rusty wheelers leaf springs?

So, about six months ago I installed my wheelers 5 leaf HD leaf springs. The install went ok and I was really happy with the ride afterwards, albeit firm. Yesterday I crawled under my truck to double check the bolts and holy CRAP are these things rusty. My oem springs saw a winter here and they look brand new by comparison. Did I miss something critical when installing them? Was I supposed to coat them with something beforehand? The paint on them looked fine, so I didn't think twice about it. I dread the idea of having to pull them soon cause putting them in was a big job. Any feedback or advice? I'll get pictures tomorrow morning when it's light out.

 

I would imagine it is just surface rust. My Dakars rusted quickly too. No big deal

 

My issue is that the oem ones still looked almost new after over a year of service... I kinda expected the same from the aftermarket.

 

In for pics... For what it's worth when I got my ICON AAL's they appeared to be assembled as raw steel and painted assembled rather than individually. When I took them apart there was heavy surface rust between them. Took a wire wheel to them, then a few coats of paint, followed by a moderate coating of grease between each leaf. They've been holding up decent, but still not quite as good as the stock leafs.

 

I guess it comes down to form or function. OEM stay pretty, sag and break while aftermarket last but look poor.
You could always clean them up a bit like @ThatguyJZ and coat them with some rust paint. Although, I don't think it would last long.

 

As long as they don't crap out on me anytime soon I'm ok with them looking rusty. Those springs weren't cheap, and swapping out leaf packs was one of the more difficult things I've done with my truck.

 

Nasty salt does significant damage. I am glad I live down here. No different then driving a vehicle in salt water. I use Boeshield on my undercarriage when it needs it. If I lived in the North I would treat the undercarriage right before the snow. Keep it clean and it will look nice for many years.

 

It's just the new springs, though! The rest of the truck looks great underneath!