help with rust on frame!
 

hey guys.... let me start out by saying this jeep was a NY jeep and a dealer brought it down to erie, pa and i bought it. so i'm aware theres always going to be some rust on it and what not. especially living in erie, pa and having to keep it outside all winter....

i was under replacing my muffler and tail pipe the other week and noticed that i have a hole rusting out in my frame rail on the passenger side right next to the front leaf spring mount. :brickwall:

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00181.jpg

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00182.jpg

i had a few thoughts on how to fix this, however i do not have a welder or know how so it complicates things just a bit.

i know there are unibody stiffeners that can be bought to be welded on so in that sense i was thinking of maybe a "U" channel piece of steel to encase the frame rail and have that welded on?? or maybe just have a piece put on either side and bottom all welded up??

do you think it would be ok to have it done just on that spot where the rust is but over lap each side by a little bit just to be sure?

i really want to get some dodge dakota leaf springs to raise the back of it up to about stock height and with where that rust is, it kinda concerns me with doing that........ the other question is knowing that PA has some stricter laws for passing inspection would anyone know if doing this would make it so i wouldnt pass inspection?

heres a few more pictures of the rest of the underneath

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00183.jpg

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00184.jpg

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00185.jpg

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/x...7/DSC00186.jpg

any advice or thoughts you could pass along would be very helpful..... (hope this doesnt turn out to be too expensive)

thanks guys.

Can you get a hold of a sandblaster?

I would try to find someone with a welder, have them clean it down to bare metal, cut around the hole about 1/2" on each side (as room permits) and then patch in a piece of steel.

Im getting a welder some time this year, I have alot of rust to patch up.

Here is what I would cut out:

Hopefully it hasnt spread further than that, thats why I mentioned a sand blaster first, yup it will be hard to do it but it will show any other bad spots.

no sandblaster unless i buy one.... was thinking about some sort of a grinder or wire brush to clean in sections underthere and then coat to help prevent rust.

the only ppl i know who have a welder would be shops who do that kind of work....... so your saying to cut that out and weld a piece in place of where it was cut out? what about almost like "plating" the frame rail sort of something like the frame stiffeners do? would that work?

thanks for the replies so far
(btw im in college right now so i'm trying to look for the most cost effective method of taking care of this)

Your method of "plating" just covers up the issue, it is still there to cause more problems later.
Best way I could think of would be what I mentioned, you could then "plate" it if you want to.

I start college in september, theyre buying my welder. (financial aid, I guess being poor is good for something...)

i have a welder for sale. miller 300D. you could use it to do all your own welding and fabricating.

I would just sell your jeep to some schmuck while you have a chance. Your cancer is gonna be too bad to want to mess with. If you don't believe me then pull your seats and start pulling up your carpet and you will see a mess.

If your unibody is that rusted then everything is. I wouldn't even want to wheel that and flex it becuase it will fold like a taco.

I have a feeling your rust will be worse than mine and you can click my thread to see how bad mine was. The only good thing was that my frame rails weren't rusted.

Not too mention any upgrades are work you are gonna do will snap half the bolts are they will be so siezed that you will break the weld nuts. LOL have fun.

Yes a 4 1/2 inch grinder, and a wire cup will work good, get yourself some masks, and safety glasses.Some wire brushes, you could then undercoat it or finish it all and get the holes patched somehow then use lizard skin under it. Lizard skin comes with a paint gun also to spray it.You will have to find some one or a shop auto body , offroad shop to do your patching it you cant. good luck

Did you check out the underside before you bought it???:confused:

Damn. Mine had mega rust all over the floors and the rockers are totally gone buy my unibody rails still have factory paint on them. If there is a hole in one part of the "frame" then you can bet there are soft spots everywhere.

Get under there and bang the rails with a ball pein hammer and I bet you'll find many more holes.

You need to take some pics of the WHOLE underside.Spend some time and check it out good front to back,it may be fixable.

Holy Shnikies, that is pretty rusty. Mine is from upstate NY also, but I am 100% positive whoever owned it garaged it, and didn't drive in any salt, there is no rust on the body. I undercoated every inch of it last month. My driveline parts have normal rust on them.

I would keep looking under there for more holes, that might not be the only one??? I would definitly plate that hole.

dang that thing looks hurt.

yeah ... good point guys i should probably look and see if there are any other spots. i'd like to keep it and try to make it drive able for a few years if not more so i dont have to keep making payments if i was to get another one.
i dont think it will hurt to try and fix it?!?