Jeep Frame Repair

Hellkat

Hellkat

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Aug 5, 2024
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Location
Ohio
Hi all!

Just found this lovely forum today after looking up frame repair stuff. Already read a ton of helpful information (thanks!).

I find myself in the position of having to repair the frame on my 99 Wrangler (as well as the engine, but that will come later). I will definitely be needing a lot of advice in the upcoming months and am hoping to benefit from the collective experience of this group.

Currently there is a hole in the rear driver side frame large enough the body mount is not connected. The rest of the frame is rusted in various places too. After reading some of the threads here I am looking at the Pocono site for the frame kits (they are within my price range and seem to be well recommended). Aside from the three part kit - front, center, and rear - what else would you guys recommend I look into?

I have some experience with vehicles as I grew up helping my father rebuild military vehicles (mostly M151's, and CUCV's) and a friend with a full metal shop/garage/etc to work on it and help with the welding. Even has a cnc milling machine if needed. Any advice on what to expect and what I am getting into would be greatly appreciated. Especially potential mistakes to avoid. My Wrangler itself is just a basic model, but I am rather attached to the little thing and want to keep it alive.

Thanks for your time!

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Having been down the road of failed rust repair on a CJ7...... just know that whatever rust you can see, there is a bunch more you can't see.

I fully support you trying to keep your baby alive, but be aware you probably have a much bigger project ahead of you than that you realize.
 
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Hellkat said:
Hi all!

Just found this lovely forum today after looking up frame repair stuff. Already read a ton of helpful information (thanks!).

I find myself in the position of having to repair the frame on my 99 Wrangler (as well as the engine, but that will come later). I will definitely be needing a lot of advice in the upcoming months and am hoping to benefit from the collective experience of this group.

Currently there is a hole in the rear driver side frame large enough the body mount is not connected. The rest of the frame is rusted in various places too. After reading some of the threads here I am looking at the Pocono site for the frame kits (they are within my price range and seem to be well recommended). Aside from the three part kit - front, center, and rear - what else would you guys recommend I look into?

I have some experience with vehicles as I grew up helping my father rebuild military vehicles (mostly M151's, and CUCV's) and a friend with a full metal shop/garage/etc to work on it and help with the welding. Even has a cnc milling machine if needed. Any advice on what to expect and what I am getting into would be greatly appreciated. Especially potential mistakes to avoid. My Wrangler itself is just a basic model, but I am rather attached to the little thing and want to keep it alive.

Thanks for your time!

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The biggest issue with "TJ" frame repair is they can hide a lot issues that don't present until you start cutting and you wind up with an expensive patchwork frame. The last frame work I did it looked passable on the outside but a sawzall blew thru like it was paper so it was swapped out. A frame swap at least gives you a good foundation to work with.
 
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If it were me, I see two options. Most likely choosing number 2.

1) Drive to Florida, buy a roll over, drag it home, swap the rest.
2) Sell what you have for what you can get, drive to Florida and buy a different one
 
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DuckNut said:
If it were me, I see two options. Most likely choosing number 2.

1) Drive to Florida, buy a roll over, drag it home, swap the rest.
2) Sell what you have for what you can get, drive to Florida and buy a different one
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We have rust free ones here in north Alabama too
 
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Artsifrtsi said:
We have rust free ones here in north Alabama too
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Didn't intend to leave you out. Nor the Texas, Az, OK, CA, GA, NC, SC, TN, KY, NV crowd either.

With the known issue I can't believe people buy them in the rust belts. A rusted out jeep sells for more money in MI, WI, MN and PA than does a rust free one from the south.
 
Hellkat said:
Aside from the three part kit - front, center, and rear - what else would you guys recommend I look into?
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Welcome to the forum.

It's likely that the torque boxes (where the frame mounts to the tub under the doors) are in need of repair. Your fuel tank skid plate should also be inspected, plus your fuel supply and return lines-they are very close to the exhaust manifold. You should also check all of your grounding points-one on the hood-->firewall, block-->firewall, one at the fuel tank inlet to the body, and there are a few more-these tend to corrode and disintegrate. Good luck!
 
Welcome Hellkat, I'll throw a little advice your way. If you have the facility or room on your property don't was your time with a repair just do the frame swap it will be so less frustrating and time consuming than cutting & cleaning out frame sections prepping the metal and welding new in. Plus when you are done you have a new to you frame not a rusty patched up frame. I like you am in to military Jeeps I have a 42 GPW I did a frame off restoration to and finished up about 7 years ago now, talk about a labor of love lol. I also have a current project I'm working on here https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/project-newfoundland-05-ljr-preservation.78090/#post-1559114 I started documenting it but lost interest in the documenting side of it. It's almost complete now and let me tell you the only reason I didn't frame swap it was because I don't have the room on my property to put two Jeeps next to each other. I did purchase caps from Pocono metal craft but didn't use them. The frame wasn't nearly as bad as I thought once I got it cleaned up so I decided to just cut out the bad sections and weld new in. If you do decide to do the caps spent a little more time and clean the whole frame of rust inside and out you will be glad you did. It is totally possible to make a really rusty frame good structurally and visually again if you are willing to spend the time on it. I have seen completely rotted military vehicles dug out of the ground come back to life over the years under the right stewardship.

You should post up some pictures of the frame when you get a chance so we can see how bad it is.
 
Artsifrtsi said:
There was a TJ with no motor that just sold for $500 this weekend here... clean otherwise...
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Dang, I'd look at that, and throw the motor from the rusted one in this, ha. $500 that's cheaper than a frame alone, and any left over parts you can sell possibly.

I feel for the Texas TJs sent up north kinda like they're drafted to go to the Eastern Front, ha!
 
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cpwolf said:
Dang, I'd look at that, and throw the motor from the rusted one in this, ha. $500 that's cheaper than a frame alone, and any left over parts you can sell possibly.

I feel for the Texas TJs sent up north kinda like they're drafted to go to the Eastern Front, ha!
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More like the mobile infantry in Starship Troopers
 
Fellow Ohio’an, new frame and find a wrecked tub to get floors/torque tubes or get a whole new tub.
 
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