Resources for fixing rusted TJ / LJ frames

Chris

Chris

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Just wanted to make a quick post about this so that we have a resource for it going forward.

To my knowledge, there are two places that make replacement frame sections for Jeep Wrangler TJ / LJ frames. If your frame is suffering from rust and needs to have sections of it cut out and replaced, one of these two manufacturers will be able to sell you the pieces you need.

If you have any others to add to the list, let me know. Just thought this might be useful for others who are looking to deal with rusted frames.
 
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All of those end up creating a sandwich for rust to get a foothold in even stronger. The other issue is that they can get in the way of other future mods. I would only consider these repairs for certain people.

The only way to do the repair properly is to cut out and replace the frame rail section with new tubing and replace any brackets. I fully cover rebuilding the middle frame rail in my build thread.
 
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toximus said:
All of those end up creating a sandwich for rust to get a foothold in even stronger. The other issue is that they can get in the way of other future mods. I would only consider these repairs for certain people.

The only way to do the repair properly is to cut out and replace the frame rail section with new tubing and replace any brackets. I fully cover rebuilding the middle frame rail in my build thread.
Click to expand...
When installing those, all of the rust is cut out from the frame. The entire bottom half of the frame is cut out which will:
1) Eliminate the problem areas that are so prone to rot
2) Give you access to the inside of the frame to sand away any possible remaining rust
If it's done properly, there shouldn't be any rust sandwiched inside when the sections are welded up. Most people choose to coat the frame with Eastwood internal frame coating afterwards to reduce the chance of any future rot developing.

I can't speak for Safe-T-Cap, but the PMC patches have drain holes pre-drilled where the factory should have put them to reduce the chances of water, salt, and mud getting trapped inside.
 
toximus said:
All of those end up creating a sandwich for rust to get a foothold in even stronger. The other issue is that they can get in the way of other future mods. I would only consider these repairs for certain people.

The only way to do the repair properly is to cut out and replace the frame rail section with new tubing and replace any brackets. I fully cover rebuilding the middle frame rail in my build thread.
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that with these, you cut that section out of the frame entirely and welded in an all new section. Is that wrong?
 
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Also, it is likely that any frame that could be salvaged with new tubing/patches rather than swapped entirely only has rust on the bottom half where salt and dirt are prone to settle. If the top rail is just as rotten as the bottom, it probably can't be saved.

In my case, the bottom half of my center rails are rotten, especially towards the rear LCA mounts right before the rear wheel arch. Being that it is only the bottom half, all of the rotten frame can be removed and the new sections can be welded on to the still very strong upper half.
 
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Frames are made from mild steel so any competent fabricator should be able to stretch, shorten, reinforce, or replace portions of them.
 
I have used the Auto Rust Tech patches and they are an excellent product. The Pocono products are just as good and quite a bit cheaper. The biggest thing is to know when to say when. The bottoms of my rails looked good until I started cleaning things up. They opened right up. The upper portion of my rails were rust free. The idea is to cut as much out as possible, into the "clean" steel. Leave about a 1" perimeter to attach the patch to. Use weldable primer on the two surfaces and then finish things of with POR and Eastwood interior frame sealer/paint. For me, this is just a way of slowing things down as I know that my frame still has some problematic areas and you can only apply so many band-aids. But for now, all is good and safe :)
 
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2006TJ1 said:
Also, it is likely that any frame that could be salvaged with new tubing/patches rather than swapped entirely only has rust on the bottom half where salt and dirt are prone to settle. If the top rail is just as rotten as the bottom, it probably can't be saved.

In my case, the bottom half of my center rails are rotten, especially towards the rear LCA mounts right before the rear wheel arch. Being that it is only the bottom half, all of the rotten frame can be removed and the new sections can be welded on to the still very strong upper half.
Click to expand...

This is exactly how I would attempt to solve it. I'd cut the bottom portion of the frame rail off first. If the top was rust free, then I would know that I could weld the new replacement frame rail to the top of the old frame rail.

I suppose it depends on how bad the rust is. On some of them it's just the bottom (where water settles), but the ones with further advanced rust may need an entire section cut out of the frame.
 
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tquig01 said:
@Chris As somewhat related links, these companies sell torque box replacement sections in case someone is looking to repair theirs instead of doing a complete replacement. Same idea as Safe-T-Caps, just for torque box instead of frame. I ended up just fabbing my own, but I thought others might be looking for other options if theirs are rusted and in need of repair.

https://www.classicent.com/products/jeep-torque-box-repair-section
http://www.rustrepairpatch.com
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting those links. I have rust right at the middle and rear body mount areas of the torque boxes, with no evidence of rust elsewhere within (looking with a light and a borescope). While I am still debating whether or not to replace the entire length of the torque boxes with new units, I suspect that would be overkill, and add even more work to a project already run amuck. Anyways, thanks again for the links. (y)
 
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