Frame Rot Help

I've decided that when the time comes, my jeep is getting a new frame. Its a bit more work, but mine seems to be a bit out of kilter too, from a previous accident. Not sure where a new frame will come from (OEM replacement, Throttle down Kustoms, other) but I've got too much work into this jeep at this point to just sell it and start over (that would be the smart decision)...
 
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Mike_H said:
I've decided that when the time comes, my jeep is getting a new frame. Its a bit more work, but mine seems to be a bit out of kilter too, from a previous accident. Not sure where a new frame will come from (OEM replacement, Throttle down Kustoms, other) but I've got too much work into this jeep at this point to just sell it and start over (that would be the smart decision)...
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I too am greatly attached to my Jeep.
 
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Can you put up some more photos of the entire frame? I don't think it's going to change the really good advice you've already gotten above, but it will put it all in better context.

Also, I know you said you're bringing it in to a shop to have it examined which is fine, but I'd really stop for a moment & consider grabbing the endoscope & looking in there yourself. From the one photo you've posted & everything you've described I fear the worst in this case, still the more knowledge you have going into the shop the better off you'll be discussing potential remedies with them...

This one is only $20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HYRPND/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
Westtown Willy said:
Can you put up some more photos of the entire frame? I don't think it's going to change the really good advice you've already gotten above, but it will put it all in better context.

Also, I know you said you're bringing it in to a shop to have it examined which is fine, but I'd really stop for a moment & consider grabbing the endoscope & looking in there yourself. From the one photo you've posted & everything you've described I fear the worst in this case, still the more knowledge you have going into the shop the better off you'll be discussing potential remedies with them...

This one is only $20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071HYRPND/?tag=wranglerorg-20
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Some pics where the rust is the worst.
P.S. I have an appointment to go into a shop on Saturday
 

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thrasherbb said:
Some pics where the rust is the worst.
P.S. I have an appointment to go into a shop on Saturday
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That actually doesn't look too bad. The problem is the nutserts where the skid mounts often come loose without much effort so even a little rust hurts. The good news is there appears to be decent material where a cap will bring it back to good as new.
 
primetime4 said:
That actually doesn't look too bad. The problem is the nutserts where the skid mounts often come loose without much effort so even a little rust hurts. The good news is there appears to be decent material where a cap will bring it back to good as new.
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My thoughts exactly! I'm glad to hear you don't think it looks to bad.
 
yup, looks better than I anticipated too judging from that first photo. Clearly you've got rust in the tc skid area which is no surprise, most do, but I also see a lot of flat surfaces rather than bulging & the cut outs look pretty clean. Remembering that these rust from the inside out, you can't put too much stock in the outside appearance but we've see dramatically worse frames on this forum many times over, not counting the ones I see in living color all the time in the real world. Besides that one really bad spot you may be able to do a really good cleanout of this one, drill out some drain holes, paint it or treat the interior with something to prevent advancement whether it be Eastwood or the oil/fluid film type route... avoiding the safety cap scenario altogether.

You said you don't have the tools to take off the skid, but all you need is a ratchet or even a wrench; I'd be curious if you can back those bolts out of the skid in advance of taking it to the shop to get a good look at what you've got. Once you get that thing off you'll be in a better position to know if it needs caps on the main rails.

Anyway, here's to hoping those bolts come out rather than just spinning...
 
thrasherbb said:
I absolutely will keep posting about my experience, definitely doing a lot of frame maintenance in 2021!
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I just bought a 2003 TJ with what seemed to be minimal rust compared to many I've seen... Unfortunately when we got into it, we realized there was much more than we could see from the outside. I have a guy that is fixing it using the Saf-T-Cap system, we got it from Quadratech for around $435 with tax (free shipping). We are replacing the driver & passenger side rails (complete center sections). Labor - $900, Parts - $435, overall I felt like it wasn't too bad considering what the dealer would have charged.

Also, my bolts just spun out, the nuts were completely shot from rust.
 
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There's a bunch of very good and fairly priced scope cameras these days that will plug into your phone. Much like @TheBoogieman posted earlier. You can assess the damage from inside. In all bets, that's where your problem spot started. Rust from the inside out...

You'll be able to better see if you have other areas of concern - especially if you run a chain cleaner through it first.

I'm planning to scope my frame this weekend as part of my build and REALLY hope to not see similar results to @TheBoogieman. 🤞
 
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I went into the shop, and found out what I'm going to do. As it turns out the rot is only severe enough on the bottom 1/4 of the frame rails. Those will be taken out, and plated back up. The full caps won't be necessary, as of now I'm set to go into the shop late June and have the work done. I think this it the best outcome IMO, and I'm excited to see the results. Keeping this frame fixed and protected was #1 priority, and I'm happy to be making progress to say the least.
 
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JEEPCJTJ said:
You're pretty early in the process to be deciding exactly what you want/need. I'm not saying Pocono isn't OK or SafeTCap is better. I've needed neither. Maybe that hole is the worst part of your frame and a nice piece of flat stock welded over it for $25 will take care of it. Probably not, but who really knows at this point?

Just take the time to figure out what needs repaired and ask around to find the best you can afford to do those repairs. They will let you know what they prefer to work with and why.

And since you're in Ohio, how close are you to PA? Not that I could fix your frame but I can help find what needs fixed.
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The problem with a frame that looks like that already, as many have posted, is that the rest of the frame IS definitely rusted on the inside. An area like the skid plate which holds weight and helps align the transmission definitely needs to be reinforced and taken care of before it becomes an issue.
 
Ephry73 said:
The problem with a frame that looks like that already, as many have posted, is that the rest of the frame IS definitely rusted on the inside. An area like the skid plate which holds weight and helps align the transmission definitely needs to be reinforced and taken care of before it becomes an issue.
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Exactly, mine only had a hole the size of a quarter in them., but when we cut into them, the bottom 3/4 of them were completely delaminated and not worth welding to.
 
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