Checking for Internal Rust

razmaspaz

razmaspaz

New Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
11
Location
Libertyville, IL
Feel free to direct me to what I would have thought would be a bunch of threads on this, but I can’t seem to find.

I’m looking at an LJ that has a couple spots of cosmetic body rust, and some surface rust on the frame. I suspect rust in the inside of the frame but the current owner assures me he did a thorough clean out and internal rust treatment about a year ago. What I can see from the outside doesn’t show any signs of rust, and he offered to let me “put a scope in the frame”, I am just not sure how to go about that. Is there something I can rent, or somewhere I can take it for this service?

the car is in otherwise good shape, 60k miles, fairly priced, and color and transmission I’m looking for. I’m looking for reasons to say no, but apart from the unknown of the inside, I don’t have very many. It is in Illinois, but hasn’t been here it’s whole life, and saves me a trip to Arizona or Texas, so...how do I do this?
 
Does he have his own scope he would let you use? If not, and that's something you wanted to do, Harbor Freight sells a cheap scope. I have one and it works great.

For a quick check, I use one of those extendable magnets that look like a pen, usually sold at the checkout of auto parts stores. Extend it out and fish around the inside of the frame through the factory holes, and see what comes out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Not_Invented_Here_
Pick up one of these and have at it, great tools for this particular job. Look very closely at the exterior of the frame too, it'll show signs of rust pretty easily like scaling & bubbling, pay close attention to all of the factory holes, that's where you can see a nice cross section of the frame. The edges should be nice 90 degree angles all around the holes, if they're bulging & puffed up it's rust. Also pay close attention to the usual trouble spots, near the control arms and the tc skid, drop the skid if you can for two reasons, to see if the bolts come out and also to check the condition of the frame where it meets the skid:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YY5T4GY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
  • Like
Reactions: taylormade73
Westtown Willy said:
Pick up one of these and have at it, great tools for this particular job. Look very closely at the exterior of the frame too, it'll show signs of rust pretty easily like scaling & bubbling, pay close attention to all of the factory holes, that's where you can see a nice cross section of the frame. The edges should be nice 90 degree angles all around the holes, if they're bulging & puffed up it's rust. Also pay close attention to the usual trouble spots, near the control arms and the tc skid, drop the skid if you can for two reasons, to see if the bolts come out and also to check the condition of the frame where it meets the skid:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YY5T4GY/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Click to expand...
x2
 
razmaspaz said:
TC Skid itself was fine, but 2 of the bolts are going to need to be drilled out.
Click to expand...
Why do they need drilled out. The TC skid is not the issue; rather, it is the frame rails where the TC skid attaches that is one of the 3 notorious placed these frames rot out. The other 2 are near the front and rear LCA mounts. Pics would be nice of the these 3 areas.
 
Here is the best shot of the TC skid I have. The rust seen here on the frame is pretty consistent everywhere. In this shot yo ucan see the rusted bolt poking out from the lip on the TC plate.
1582731546993.png
 
Top Bottom
Back