07 Dakota - Rust on components???

It's normal. Here's a picture from my truck, maybe 6 months old:

Yes, you can see this on all brands with a steel alloy driveshaft. The alloy used in them is very prone to surface rust. It is actually rare to find one that is not.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Thanks for posting that pic. Its exactly the same thing I have going on. :-)

So will this rust contribute to component failure sooner than normal? Im assuming its a coating or something on the driveshaft thats rusting and not the actual driveshaft?

All, Yes, it is rust and Dodge is not the only manufacturer that does not completely protect the underside components. I bought a new Corvette that was the same way. When I picked up my RAM, I immediately put the truck on jack stands, removed all the wheels and spent 3 days under the truck priming and painting everything that was unprotected. This also included the removal of drive shafts, transfer case and gearbox. It took about 30 hours of labor, but remember that you can only do this practically when it is brand new. Steve

Odd my Z06 was mostly alloy and aluminum underneath.

As I recall, Ford was the pretty much to first to stop painting or protecting components this way circa 1978. He might be talking about an older Vette?

Gotta be, a few of the earlier one's (63-67 )were real tough when it came to frame rot.

Thanks much... I guess I wont worry about it too much. Coming from a Ford family and owning them myself, I guess I have to get used to the quirks of a different manufacturer. ;-)

Steve

Suddenly, without warning, BigIronRam exclaimed (01-Jun-07 4:41 AM):

Maybe not. My 1991 Mitsubishi Pickup had underbody protection.

jmc

As the rust layer becomes more established, the formation of new rust slows down. I have only seen a few drive shafts actually fail from rust but this was on some very old dump trucks that had very high drive shaft loading and that could twist off a new drive shaft too sometimes. In you application, the rest of vehicle will rust away long before the driveshaft rust becomes a issue that weakens it to point of failure. It kinda looks worse than it is. You could spray some rust converter on it if it really bothers you as it will stop it and from a black coating from it that resists further rust.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

My "new" vette was a '78. Steve

Yes it is normal for a Dodge. My '95 Dakota was delivered that way. Rusty leaf springs and other parts. It looks better now than it did then, the dirt hides the rust.

I wonder if spraying something on the driveshaft may cause a balance problem. I don't think I would do that if it were mine.

Denny

Not really. Drive shafts are not balance that close from factory anyway and I have not seen a drive shaft yet from any brand truck that could not be rebalnace better at a drive shaft shop even when they were new. The deeprer you axle ratio is relatiive to tire size maakes balance a bit more important as it increase average RPM of drive shaft. It takes time to get them dead on and Detriot does not have time for this on assembly line. Spraying it will have a negligable impact on the balance of it.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Someone mechanically inclined might be able to figure out how balance a drive shaft with a couple of jack stands, two hose clamps, and a piece of chalk. Not that I'm suggesting anyone should go under a running vehicle in gear on jack stands with a piece of chalk to mark the heavy side of the spinning shaft, then put the hose clamps on the shaft with the worm gear on the opposite side of the chalk mark, or anything dangerous like that. But it works. Not that I'd do anything like that myself. Nope, not me. ;^)