Is this TJ with frame rust worth buying?

defenderu

TJ Enthusiast
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Apr 8, 2021
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271
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2006 Wrangler Rubicon he is asking 19k has a hard top and 80,000 miles. It obviously been painted as you can see the spray marks etc. Also what are the zip ties on the frame?
Frame 4.jpg
Frame 1.jpg
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Frame 3.jpg
 
I would look at it this way:
If there are no frame patches it is good.
And if it is painted, maybe the owner was just trying to take care of it so it WOULDNT rust as badly.

Thanks private seller said he is not the one who painted the frame. Said he bought it like that.
 
Thanks private seller said he is not the one who painted the frame. Said he bought it like that.
It may have been professionally done. Like boogieman said, nothing really bad about it other than the price. I don't even think the jk Rubicons are going for the much anymore (some years)
 
Something looks off about the rear frame. Looks like it's been capped. Can you send more pictures of where the frame curves over the rear wheels? Is the big frame hole there or has it been plated over?
 
On second glance, that frame has definitely been capped in the rear. So it's had extensive frame rot, but it wasn't capped at the center portion under the skid plate. In my experience, if the rear of the frame is rotten, so is the middle portion, and whoever capped it cheaped out.

Who did the work? Was the rust professionally cut out and capped with a name-brand system like Safe T Cap or Pocono? Or did his uncle Earl just cap the existing rust with a Harbor Freight TIG welder? I'd say this is priced wayyyyyyyy too high given the uncertainties.
 
On second glance, that frame has definitely been capped in the rear. So it's had extensive frame rot, but it wasn't capped at the center portion under the skid plate. In my experience, if the rear of the frame is rotten, so is the middle portion, and whoever capped it cheaped out.

Who did the work? Was the rust professionally cut out and capped with a name-brand system like Safe T Cap or Pocono? Or did his uncle Earl just cap the existing rust with a Harbor Freight TIG welder? I'd say this is priced wayyyyyyyy too high given the uncertainties.

I was wondering why the frame didnt have the normal holes. So when its capped like that does it mean work has been done inside the frame or trying to cover up the rot?

He doesnt know who did the work it was like that when he bought it.
 
I'm just wondering why this guy thinks 19k is fair price for this... I'm assuming it's got to be heavily modded and he is pricing it based on that? Honestly I think it's priced too high even if it were in immaculate shape.
 
I'm just wondering why this guy thinks 19k is fair price for this... I'm assuming it's got to be heavily modded and he is pricing it based on that? Honestly I think it's priced too high even if it were in immaculate shape.

I wouldnt pay that price. Havn't even talked numbers. the cab body etc are in pretty good shape. I have seen similar ones for around 15k.
 
I was wondering why the frame didnt have the normal holes. So when its capped like that does it mean work has been done inside the frame or trying to cover up the rot?

He doesnt know who did the work it was like that when he bought it.
TJ frames have a design flaw wherein water, salt, and dirt gets trapped inside because there are no drain holes. In the rust belt, this leads to horrendous frame rot. They always rot in the same places: where the frame curves over the rear wheels, and right under the skid plate.

Companies like Safe T Cap have pioneered a technique where you essentially cut out the bottom half of the frame in the affected areas using a plasma cutter, and then weld caps over them. If done properly, this extends the life of the Jeep indefinitely. They even include drain holes so water can escape.

There is nothing wrong with buying a Safe T Capped Jeep, but ONLY if you know who did the work. People who are lazy don't cut out the existing rust and just weld the cap over the rot, which will only continue to spread. I suppose you could look inside the drain hole—if you can see the inside of the frame, it probably means the job was done correctly. If there is metal right under the hole, you know it was done shittily.

I would also feel around the frame holes near the skid plate and feel for chunks of rust. Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe this frame was rotten in the rear but totally fine in the middle.
 
TJ frames have a design flaw wherein water, salt, and dirt gets trapped inside because there are no drain holes. In the rust belt, this leads to horrendous frame rot. They always rot in the same places: where the frame curves over the rear wheels, and right under the skid plate.

Companies like Safe T Cap have pioneered a technique where you essentially cut out the bottom half of the frame in the affected areas using a plasma cutter, and then weld caps over them. If done properly, this extends the life of the Jeep indefinitely. They even include drain holes so water can escape.

There is nothing wrong with buying a Safe T Capped Jeep, but ONLY if you know who did the work. People who are lazy don't cut out the existing rust and just weld the cap over the rot, which will only continue to spread. I suppose you could look inside the drain hole—if you can see the inside of the frame, it probably means the job was done correctly. If there is metal right under the hole, you know it was done shittily.

I would also feel around the frame holes near the skid plate and feel for chunks of rust. Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe this frame was rotten in the rear but totally fine in the middle.
Great info thanks!
 
For that kind of money you could take at trip south or west and find one rust free. Looks like it’s stock height. Be patient and keep looking. For education purposes and if it’s close to you, have a look at it in person. Test drive several to get a feel on how they drive if you never have had one. When I was looking, I was online several times a day. It took me about a month and several test drives before I found the perfect one for me. Good deals go fast.
 
19k is what you would expect to pay for a low mile rust free Rubicon in Arizona. The one you're looking at has to be overpriced.
 
The fact this guy thinks anyone will pay 19k for that is unbelievable. I get it's a low mileage Rubicon. The 5 Tjs my family has sold between 2018-2020 were in really good shape, a couple of them were even rust free, went for 5000-7500, and people didn't exactly come running to buy them.
 
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I recently purchased a 2001 with lots of paint on the frame. It turned out to be a covered up rotted frame. It’s currently being Safe T capped and cost around $2500 to fix. Do your due diligence on the frame. Good luck.
 
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Is it just me or do neither of those axles look like Dana 44’s? And no slip joint in the rear driveshafts hints it doesn’t have a Rubicon transfer case either.
 
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