[dmill89]

that was my best guess as well.

i was sort of hoping for something like this as a response:

"starting in 2010 jeep added blah blah blah to the parts so this will no longer be an issue."


guess we shall wait and see.

wonder if jeepcares knows anything?

Later models (2011+ ?) appear to have powder-coated cross-members, while earlier models just used paint. At least in theory the powder-coating should be more durable and offer better corrosion protection, but only time will tell if it works.

If your concerned something like fluid-film or Eastwood Frame Coating should offer additional protection. Simply keeping an eye on it and touching up any chips/surface rust before they turn into something serious will also make a big difference, most rust starts small, but will get worse quickly if ignored.

 

[dmill89]

how can i tell if it's powder coated? is it obvious when touched? rougher?

I only knew mine (a 2015) was due to the obvious residue left over from coating (they didn't clean it up very well), if they did a better job of cleaning yours up it might not be obvious. My hitch (Curt) is also powder coated and it isn't obvious by looking at it, though there was some residue inside of the tube that came out when it was turned sideways.

 

[dmill89]

i hose it off underneath frequently enough- like within a day or two once the roads dry...

That makes a big difference too (even just hosing it off really good at the end of the season), so many people never clean the underside of their vehicle (so the salt sits there all year long) and wonder why it rusts.

The only rust I saw was on the shafts leaving the rear diff to wheels and a bushing or two back there

That is normal the shafts are unpainted from the factory so they'll get a coating of surface rust even if never exposed to salt, some of the hardware/suspension components are unpainted as well.