I bought me first jeep over three years ago. A 1998 4.0 I'll admit I didn't listen to the great jeep consul very well when I checked it. I thought I checked for the normal rust spots but I should of went deeper but you learn. The engine is solid pretty much anything under the hood some things need to be updated but solid. The problem is underneath. Right now I have a cracked manifold which I know and done my research on that. Most of my repair has gone to the exhaust system. My mechanic told me I had about a year before the frame rusted out. I love my jeep I love my jeep. Is there any any solutions or fixes or do I have to burry my beloved.

 

WELCOME!


Might want to get a new mechanic. XJ's don't have frames.

 

Technically no, but I wouldn't shame on his mechanic because he called the unibody rails a frame.

OP, you really need to figure out if it's worth fixing or not. A few small holes can be patched but if the whole thing is getting there you're better off spending your money elsewhere.

 

Yea,your right. Just having a rough day.

 

okay thanks. I know its pretty rusty underneath. I wondering if switching engines would be smarter. I don't know everything but could I switch my engine in a grand cherokee if I can't find a better cherokee body? Thanks

 

Yes Welcome to the Forum!


First off take it to a frame shop and ask them if you don't know someone that does know these XJ's and what can and can't be repaired, and if its worth it.


Second thought if you can take a bunch of photos of the problem areas then post here we have a lot of knowledgeable people here to advise you.

 

Thank you. I sometimes refer to the unibody Channels / Rails as the frame also and I know better. But I was working on stuff when they almost all still had frames. Technically, the unibody channels are indeed an integrated "frame".

 

Thank you for your replies! Sorry for the late response being working and cooking up some chicken wings! I do apologize for saying frame.In tomorrow light I will upload some photos. Thanks jeep jeep

 

Take some pictures of the under side of your jeep,Let us see if you have any major rust problems,Yeah the xj are known for rusting out at the rocker panels the metal under the doors and the floor pans.But not all of them rust out bad just depends if it was taken care of or had undercoating put on it.Some guys will talk trash and make you believe you have a pile of junk and sell it to them cheap,And they end up selling it for double or keeping it for their selfs.

 

Surely no one would do that to a young lad, would they

 

I'll post a better image soon sorry for the lateness! Thanks

 

I see that the rocker panels need a changing. I'm going to try to see if I can get a better picture

 

Picture #3 brought a tear to my eye. That crossmember supports substantial weight and looks to be in danger of dropping from frame-rail.

 

Kind of hard to tell from my phone screen...is that a bungee cord holding the muffler on?

 

Yes, I have had more trouble with the exhaust system. I had to try to keep it from dragging down the road to the mechanic.