Frame rust repair or swap

[jcborch]

2001 wrangler, 4.0, manual. Bought as a project, just would like to know a few thoughts on the frame and body rail rust. The first pic is the front passenger frame, second is the rear passenger spring mount and third is driver's tub middle body mount. Are these generally easy repairs? I'm not a welder so I would be paying someone to fix. I've thought about buying a used replacement frame, I know it's labor intensive to swap, but there's parts that wouldn't be transferred cause they are being replaced anyways (brake and fuel lines, exhaust, possibly even the fenders).

 

[Shank]

I have frame swapped one similar. I bought a wrecked tub and drilled all the spot welds on the torque tubes/boxes and replaced. It was a lot of work. You will need to do similar.

 

[glowell222]

You will likely also need a new fuel tank skid plate. I swapped my frame myself and had a friend do the torque box welding, and it cost me around $5k. The hardest part was finding a replacement frame that was not it's own separate repair project.

 

[Cornbread]

Looks like a swap to me, maybe could repair it but you'd have to just about as much work as a swap would be to do it right.

 

[MaximusLJR06]

Is that already a frame patch in the 3rd photo? It's blurred out so hard to tell.

I was on FB Marketplace the other day and someone up in NE states was selling some frames they shipped in from out west. Could be a good source.

 

[jcborch]

You will likely also need a new fuel tank skid plate. I swapped my frame myself and had a friend do the torque box welding, and it cost me around $5k. The hardest part was finding a replacement frame that was not it's own separate repair project.

Looks like a swap to me, maybe could repair it but you'd have to just about as much work as a swap would be to do it right.

Thank you, I was

Is that already a frame patch in the 3rd photo? It's blurred out so hard to tell.

I was on FB Marketplace the other day and someone up in NE states was selling some frames they shipped in from out west. Could be a good source.

I was thinking it would be a swap just do to the fact that I'm sure there's more Swiss cheese than what I've found at the moment. I know parts of it look like they've already been patched and some of the welds seem poorly done. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[MaximusLJR06]

here is the listing on FB

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...h&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post

 

[Vtx531]

Like you said, the last pic is the body not the frame. It wouldn't make any sense to swap a bad body onto a good frame. Seems like the two options are to sell it and buy a better one to start with or make repairs just good enough to enjoy the Jeep how it is. Repairing can be very expensive if you pay someone else to do it.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

I think you could easily fix the whole rust situation with a few thermite grenades...