New owner - meet Rusty

chuckie669

Member
Joined
May 6, 2020
Messages
72
Location
Nacogdoches
Greetings all,
First time jeep and 4wd owner. Picked up a 2004 Texas Off road edition from a family member to have as a hobby. It was a beach jeep so I've aptly named him Rusty. Definitely not in great shape underneath.

Took the steps off sofar to drill drain holes behind the welds on LCA's and removed about 20lb of sand and rust from inside the frame. Right now it looks like the back where the tow bar mount is eaten through and i'm scared to pull the trans skid plate after googling as mine is way worse looking than those others.

The rear end has been doing something weird where it looks to be leaking not from the dif cover, but where the dif meets the axle tube? and only at highway speeds. been driving it all over town after spraying clean and was perfectly dry, but after I get on the hwy 70'ish, i'm noticing rear oil on the passenger side gas tank as well as the axle tube. nothing past the shock or on the dif front or back.

Looking forward to researching and putting back together a piece at a time. Hopefully I don't have to Just Empty Every Pocket.

Rusty1.jpg
 
Sounds like quite a project, but at least the exterior and body look to be in really great shape!

You're definitely yin the right place, so welcome to the forum!
 
Welcome, post some frame and skid pics. Before you get under that again get a real wheel chock, that 2 x 4 is nothing but a speed bump when it rolls off those ramps.
 
haha... I have some, I don't get under the car without it braced properly. That was just to try and wash sand out of the frame setting the angle to the drill hole and then to use a magnet tool in the hole behind the wheel.
 
Here's the rear after driving it home an hour and half. was small dripps off the gas tank. I added about 6oz of rear dif fluid. no telling how long it was like this. I doubt this is a new issue, but only appears to show up sofar for me when using the highway.

Rusty2.jpg
 
Here's the terror. anyone seen this worse when still attached?

View attachment 159108

View attachment 159109
I have seen far worse. Those stacked rusty sheets should drop right off when the skid is dropped. Mine had that on both sides (not quite as bad) it almost seemed like a spacer-pad was placed in those same spots. Try and get some Kroil to the bolts for a couple days and then try and remove the skid bolts. If they come out with out the nutsert spinning in the frame you are in good shape. Just remember to support the tranny/drive shaft before you drop the skid and remove the 4 bolts on the front of the skid holding the tranny mount first.
 
Thanks for the tip. Started soaking them yesterday. Figured it's better to find out the damage now then waiting for it. Was gonna go buy a cheap cordless impact to maybe help loosen. Always wanted one but now I have an excuse for the wife
 
Here's the rear after driving it home an hour and half. was small dripps off the gas tank. I added about 6oz of rear dif fluid. no telling how long it was like this. I doubt this is a new issue, but only appears to show up sofar for me when using the highway.

View attachment 159107

Thats quite the leak! Can you provide more pics zoomed out a bit? Looks like the passenger side is the only one leaking?
 
Here's two I had saved off prior to cleaning. It's hard to scroll through photos using my phone so I'm a bit slow. I was thinking it may be a pressure thing and possibly the breather but that's all new to me.

I took the gas cap apart and it looked fine from a cursory glance.

20200503_115218.jpg


20200503_115118.jpg
 
Greetings all,
First time jeep and 4wd owner. Picked up a 2004 Texas Off road edition from a family member to have as a hobby. It was a beach jeep so I've aptly named him Rusty. Definitely not in great shape underneath.

Took the steps off sofar to drill drain holes behind the welds on LCA's and removed about 20lb of sand and rust from inside the frame. Right now it looks like the back where the tow bar mount is eaten through and i'm scared to pull the trans skid plate after googling as mine is way worse looking than those others.

The rear end has been doing something weird where it looks to be leaking not from the dif cover, but where the dif meets the axle tube? and only at highway speeds. been driving it all over town after spraying clean and was perfectly dry, but after I get on the hwy 70'ish, i'm noticing rear oil on the passenger side gas tank as well as the axle tube. nothing past the shock or on the dif front or back.

Looking forward to researching and putting back together a piece at a time. Hopefully I don't have to Just Empty Every Pocket.

View attachment 159087
not every pocket. There is always lint, but your cash and time is taken. Have fun. Diggin the blue.