jon71203

went to start in on rear leafs and shocks and got under the jeep and saw this






what am i looking at? the first pic is the drivers side and the second the passenger, just above the exhaust. the second pic looks rough, is that my frame rusted out?

jon71203

follow up.....in the first pic what are the bolts holding?

Cane

the rear bolts are for the bumpstops for the rear axle

and you might want to clean that rust at the bottom for the rail on the second pic, if there's a hole underneath that I'd want to patch it before doing any more work on the jeep.

jon71203

ha, so mine are gone?

and the second pic? is that my frame?

Cane

yeah but dont worry about that mine fell off when I was installing leaf springs, the rubber was like dust.

as for the frame, it's your frame rails, yes, but it's part of the unibody, not a real frame like a truck. don't know if it makes a difference when it comes to rust, but I know if you have a hole there you should address before putting more money on the jeep.

if that's the only area where you have rust like this on the frame rails, you can probably get away with welding new metal plates, but if you have 3-4 different areas where it looks like this, then it's bad news because the cancer is probably already spread too far.

edit: here's a thread with a smiliar issue, maybe a little worse than you i don't know, but it can maybe guide you : https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/fra...ixable-210146/

nujeepguy

pull carpet and find floor is wet and solid rust, mainly right side.
im cleaning up mine now. so far the frame is intact so im gutting out the rotted sheet metal, applying a rust control material to save the frame rails.
i hear summit racing sells floor pan replacements. im checking today.
it took 3 days to dry the carpet and padding,
still trying to find source of water mainly on pass side.
i had to pull the seats to get at trim and carpet.. good luck, dont delay, its rusting as we read!!

jon71203

cleaned the rust, its not good

Cane

yeah definitely no good like that, but like i said if you're positive it's the only area where rust developped (other than floor pans/rockers which are not as much of a big deal as the frame rails are) you might be able to save it.

cut all the rust out and see what you're left with. if you're still unsure then or you're not able to tackle the job of welding yourself, i'd let it go and use it as a parts jeep.

jon71203

is it ok to drive?

CCKen

.

jon71203

thanks CCKen.......your thoughts? haha

nujeepguy

about $99 on amazon. im cutting out rust right now, break time.
i got some special seam sealer to seal the new pans then?screw or pop rivit. i dont weld!! also got some super rust killer at body shop supply.
ill try to get inside frame rails and all visible rust on edges where i cut.

big job but my outside is almost rust free, rare to see solid rockers!

Anony

One rust spot shouldn't be too much of a problem. As long as there's enough metal left to weld into. You need to clean it up with a grinder and possibly a torch, removing any rusted out metal. You may need to extend and weld repair metal even farther into the sub-frame. Such as e.g. a ~foot or so (possibly longer) beyond the cut out area, because the uni-body is thinner than vehicles that actually use a frame.

Welding in several metal plates should make it stronger than when new. Part of the problem is your working with a unibody that uses lighter metal, more prone to rusting out, can become more difficult to weld on.

Think of it as a rusted out spot on the uni-body and sub-frame, that becomes a complete body and frame. Any other weak and/or rusted spots or areas should also be repaired and taken care of.

I would finish the repair with some Chassis saver, Por-15, Miracle Paint, etc. which are moisture cured urethane paints. This type of paint cures with moisture. When applying this type of paint the metal surface shouldn't be smooth.