Hi everyone, I’m new to this form and recently bought a 2001 xj with 130k miles. I bought it with the intent to fix it up and drive. It has rocker rust and a lot of surface rust but the unibody seems mostly decent. My spots of concern are around the leaf spring hangars. I am able to weld and could get frame stiffeners for it or cut out and weld in new metal. Just wondering what others thoughts were. Thanks!

 

That don't look bad at all. If it we're mine I'd poke at it with an ice pick, if any puncture areas they'd get repaired. Everything rusty would get the scraper, chemical dried, Ospho'd, primed, painted and undercoated with Bituminous coating. That's my way, a way, not THE way. YAMMV.

 

Ok thanks for the input. I’ll probably get some rear frame stiffners and maybe some extra metal to strengthen up the frame rail where the shackle connects

 

How do the rear hangers and shackles look?

 

Yeap take a wire brush or wire wheel on your drill or angle grinder to it. Clean it up real good, wash it down with.... something other than water, like isopropyl alcohol, acetone, or a specific chemical for this type of application. Then once dry give it a few hits with the air compressor to blow off any remaining dust or particles and then prime and undercoat. Probably a rust stopper primer would be best. You wont be able to weld on that unless ALL of the rust is COMPLETELY gone and all you see is bare metal. That may require taking away too much material and it will just weaken the area. Or if you are a welder, remove all the rust then weld it layer by layer to build it back up (MIG), or weld the stiffeners on like you said. then you only have to clean the spots youre going to weld the stiffeners on to.... but obviously with it being clean and primed under the stiffener...

 

Yup, what Rocky said.
You notice he mentioned drying it with Isopropyl alcohol ? That stuff is hygroscopic meaning it pulls and absorbs water. When it evaporates it takes the water molecules away with it. Very important. Dry metal still has water molecules in the surface. It has to be dryed away with heat or evaporated chemically before priming and painting or else your just trapping in moisture.

Don't use isopropyl rubbing alcohol from the drugstore. Best you can get there is 91% ( 9% water) Go for the 100% strength "technical" stuff from the paint store or Home Depot. It works better and faster. It's eco friendly and paint and plastic safe. It's also the cheapest solvent you can buy.

 

Three things to know about rust:

1. It never sleeps.
2. It's never alone.
3. It spreads.

Don't leave rusty metal there and put good metal over it. You'll be crying if you do. Get ALL the rust out of there.

 

You dont need frame stiffeners. Make your own. Get a 4" grinder with a cleanup wheel and a cutoff wheel, Use that to grind the rust off. Wear a mask and glasses. Then get some 3/16 bar steel and cut it with the cutoff wheel to size. Weld it in with tack welds. You do not want to use a straight seem weld to the old steel as it will crack an break. too much stress on the metal. Then prime and paint.

Use the cutoff wheel to cut that bolt off that holds the parking brake cable and the other stuff.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garde...3/product.html

 

would it be much harder to use my own metal? And where would I get 3/16in bar steel from?

 

if its just standard 3/16 x 1 or 2", I see it at home depot all the time near the hardware, nails screws, etc section. Comes in 3 or 4 foot lengths.