rotten floor pan
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Year: 1996
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
rotten floor pan
I have a 1996 2 door xj the floor pans are rotten. Anyone ever install new ones? How much of a chore is it? Am i wasting my time? Part it out? Engine and transmission seem to be ok 4x4 works 3inch suspension lift. Is it worth $1500 bux if I were to sell it?
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 423
Likes: 0
From: fairview utah
Year: 1988
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I put new pans in mine the hole passenger side was gone I used 22 gauge sheet metal and some half inch self tape screws works perfect give me a call I'll try to explain how I did it 4354692231
Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 205
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Year: 94
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 Stroked - 4.7
yeah dont get rid! Everyone has that problem. Fix the leak - which is the seal on the heater/ AC blower at the firewall. Then fix the floor with some sheetmetal. MANY threads on this one and shows the fixes too!
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,771
Likes: 1
From: Georgetown, ON
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4L
if you cant weld it in because lack of a welder....like me
I started by cuting out all the bad rot, then I used a wire wheel and cleaned up any areas I was gonna cover over with steel down to bare metal, primed everything with some heavy duty primer paint, let it dry over night and got my panels ready to go for the next day..
with my panels ready to go I did and outline of seem sealer on the panel and riveted one on each side to hold it in place then away i went 1 rivet every inch.
when your all done coat with rocker guard a couple times...
it will be just as strong if not better then stock..
I started by cuting out all the bad rot, then I used a wire wheel and cleaned up any areas I was gonna cover over with steel down to bare metal, primed everything with some heavy duty primer paint, let it dry over night and got my panels ready to go for the next day..
with my panels ready to go I did and outline of seem sealer on the panel and riveted one on each side to hold it in place then away i went 1 rivet every inch.
when your all done coat with rocker guard a couple times...
it will be just as strong if not better then stock..
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Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 189
Likes: 1
From: DuPage, IL
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
This is what I did. Still holding up strong, I'm kind of surprised.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/ch...ch-idea-38609/
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/ch...ch-idea-38609/
CF Veteran
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,140
Likes: 1
From: cape cod ma.
Year: 1998
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 i6
you haven't done it have you????OP buy the pans it's not bad..for some reason the uni-body rails don't rot under them i have done it a few times once i did it from flat sheet metal...not worth it
Last edited by alloutperform; Feb 11, 2011 at 11:20 PM.
Seasoned Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 307
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, OH
Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 Straight 6
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 719
Likes: 0
From: Bel Air, Maryland 21015
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
There are a few ways to go about this, which one you choose depends on your goal and budget.
Full Restoration? - put in new floor pan.
Just want to keep using your Jeep and prolong its life? - put in a patch
WELDING WARNING: If you are not experienced with welding this kind of repair DO NOT ATTEMPT IT. There is soooo much that can go wrong welding on an assembled vehicle in small spaces. FIRES? Yeah real possibility. Hot metal burning through wires, hoses, brake lines, fuel lines? My welding shop will not weld on the interior of a fully assembled vehicle.
They had a guy with a CARGO VAN who needed a new floor in the back. They cut sheet metal to fit and sent it to a body shop who applied the sheet metal with 3M Panel Bond ( expensive two part adhesive that makes permanent bonds - sticks almost anything to anything - costs like $60 for the application gun, and another $60 for the tube of adhesive.
METHOD 1: ( best where shaped metal is involved. )
Cut away all the bad metal from your floor to see how much you need. Be careful cutting, make sure you know what is UNDER the floor pan where you plan to cut. Look at it from below to make sure you are clear of wiring, brake lines, fuel lines. Move them if they are in the way if possible.
Once you have cut back to clean metal, clean, prime and paint the edges to prevent them from rusting.
Take a battery operated drill. ( to start cutout holes )
Take a battery operated sawz-all with 16-18 tpi blade. ( to cut sheet metal )
Go to junk yard and cut out the section of floor pan you need.
Make sure the piece you cut out is larger then the hole in your floor.
Now take the Junk Yard piece and lay it over the hole to check fit.
Once you have the piece cut to fit as a patch, pull it out.
Clean it up, prime and paint it as well.
What you are going to do is Pop Rivet the patch in place but FIRST you should apply Automotive SEAM SEALER on the bottom side of the patch where it will contact your floor. This will seal up the patch and prevent water leakage.
DO NOT USE any Silicon Sealer from Home Depot/Lowes of any kind - they may contain acids that will do bad things over time.
AUTOMOTIVE SEAM SEALER comes in tubes so you will need a CAULK GUN to apply it
Pop Rivet the patch in place using as many STAINLESS STEEL rivets you can around the perimeter.
Once it is riveted in place, apply the SEAM SEALER around the edge overlapping it on to the patch and original floor board.
METHOD 2: ( great for where flat patches can be used. )
Cut away all the bad metal from your floor to see how much you need.
Once you have cut back to clean metal, clean, prime and paint the edges to prevent them from rusting.
Obtain the proper gauge sheet metal from a Welding Supplier/Metal Supplier ( not from Home Depot ) The Welding Supplier/Metal Supplier will cut a piece to your measurements for you ( Home Depot only sells precuts ) of you can do like I did and buy a full 4' X 8' sheet. Cost me $55 for the full sheet.
Cut a piece of this sheet metal at least 1" larger then the patch area.
Clean, prime and paint the newly cut patch
What you are going to do is Pop Rivet the patch in place but FIRST you should apply Automotive SEAM SEALER on the bottom side of the patch where it will contact your floor. This will seal up the patch and prevent water leakage.
DO NOT USE any Silicon Sealer from Home Depot/Lowes of any kind - they may contain acids that will do bad things over time.
AUTOMOTIVE SEAM SEALER comes in tubes so you will need a CAULK GUN to apply it
Pop Rivet the patch in place using as many STAINLESS STEEL rivets you can around the perimeter.
Once it is riveted in place, apply the SEAM SEALER around the edge overlapping it on to the patch and original floor board.
Method 3: ( can be tricky because you may have to do more work to install the entire new floor pan - but probaby the best method. )
Buy a replacement floor pan and install it after removing the old one.
This can be more work than it is worth depending on your goal.
NOTE: I had to replace part of the cargo area floor pan. If I bought a new floor pan it would cost me $169 for the floor pan, plus $99 for shipping. So $268 just for the floor pan. Then I had to buy rivets, seam sealer and other supplies.
I bought a 4'X8' sheet of steel and all supplies for less than $100.00. Would have been less if I bought just enough to make the patch.
Full Restoration? - put in new floor pan.
Just want to keep using your Jeep and prolong its life? - put in a patch
WELDING WARNING: If you are not experienced with welding this kind of repair DO NOT ATTEMPT IT. There is soooo much that can go wrong welding on an assembled vehicle in small spaces. FIRES? Yeah real possibility. Hot metal burning through wires, hoses, brake lines, fuel lines? My welding shop will not weld on the interior of a fully assembled vehicle.
They had a guy with a CARGO VAN who needed a new floor in the back. They cut sheet metal to fit and sent it to a body shop who applied the sheet metal with 3M Panel Bond ( expensive two part adhesive that makes permanent bonds - sticks almost anything to anything - costs like $60 for the application gun, and another $60 for the tube of adhesive.
METHOD 1: ( best where shaped metal is involved. )
Cut away all the bad metal from your floor to see how much you need. Be careful cutting, make sure you know what is UNDER the floor pan where you plan to cut. Look at it from below to make sure you are clear of wiring, brake lines, fuel lines. Move them if they are in the way if possible.
Once you have cut back to clean metal, clean, prime and paint the edges to prevent them from rusting.
Take a battery operated drill. ( to start cutout holes )
Take a battery operated sawz-all with 16-18 tpi blade. ( to cut sheet metal )
Go to junk yard and cut out the section of floor pan you need.
Make sure the piece you cut out is larger then the hole in your floor.
Now take the Junk Yard piece and lay it over the hole to check fit.
Once you have the piece cut to fit as a patch, pull it out.
Clean it up, prime and paint it as well.
What you are going to do is Pop Rivet the patch in place but FIRST you should apply Automotive SEAM SEALER on the bottom side of the patch where it will contact your floor. This will seal up the patch and prevent water leakage.
DO NOT USE any Silicon Sealer from Home Depot/Lowes of any kind - they may contain acids that will do bad things over time.
AUTOMOTIVE SEAM SEALER comes in tubes so you will need a CAULK GUN to apply it
Pop Rivet the patch in place using as many STAINLESS STEEL rivets you can around the perimeter.
Once it is riveted in place, apply the SEAM SEALER around the edge overlapping it on to the patch and original floor board.
METHOD 2: ( great for where flat patches can be used. )
Cut away all the bad metal from your floor to see how much you need.
Once you have cut back to clean metal, clean, prime and paint the edges to prevent them from rusting.
Obtain the proper gauge sheet metal from a Welding Supplier/Metal Supplier ( not from Home Depot ) The Welding Supplier/Metal Supplier will cut a piece to your measurements for you ( Home Depot only sells precuts ) of you can do like I did and buy a full 4' X 8' sheet. Cost me $55 for the full sheet.
Cut a piece of this sheet metal at least 1" larger then the patch area.
Clean, prime and paint the newly cut patch
What you are going to do is Pop Rivet the patch in place but FIRST you should apply Automotive SEAM SEALER on the bottom side of the patch where it will contact your floor. This will seal up the patch and prevent water leakage.
DO NOT USE any Silicon Sealer from Home Depot/Lowes of any kind - they may contain acids that will do bad things over time.
AUTOMOTIVE SEAM SEALER comes in tubes so you will need a CAULK GUN to apply it
Pop Rivet the patch in place using as many STAINLESS STEEL rivets you can around the perimeter.
Once it is riveted in place, apply the SEAM SEALER around the edge overlapping it on to the patch and original floor board.
Method 3: ( can be tricky because you may have to do more work to install the entire new floor pan - but probaby the best method. )
Buy a replacement floor pan and install it after removing the old one.
This can be more work than it is worth depending on your goal.
NOTE: I had to replace part of the cargo area floor pan. If I bought a new floor pan it would cost me $169 for the floor pan, plus $99 for shipping. So $268 just for the floor pan. Then I had to buy rivets, seam sealer and other supplies.
I bought a 4'X8' sheet of steel and all supplies for less than $100.00. Would have been less if I bought just enough to make the patch.
Last edited by KD3NE; Feb 12, 2011 at 09:00 AM.
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 189
Likes: 1
From: DuPage, IL
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
If your cargo area needs help, heres my other thread about fixing the rust there too. This is a super cheap way to do it. It's still holding up great and the herculiner isnt scratched or scuffed at all. I get compliments on it all the time, and when I carry stuff in the back it doesnt slide around at all.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/ho...culiner-41282/
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f58/ho...culiner-41282/