Jeep Cherokee Forum
Tacked up
Tacked up
0 2024/03/09 16:54:11
Bottom view
Bottom view
0 2024/03/09 16:54:16
Found some rust under this seam. Not sure how I missed this initially but I started tackling it. Some spots were pretty weak so I made a patch.
Found some rust under this seam. Not sure how I missed this initially but I started tackling it. Some spots were pretty weak so I made a patch.
0 2024/03/10 16:03:26
Cleaned up
Cleaned up
0 2024/03/10 16:03:35
Plugging the other hole
Plugging the other hole
0 2024/03/10 16:03:42
0 2024/03/10 16:03:51
0 2024/03/10 16:04:16
0 2024/03/10 16:04:26
For this patch I used the “cut and butt” method. A patch is lapped over the damaged area and tacked in, then the edges are cut, pressed in flush and tacked a little at a time until the entire piece is flush.
For this patch I used the “cut and butt” method. A patch is lapped over the damaged area and tacked in, then the edges are cut, pressed in flush and tacked a little at a time until the entire piece is flush.
0 2024/03/10 16:04:34
Tacked in flush
Tacked in flush
0 2024/03/10 16:04:43
First run with the flap wheel
First run with the flap wheel
0 2024/03/10 16:04:54
After filling and flap wheeling again. I have a few more pores to fill before this is complete.
After filling and flap wheeling again. I have a few more pores to fill before this is complete.
0 2024/03/10 16:05:02
0 2024/03/10 16:05:11
The old damaged area needs to be cut out and smoothed from the bottom
The old damaged area needs to be cut out and smoothed from the bottom
0 2024/03/10 16:05:17
0 2024/03/17 16:00:29
Pretty ugly welds. It really is tough to get enough heat to penetrate deep enough without blowing through.
Pretty ugly welds. It really is tough to get enough heat to penetrate deep enough without blowing through.
0 2024/03/17 16:00:39
I put a light underneath the panel to find and mark pinholes to be filled after grinding down the initial stitches.
I put a light underneath the panel to find and mark pinholes to be filled after grinding down the initial stitches.
0 2024/03/17 16:00:48
Bottom view of the new patch
Bottom view of the new patch
0 2024/03/17 16:00:56
I get to a certain point where filling tiny pinholes and grinding the welds back down gets redundant. Once I stop seeing light through the pores, I fill them with epoxy. I did this on the floor pan as well. Maybe one day I’ll be a good enough welder to never need any filler!
I get to a certain point where filling tiny pinholes and grinding the welds back down gets redundant. Once I stop seeing light through the pores, I fill them with epoxy. I did this on the floor pan as well. Maybe one day I’ll be a good enough welder to never need any filler!
0 2024/03/17 16:01:04
Bottom view with a skim coat of epoxy. Once this cures, it’ll be sanded and I’ll shoot primer over all the bare metal.
Bottom view with a skim coat of epoxy. Once this cures, it’ll be sanded and I’ll shoot primer over all the bare metal.
0 2024/03/17 16:01:12
0 2024/03/17 16:35:16
Inside areas treated with POR15
Inside areas treated with POR15
0 2024/03/24 16:21:51
After fabbing up a replacement piece for this lapped vertical support. I was not happy with the porosity I ended up with but it’s covered with epoxy here. Once this and the epoxy on the underside is sanded, I’ll finally get to test fitting those shackle brackets.
After fabbing up a replacement piece for this lapped vertical support. I was not happy with the porosity I ended up with but it’s covered with epoxy here. Once this and the epoxy on the underside is sanded, I’ll finally get to test fitting those shackle brackets.
0 2024/03/24 16:22:01
The larger diameter rotabroach cutters in my kit make a nice starting piece for the round plugs I’ve been doing.
The larger diameter rotabroach cutters in my kit make a nice starting piece for the round plugs I’ve been doing.
0 2024/03/29 19:27:10
After trimming and filing, I’ve got three plugs for this side.
After trimming and filing, I’ve got three plugs for this side.
0 2024/03/29 19:27:20
Filled and ground down
Filled and ground down
0 2024/03/29 19:27:32
I decided to experiment with a larger scale round plug for my frame rail.
I decided to experiment with a larger scale round plug for my frame rail.
0 2024/03/29 19:27:43
Perfect fit
Perfect fit
0 2024/03/29 19:28:01
The stock nut-serts for the rear bumper had to be lopped off to fit the shackle bracket
The stock nut-serts for the rear bumper had to be lopped off to fit the shackle bracket
0 2024/03/29 19:28:12
After grinding down the ugly tack welds and cleaning up the floor patch from the bottom
After grinding down the ugly tack welds and cleaning up the floor patch from the bottom
0 2024/03/29 19:28:24
Bracket test fit
Bracket test fit
0 2024/03/29 19:28:30
Snagged a Harbor Freight blast cabinet for cheap on marketplace. This is such an upgrade for blasting small parts.
Snagged a Harbor Freight blast cabinet for cheap on marketplace. This is such an upgrade for blasting small parts.
0 2024/04/08 19:22:37
Freshly blasted shackle bracket
Freshly blasted shackle bracket
0 2024/04/08 19:22:43
Swapped the cable plug to a NEMA 6-50 with 8 gauge wire.
Swapped the cable plug to a NEMA 6-50 with 8 gauge wire.
0 2024/04/08 19:22:51
Got this old oven from my aunt. This is going to be my powder coating over! I made a cable for it to work on my welder receptacle.
Got this old oven from my aunt. This is going to be my powder coating over! I made a cable for it to work on my welder receptacle.
0 2024/04/08 19:22:58
These floor reinforcement plates came with my shackle brackets. They’ll be covered by the carpet and needed a finish, so they were the perfect candidates to try out my powder coating setup.
These floor reinforcement plates came with my shackle brackets. They’ll be covered by the carpet and needed a finish, so they were the perfect candidates to try out my powder coating setup.
0 2024/04/08 19:23:04
Hard to see the results in the photo, but not awful. Some orange peel was to be expected. These have a black base coat and were top coated with copper metal flake clear coat. Most of the copper flake stuck to the inside of my powder bottle instead of spraying onto my parts.
Hard to see the results in the photo, but not awful. Some orange peel was to be expected. These have a black base coat and were top coated with copper metal flake clear coat. Most of the copper flake stuck to the inside of my powder bottle instead of spraying onto my parts.
0 2024/04/08 19:23:09
Raptor primer can for the bare metal spots on the Jeep. I love this primer but I’m not buying it in a can again. It sucks. The can clogged and stopped spraying halfway through my second coat. I tried another nozzle from a different can and got primer all over the place. Very hard to control the spray. I’ve got probably 3/4 of the can left but can’t really use the rest of it.
Raptor primer can for the bare metal spots on the Jeep. I love this primer but I’m not buying it in a can again. It sucks. The can clogged and stopped spraying halfway through my second coat. I tried another nozzle from a different can and got primer all over the place. Very hard to control the spray. I’ve got probably 3/4 of the can left but can’t really use the rest of it.
0 2024/04/08 19:23:14
0 2024/04/08 19:23:22
I’m glad this patched section is done. I do wish I could’ve a better job without the need for epoxy filler. I think the lesson here is to not worry about grinding all the welds down on the inside. Even with periodically cooling it with compressed air, grinding puts so much heat stress into the metal that it gets super weak.
I’m glad this patched section is done. I do wish I could’ve a better job without the need for epoxy filler. I think the lesson here is to not worry about grinding all the welds down on the inside. Even with periodically cooling it with compressed air, grinding puts so much heat stress into the metal that it gets super weak.
0 2024/04/08 19:23:28