How bad does this look?
Hey guys I sent my jeep in to get the new rough country 3" leafs put in after a hell of a rusty bolt mess at the front hanger. So I picked it up the other day and the shop told me it wasn't road worthy because of the fact that my floor wasn't attached to the leaf spring mount, now I'm pretty good with my jeep and I know my stuff, but something tells me he just doesn't like my jeep... because the leaf spring is not held in place by the floor correct? It is only attached to the frame for structural integrity. And there is no rust at the joint where it attaches to my frame, I'll attach some pictures if it helps, thanks guys! And yes I am halfway through replacing my floors but I want to know if this guy is just yanking my chain or if he is right and it's about to fall apart haha
Alright to clarify guys where the floor meets the leaf spring hanger is what is rusted, not where the hanger is welded to the frame. As far as I can tell the floor isn't even welded to the hanger to begin with
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 14,479
Likes: 805
From: Blunt, South Dakota
Year: 97
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.6 stroker
Cherokees are uniframe constructed. Meaning if any part of it is compromised, the uniframe is structurally unsound. The part of your floor that's rotted away is part of the uniframe and is indeed attached to the hangar. It needs to be repaired.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 544
Likes: 252
From: Newmarket, Ontario
Year: 1989
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0 L
As said above, you've got to take care of that. Here a few shots of one way. I replaced my floors and installed 2"x6" by 1/8" wall rockers. I also bridged the frame rails to the rockers over top of the front spring hanger with 1/8" plate. Based on your pics you'll also have to get at the area under your rear seat. I don't have any shots of that because I haven't done it yet (lol) but once you rip the rot out you can see several ways to brace and strengthen that area.
Alright, thanks for the help guys. It is getting fixed up this week, it has been like that for the past year and the jeep gets wheeled regularly and flexed out occasionally and hasn't gotten any worse yet, also it has been like that for the past year I have owned the jeep. But what would you guys think the best way to fix it is? I have replaced all the floors up to that point and that looks like the most complicated spot so far, thanks guys
Also guys, not quite believing this myself but I got to tearing the carpet out today and I started there. The previous owner already replaced all the floor over that spot and did a good job actually. And they ran bolts through the new floor through the spring hanger and the seat rail, so in other words it isn't going to tear off now or ever... what they didn't do was weld the hanger back to the floor and that is what I'm doing today... so my mess of a jeep turns out to not be so bad after all.
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 14,479
Likes: 805
From: Blunt, South Dakota
Year: 97
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.6 stroker
Also guys, not quite believing this myself but I got to tearing the carpet out today and I started there. The previous owner already replaced all the floor over that spot and did a good job actually. And they ran bolts through the new floor through the spring hanger and the seat rail, so in other words it isn't going to tear off now or ever... what they didn't do was weld the hanger back to the floor and that is what I'm doing today... so my mess of a jeep turns out to not be so bad after all.
The reason I say this, is the PO didn't do that great of a job, if he left all the old rusted steel underneath, which is what it looks like from the outside...meaning that cancer will spread. There's a right way and wrong way to do things, and it looks to me like a crappy patch job, from the pics posted so far...can you take a screwdriver and knock material off from the outside? If so, cut it all out and start over, IMO. Not dissing your ride, just want you to have it done safe and right...
CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 8
From: Northern New Mexico
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
I agree with roninofako. How exactly did he do a good job replacing the floor if there's all that rust still underneath? He patched it probably. Not replace. Don't cheap out on your safety man..it's not worth cutting costs when it comes to yours or others lives...
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 41
From: Newport News, VA
Year: 96 & 88 4 dr Cherokees
Wouldn't even really say patch....he covered it up which is a half-a-kiester 'patch' job
Last edited by TRCM; Dec 26, 2016 at 10:56 AM.


