TheMoose

That is the same part number that's on my bag of rubber plugs my dealer ordered me.

No one at the dealership knew anything about the plugs/tape thing, I showed them where they went, the parts guy looked them up & saw there was a p/n for them so they got them for me.

Are the 04's still coming out with tape instead of plugs??
It doesn't make much sense to tape these opinings, water will get in there & rust out the rockers.

jarmar

Thanks for the response. The parts guy gave me a printout but no one was sure whether it was the right thing or not.

This is my first Dodge purchase and I am a bit puzzled that when you spend 40K for a truck the only protection for the rocker panels would be a thin piece of tape!!!

The corner of the tape was already loose and you could see directly into the void of the hole. I am quite disappointed that not only that the tape is applied in the first place but that when mentioned at the dealership everyone from the sales to parts to service scratched their heads and knew nothing about it.

What gives here? Can I expect anything else like this on the truck? Someone suggested that there are other openings left open when these plugs are left out.

jr

Peterbilt

I ordered the 16 plugs yesterday at $1.20 each. I believe they are metal. I forgot the PN, but I did a search on "plugs". Since, I didn't buy the truck there I couldn't get the parts dept to give them to me. Maybe the sales or service dept can approve it. If they are the corrcect part I will post the info.

Pete

rossn2

Peterbuilt,
The plugs are rubber...I think you ordered the metal plugs that are in the floor pan under the seats areas....I might be wrong, you may want to double-check.

BDude555

I undercoated the ENTIRE bottom of my truck when it was 3 days old, took 22 cans! but runs quite as a mouse! 1 tip I give anyone who thinks of doing this is dont do more than 5 or so cans in a day!!! I did about 10 cans a day and staggered around seeing pink elephants for an hour after each application STRONG FUMES OFF THAT STUFF!!! one thing for sure is there were no holes covered with tape anywhere under there, no weird pumpkin on the exhaust either (its an 04 model I ordered in september as soon as I heard about the emmisions stuff being added in January)
With the defroster turned up to the second setting you cant tell the thing is running if it didnt vibrate. But that may be due to the brain damage from all the undercoat!

Peterbilt

rossn2

Yeah, metal does seem odd. I saw a picture of metal plugs someone posted and there were small voids around them.

I going up to the dealer today to get them, I will make sure they are right.

Thanks
Pete

handymantim

I originally posted a pic of the metal plug on the horizontal surface of the floor pan. After getting set straight, I went back out to my truck and found the tape on the vertical surface and posted some new pics. Hope it helps.

Lightman

Folks, look at handymantim's pics. The pics he has called 'speed tape' are the areas you should be looking at. The metal plugs in the bottom are not the area of discussion! If you have the 'speed tape' on the inside of the rocker panel, these are to be replaced with rubber plugs/grommets. My dealer ordered/installed them for free. I will say, they checked every truck on the lot and they all had tape. He tried to tell me it was a running production change, and that I didn't necessarily deserve the rubber plugs, although they were shown on the microfiche. Either way, most of you guys are looking/talking about the wrong area. Good luck!

thames1948

At first I looked at the metal ones on the floor, but soon found the tape on the sides

mrb321us

DC, like most OEM's, will cut corners anywhere they can get away with it. If they can find a way of saving a themselves even a few cents on a truck you've paid $40,000 for they'll do it. The idea of them using tape seems real tacky (no pun intended) but they figure most people will not be crawling around under their vehicles, so who is to know. Perhaps they don't really understand just how passionate some truck owners are about their rigs. Also, because most of these trucks are assembled in Mexico from parts that have to be shipped in from the states, they probably have gliches that cause shortages (because the Mexican transportation system is very primitive), and rather than hold up production because they've run out of what they consider a non-vital component, they improvise and use tape. If they can get away with it, this may become standard procedure. While you spend more and more money on their trucks, they are hard at work trying to figure out how to give you less truck for the money by cutting out things most will not notice like plugs, and real wheel inserts and underhood insulation, reduced length of body side moulding, etc. That's called "decontenting."

JKE

plugs are in my truck fabbed Jan 03.

I did loose one of my bed pugs while off-loading a ton of **** (manure compost). Kinda aggrivated about that....guess I need to look up that part number - JKE

Booyah

Do the rocker panels where the holes are have any drain holes in them? It would suck to notice this a month down the road after rainy/snowy weathr and you have tons of crap in there? Maybe if we all complain enough they will start putting the plugs in the holes! I think someone on the production line is smokin crack

Stbentoak

One other thing, if you buy or have nerf bars installed they usually have a bolt that hooks into two of the taped holes,but your mud flaps will protect the front ones. My dealer gave me the plugs free after I told them that a 4oK truck with duct tape just will not fly with me. I only go to the dealer when I ABSOLUTELY have to.