to aluminum alloys for hinges and body panels? or did the steels ones rust out as well?

I’m on my 5th Jeep ranging from 48-2020. I believe the reason for the aluminum is to save weight, even the darn knuckles are aluminum.

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