I was under the truck a while back and saw the drivers side U bolts had rusted badly in the threaded section that goes through the axle plate.  The truck has not been driven in winter since '06.  I have been tossing around the idea of traction bars and this seemed like a good opportunity since the set I wanted came with new u bolts. 

Edited July 30, 201411 yr by ABennin

Don't have that issue even with all the Idaho road salt used. When I wash my truck I take the extra time to rinse out under the body and flush out little places like the axle base where the u-bolts nut up.

This was an area I don't normally look at since I don't off road or even go through themud.  I was under there looking at the differential because I was thinking about a putting on a cover with increased capacity, when I noticed this.  It is now on the checklist when I am under the truck from now on.

rust ate away at the u-bolts? or wear? or both?

Rusted.  There was a little dirt in all axle plates but only 2 U bolts looked like that.  I think water was trapped and rusted them overtime. 

I just got my truck back from the "front end" shop...  My rear bottom plates had rusted through & the right side had pulled through so the U bolts were splayed at the top.  Under power the rear axle was working & actually dished the top of the spacer blocks.  Shop had to search for GOOD used spacer blocks, other parts were new.   

I've had my front sprinig perches rust out also a couple of years ago.   I dropped off paint cans for the shop to paint all my new parts before assembly.   

This was an area I don't normally look at since I don't off road or even go through themud.  I was under there looking at the differential because I was thinking about a putting on a cover with increased capacity, when I noticed this.  It is now on the checklist when I am under the truck from now on.

 

Yea. It only takes a bit a of dust and a bit of water to make mud. Then add a bit of road salt for oxidizer. Won't take long to eat the bolts away being the muds hold moisture and the road salt will continue to eat as long as the moisture is there. I had this very same problem YEARS ago on a 1972 Dodge Power Wagon and a U-bolt broke on me. I had to have custom made u-bolts to fix that old truck. After seeing that and seeing the axle design never changed I keep rinsing out the bottom plate. No problems.

Pretty hard to compare the dry climate of the west to the humid climate of the east. Bare steel will rust all year long here not just when the salt is being layed down.

Well there is a another solution, spray the underside of your truck with old waste engine oil from your oil changes. This should give you some protection from oxidation.

Many years ago, I restored (cab off) my 79 C30 Chevy...  I filled the door seams with a catalized epoxie rust proofing.  It filled the seams up to the spill point, so there's no where for water to pocket.  I don't recall the name & do not know if the product is still available but I'd use it on pocketing components.

Another product to use is POR15.  I'm thinking another "sample kit" would be enough to do the spring parts.  POR15 needs to be used in warm weather...  if was too cold when I did that little trailer frame & it went on thick.   

I was under the truck a while back and saw the drivers side U bolts had rusted badly in the threaded section that goes through the axle plate.  The truck has not been driven in winter since '06.  I have been tossing around the idea of traction bars and this seemed like a good opportunity since the set I wanted came with new u bolts. 

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So apart from having good Ubolts again, did you notice a big difference with the traction bars added? I thought those were only for the guys that are pushing lots of torque?

Many years ago, I restored (cab off) my 79 C30 Chevy...  I filled the door seams with a catalized epoxie rust proofing.  It filled the seams up to the spill point, so there's no where for water to pocket.  I don't recall the name & do not know if the product is still available but I'd use it on pocketing components.

Another product to use is POR15.  I'm thinking another "sample kit" would be enough to do the spring parts.  POR15 needs to be used in warm weather...  if was too cold when I did that little trailer frame & it went on thick.   

I have heard nothing but good things about POR.  Someday the truck is going to be repainted and would like to use something like that on that on frame.

 

So apart from having good Ubolts again, did you notice a big difference with the traction bars added? I thought those were only for the guys that are pushing lots of torque?

I noticed a big difference.  My clutch is grabby and it helped a lot.  I had axle wrap especially while towing, rough roads were not pleasant.  Another reason was I wanted them for the track.  I told my friend I can beat his ZR1 vette at the 1/4 mile because he will pop the clutch and kill it a couple times at the line.(the record is 3)  In his defense he was new to driving manual.  That was a few years ago now he will kick my butt, but it is fun to say.