suzuki squid

Has anyone ever taken a hand sand blaster and just blasted pretty much the entire underbody lightly? My xj is an 88 and someone put underbody rust proofing on it at one time but its starting to flake off in areas. I was just randomly thinking about it at work today during one of my many day dreams.
(home depot) haha.

Couldn't I just put it up on a lift and take a hand sand blaster and just go to work on the entire under body and then re paint it myself with some self bought under body treatment?

Just an idea. Opinions?

98xjeeper

Hey if you have the means to do it I dont see why not. I would'nt mind doin that to mine.

suzuki squid

thats what i was thinking, i have a friend that has a hand/hose style blaster that would work but no lift, maybe get him to bring his blaster over to my friends shop that has a lift.
Would be a pretty good thing preservation wise to do huh?
Has anyone done this before??
anyone recommend a good underbody coating product you can buy?

p.s. - and i would think that if you were ever thinking about strengthening the unibody frame with some steel plating this would be the time to do it. Seeing as how you have to grind down to bare metal to do that project too.

freakaccident

I would just patch up the spots with POR. Sand blasting the entire underbody with a shop sandblaster would require 3 cases of beer and a gallon of Jack at least. Per person for the week. At least you would be able to lie on the floor in the shop and imagine you were at the beach after the job was done.

EDIT - If you live near a beach that you can drive on then just stick the intake hose into the sand, get drunk, and go at it. EPA problems maybe though?

suzuki squid

Well there isn't really a lot of rust, i would just be more or less taking off the old flakey undercoating and just just barely getting to fresh metal, then recoating. I don't think it would take a week haha. And yeah i wouldn't do it on the floor, i would just get my one friend to bring his blaster to my other friends dads shop and put that ***** up on the lift.

XJs-R-us

Rhino Lining (thats what I plan on using)
or any type of DIY truck bed liner.

I was going to do this this spring/summer.
And mentioning sandblasting the underneathe first sounds like a REALLY great idea.

Also, DO NOT FORGET to do inside underneathe the carpet!!
...Otherwise its just gonna rot from the inside out from melted snow.

If youre gonna do it, might as well do it right the first time.

XJs-R-us

For sure!

freakaccident

The mess of sand would be astounding man. You would have to do it outside. The amount of sand you would go through would be quite significant as well. You would need a very badass sandblaster and compressor to do it efficiently and those drink sand like your bathtub drains water. If you have the means then go for it.

If I were you I would get a gallon of POR, scrape the loose stuff, and apply the POR. Slather on some bedliner after if you like.

EDIT - Seriously, I assisted a crew that had to sandblast the paint off of the mono-rail structure at Busch Gardens in Tampa about ten years ago. It took one man an hour to do one foot of 24" rail. There was a dump truck feeding the blaster and a vac truck to suck it up off of the ground. There is no way you are gonna blast undercoating off the bottom of your XJ with a shop sand blaster without making yourself go crazy.

suzuki squid

Yeah but would this provide the same protection against rust and all the salt and **** that gets at the underbody during the winter? Im in michigan, but my xj is from virginia, i want to preserve it as much as i can.

freakaccident

You can't get in every crack. Completely resurfacing the underbody and then laying a new coat is perfect but horribly not worth it. Having an underbody coating to start with is awesome though.

I personally would spray a good degreaser all over the underbody and let it soak for a few. Then I would pressure wash the underbody very very well. Scrape and POR the loose spots that are left then Rhino Line over that. Not much else you can do.

The pressure washer will definitely show you the weak areas.

In the winters make sure you get regular washes from a place that does the underbody with rust inhibitor. I use Mike's Express here in Indy.

XJs-R-us

Ive seen some pretty nasty s*** go into a bedliner over and over and over again and come out still looking like a rose.
Matter of fact, a buddy of mine has a chevy that has seen WAY better days, and the only thing that isnt F***ed is the bedliner.

And with the amount of salt the D.O.T. throws on our roads each winter is horrendous here....Im surprised most cars here make it past there loan term, before any major body work needs to be done, but of course, most people just get rid of them and buy a new car anyway.

That being said...My XJ is 21! And in need of some SERIOUS underbody TLC.
I got the welder and can get the metal...I just need to find someone who can blast it....so then I can also make my rockers, I plan on fabbing for mine.

CRoading

Rhino line protects your jeep's under body more than a normal paint can...
Make sure you'll eliminate majority of the rust to make it last longer...

Cushak

What's the best way to get all the rust off? Chemically or angle grinder?

suzuki squid

Sand blasting man, that's what were talking about here. haha.

XJs-R-us

sandblasting would cut into my locker budget....

I think I will have to try and use my grinder and lightly take off as much as possible.
Although, I do have a welder to patch anything and everything.

Im scared as F*** to pull my carpet! "Hey look, I can see the ground there, there, OMG THERE! and there." lol