Frame Rust

DryBranch

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Sep 3, 2024
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17
Location
Ohio
Jeep Frame.jpg


Hello! Looking for advice on the severity of this frame rust. I wired wheeled a bunch of the chipped parts off and it goes almost through the frame. Pretty sure I could just push a screwdriver through without too much effort. I would say the hole would be about quarter to half dollar sized. The other side of the frame has the same situation going on. I've put a rust inhibitor on it but do you guys think this is something I could let ride or is it worth it to take it to a frame shop and have them fix it? Thanks for your help!
 
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On a scale of one to 10 that’s about a 12.

just looking at that one photo with certainly make me think it needs some serious attention for safety reasons.

Thanks for the input. It's an LJ. Do you think this safe-t-cap section will do the job?

Safe T Cap

These two spots fortunately seem to be the only really bad spots. I spent this afternoon poking around everywhere else underneath I could reach and the frame seems OK other than this.
 
Thanks for the input. It's an LJ. Do you think this safe-t-cap section will do the job?

Safe T Cap

These two spots fortunately seem to be the only really bad spots. I spent this afternoon poking around everywhere else underneath I could reach and the frame seems OK other than this.

Sadly, I’ve never known an OH vehicle to be ok once some of the frame looked like this.
 
Sadly, I’ve never known an OH vehicle to be ok once some of the frame looked like this.

Yeah that's a good point. But it really does seem alright everywhere else I could get to. I'll have the shop look it over too and see if they find anything else. In for a penny in for a pound I guess.
 
Thanks for the input. It's an LJ. Do you think this safe-t-cap section will do the job?

Those safe-t-caps and similar products should be looked at as a band-aid. The rust is there, and it looks like it goes all the way through, but if you don;t kill/stop it and just cover it, it will hasten the corrosion. You have two options, 1- remove all rust, repair and prevent any further rust, or 2- replace the frame. Anything else is a temporary band-aid solution.
 
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Those safe-t-caps and similar products should be looked at as a band-aid. The rust is there, and it looks like it goes all the way through, but if you don;t kill/stop it and just cover it, it will hasten the corrosion. You have two options, 1- remove all rust, repair and prevent any further rust, or 2- replace the frame. Anything else is a temporary band-aid solution.

Thank you for this. Ideally yeah I'd like it to be removed as much as possible and repaired. I'm not sure a frame replacement makes sense based on cost. In my anxiety at this discovery I did forget to mention that the outside of the frame in this area on both sides was previously reinforced with a welded on plate. I doubt I want to know what it looks like underneath that.
 
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I did forget to mention that the outside of the frame in this area on both sides was previously reinforced with a welded on plate. I doubt I want to know what it looks like underneath that.

That guarantees you have a rusty frame that is beyond repair, and is approaching beyond band-aid. If you don't have the funds and/or time for a full frame swap now, I'd go ahead with a patch, but know it is a temporary thing, and a frame swap or scrapped Jeep is in the not so distant future. How is the body?
 
That guarantees you have a rusty frame that is beyond repair, and is approaching beyond band-aid. If you don't have the funds and/or time for a full frame swap now, I'd go ahead with a patch, but know it is a temporary thing, and a frame swap or scrapped Jeep is in the not so distant future. How is the body?

Body is in good shape. Really only one very small rusty spot behind the rear wheel. Rest of it is in pretty good shape.
 
Body is in good shape. Really only one very small rusty spot behind the rear wheel. Rest of it is in pretty good shape.

I suggest you address that soon. What about the under side, like the floor pans and torque boxes?
 
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Have you used a bore scope on the rest of the frame? Get on car-part.com and see if any junkyards have one in road trip distance.maybe get a good tj frame and extend it to lj proportions?

Consider zinc plating on the new frame...
images.jpeg
 
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I just don’t have the experience or the technical knowledge to make any judgment on the worthiness of a repair…. Always remember a frame swap is not out of the question.


I don’t know your budget or skill level but I’m just trying to suggest ideas so that you can see all sides.

We hate rust and we wish you the very best fixing it.
 
You think it can't be saved?

probably not and if it has already been repaired it's scrap . your best/only real option is a frame swap if the body is good. It's expensive but might make it so you treat it with a rust preventer afterwards. If you don't want to do a swap I advise you to get a friend and some beers, find a good offroad trail and go dukes of hazard with it until the frame breaks. then part it out and sell the rust for scrap metal....
 
probably not and if it has already been repaired it's scrap . your best/only real option is a frame swap if the body is good. It's expensive but might make it so you treat it with a rust preventer afterwards. If you don't want to do a swap I advise you to get a friend and some beers, find a good offroad trail and go dukes of hazard with it until the frame breaks. then part it out and sell the rust for scrap metal....

 
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I suggest you address that soon. What about the under side, like the floor pans and torque boxes?

From what I can see underneath the floor plans look good. Torque boxes too. I may be missing something but I looked pretty thoroughly everywhere I could see underneath and this was the only really concerning thing I saw.
 
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Have you used a bore scope on the rest of the frame? Get on car-part.com and see if any junkyards have one in road trip distance.maybe get a good tj frame and extend it to lj proportions?

Consider zinc plating on the new frame...
View attachment 568255

Looked earlier and saw a couple options. In the $2000 to 2500 range. I think my first step is taking it to a frame shop and seeing what they say and then weigh my options from there.
 
I just don’t have the experience or the technical knowledge to make any judgment on the worthiness of a repair…. Always remember a frame swap is not out of the question.


I don’t know your budget or skill level but I’m just trying to suggest ideas so that you can see all sides.

We hate rust and we wish you the very best fixing it.

I appreciate all your help. I can do basic mechanical stuff but cannot weld or fabricate. So that kind of limits my options. I also have two daughters and a full time job so free time is kind of not existent so even if I was to try and tackle a frame swap it would take a really long time.
 
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