Frame Repair 02 TJ (Massachusetts)

sbisson99

sbisson99

New Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2020
Messages
5
Location
Massachusetts
Hi all I’m new to the Jeep world and even newer to the forum. I recently acquired an 02 TJ and absolutely love it, only downside is I recently found frame rot that needs to be repaired. I am looking for recommendation as to what exactly I should do and how much roughly I’m gonna be looking at spending, I’m only 20 and a kinship foster parent so funds aren’t great but I have 2k to play with now, any advice is greatly appreciated!
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Your best bet are Safe T Caps. They are made near you in Cranston, Rhode Island. You essentially cut the bottom half of the driver- and passenger-side frame rails in half laterally and weld in new channels. Some will say you need to frame swap, but that's not a realistic option for $2,000, and if done properly (i.e. cutting out ALL the rust), caps are fine.

Can you weld? If not, the total cost to install two caps (and I basically guarantee you need two full-length caps) will be closer to $3,000 unless you get a great deal. Send some pics of the skid plate so we can see the extent of the rust. Hopefully the rest of the frame is OK. The problem areas are under the skid plate and where the frame curves up behind the rear wheels.

https://www.autorust.com/product-category/jeep/jeep-tj/
 
Unfortunately cannot weld picked the wrong trade, have a few friends in the trade though, is it something I should consider getting professionally done? I have no problem forking away a few extra bucks if the professional rout is needed. Since I’m laid off Jeep can sit for as long as I want, will crawl under and snap more pics
 
If you can't weld, you have one of two options:
  1. Sell it at a loss for parts.
  2. Find a competent shop that specializes in rust and frame repair, and pay them to fix the sections of the frame that are rotted.
What you have there is dangerous to be driving, plain and simple.

While I can't see the entire frame, if there are other sections like that, you ideally need an entirely new frame.

Any way you look at this, it's not going to be cheap unfortunately.

Don't drive that in it's current condition. That control arm is one step away from breaking off, which all it will take is a bump in the road. When that happens, there's a chance you could lose control of the vehicle, potentially injuring yourself and / or others.
 
From what I can see and by whacking around with a hammer the real damage is the rear shock mount area, haven’t driven the Jeep since I took it to a shop that pointed out the rear to me, thanks guys!

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I've seen a lot worse. Send a pic of the other frame rail near the skid plate. One of those pics looks like it's been worked on previously.
 
Have your friends in the welding trade take a look at it. They’ll be able to tell you what you’ll need and if it’s repairable. Try Pocono Metalcraft for the frame parts you need (on amazon). They’re a little cheaper than Safe T Cap but very good quality. I had my center sections welded in by a welder I found through word of mouth. My cost was $180.00 for the parts and $400.00 to have them put on. If you friends can weld it may cost you a case of beer to have it done. Good luck with your TJ.
 
Tony DiDomenico said:
Have your friends in the welding trade take a look at it. They’ll be able to tell you what you’ll need and if it’s repairable. Try Pocono Metalcraft for the frame parts you need (on amazon). They’re a little cheaper than Safe T Cap but very good quality. I had my center sections welded in by a welder I found through word of mouth. My cost was $180.00 for the parts and $400.00 to have them put on. If you friends can weld it may cost you a case of beer to have it done. Good luck with your TJ.
Click to expand...
Thanks so much that put a little faith back in this
 
Also to add don’t know how much it matters but when I reached in and felt around there was no crust or rust flakes in the frame rail

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