Frame is solid

[Damazzaro]

I always look at Jeeps for sale. People always think the frame is still solid and in good shape. This guy had the audacity to say "frame is in ok shape" for a Jeep he's trying to part out. I think a little wire wheel and one can of black paint would fix all the integrity issues, thoughts?

 

[dbbd1]

I don't envy you all in the rust belt.

 

[Not_Invented_Here_]

I don't envy you all in the rust belt.

Ever since I purchased my TJ and went down the rust rabbit hole, I've made a weird habit out of (when possible) checking the inside of frames on other TJ's that I see. Every one of them has had major accumulation of flakes inside. Every. Single. One.

I actually got caught doing this recently by an owner (a cop no less, luckily was cool about it) and I ended up having a long conversation with him about this issue. He had no idea what he had purchased and thought the outside was fine so it must be a sound frame. His was worse on the inside than mine was.

I started the "what does your frame look like" thread for this reason - too many people like me finally purchasing their dream car and realizing they might actually have a potential nightmare on their hands.

 

[GregAusTex]

Every one of them has had major accumulation of flakes inside.

That's interesting. Did you poke around with your fingers by the larger holes? I have some patches of flakes in mine near a couple of them, but I scoped it and they are fairly isolated, so finding some flakes doesn't mean pervasive rot. The worst actually seems to be where the back bumper attaches.

Hopefully my combination of hammering the outside to knock stuff loose, poking and scraping the worst spots with a coat hanger, vacuuming it up with a section of garden hose attached to a shop vac, and a thorough Eastman Internal Frame Coating will contain those spots.

 

[DetroitTJ]

That frame is definitely a gamble. If it is cheep - like $400 - then maybe worth a shot. A like new frame can be found on Ebay for $1200. A brand new galvanized TJ frame can be purchased for around $4000.

If you're feeling lucky I would take this frame and have it sandblasted, then assess the metal. If the metal seems solid then treat with POR15 or paint with Steel-It urethane paint. You can find replacement patches for frames from SafeTCaps if necessary.

There is a good treatment from Eastwood for the internal portion of the frame - it's a spray can with a 24" nozzle to allow you to coat the internal portion of the frame. I used 3 cans to pain mine.

 

[Not_Invented_Here_]

That's interesting. Did you poke around with your fingers by the larger holes? I have some patches of flakes in mine near a couple of them, but I scoped it and they are fairly isolated, so finding some flakes doesn't mean pervasive rot. The worst actually seems to be where the back bumper attaches.

Hopefully my combination of hammering the outside to knock stuff loose, poking and scraping the worst spots with a coat hanger, vacuuming it up with a section of garden hose attached to a shop vac, and a thorough Eastman Internal Frame Coating will contain those spots.

Absolutely, by the lower control arm mounts. Some on here may say otherwise but I agree with you...not sure it's necessarily a death sentence if you properly clean and treat. I won't know personally for another couple years I guess.

I'm following the exact same routine as you but didn't even think of the garden hose, solid idea.

 

[Damazzaro]

That frame is definitely a gamble. If it is cheep - like $400 - then maybe worth a shot. A like new frame can be found on Ebay for $1200. A brand new galvanized TJ frame can be purchased for around $4000.

If you're feeling lucky I would take this frame and have it sandblasted, then assess the metal. If the metal seems solid then treat with POR15 or paint with Steel-It urethane paint. You can find replacement patches for frames from SafeTCaps if necessary.

There is a good treatment from Eastwood for the internal portion of the frame - it's a spray can with a 24" nozzle to allow you to coat the internal portion of the frame. I used 3 cans to pain mine.

My post was less of a legitimate question and of more of a mockery that someone is attempting to sell this frame. I feel I can safely assume that I could poke holes in this frame with a screwdriver and hammer. The outside is so bad because it's been sitting. Sitting is horrible for frames, let alone TJ frames where they have this lack of proper drain holes. No way this frame could be made salvageable for any sort of offroad rig without replacing nearly all of that metal. And even then, you can't weld to rust, so I wouldn't trust any fix.

Frames can be made to last in the saltiest of areas. People just need to keep up routine maintenance. Though that's a scary term for lots of people these days. 'whatda mean i gotta replace engine oil every 3-5k miles. ill just do it every 10k and save myself 2 hours a year and $89.45'. I've just never understood the logic of some people with their vehicles.

Eastwood internal frame coating can certainly be a great application. Just have to make sure you do so by following the prep and paint instructions to a tee. Even then it's better to go above and beyond: Make sure to decrease at least once, get as much crud out of there as you can, paint when the whether conditions will be favorable for a period of multiple days, etc. Seen people spray similar things in their frames only to trap moisture and create bubbling paint that will just attract even more moisture. It's a nightmare sometimes. Patience and prep are very important.

I started the "what does your frame look like" thread for this reason - too many people like me finally purchasing their dream car and realizing they might actually have a potential nightmare on their hands.

I'm glad you're putting that information out there and bringing attention to it. Informing people about what to look for and potential risks is great. Though I've found some people just don't want to hear something that doesn't align with their thought process. I've gone to some local Jeep meetups where people talk about their frame and how they plan on taking care of it. One guy didn't like that I told him his plan of painting POR15 over all the exterior rust was going to do about as much good as disguising a pug to look like a German Shepard. Might look nicer, but it ain't no Shepard. Ya, I might come off blunt sometimes when I discuss a lot of that stuff, but after seeing so many weld jobs that look like practice metal sheet at a high school, I lose hope sometimes.