Rust Issue Advice

Fire41fighter

Fire41fighter

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Dec 7, 2016
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Pennsyltucky
This is my driver's side rear quarter panel at the fender. Typical rust spot. Obviously water got inside the rusted our area and ate through the bottom panel as well. What's the latest and greatest way to fix this...after cleaning out the rust and slathering with POR 15?
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After the fix, I'll be installing aluminum diamond plate rocker guards.
 
Holy hell that's bad!

That's going to require more than just POR15 and sanding. You need to remove the rusted parts and weld on entirely new parts (i.e. quarter panel) if you want to do that right.

That's the only way I'd do it personally.

However, if you're going to cover it up, you need to sand the hell out of every bit of rust until it's down to bare metal, then treat it with then weld on some material to patch up all the holes, then use the entire POR15 process.
 
Yeah I was kinda thinking I was going to have to break out the welder and get some sheet metal...just didn't know if there was a new way to do it...it's been a few years since I've restored anything.
 
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Rust is never fun to deal with, especially when it's that bad. It's always a pain in the ass.
 
They've started to use salt on the roads in Seattle and I fear we all may be seeing our cars and trucks dissolve soon. I grew up on the east coast and cars that we consider daily drivers in the west are museum items there.
 
Its a constant battle fighting rust here. Most of the TJs I looked at had serious rust issues or were not worth repairing This one has some rust issues but nothing I consider to be major...yet. But it will take a lot of work to get it where I want it to be...and lots of POR 15, bedliner, and FF. Too bad they cant come up with something less caustic than salt on the roads!
 
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TimB54 said:
They've started to use salt on the roads in Seattle and I fear we all may be seeing our cars and trucks dissolve soon. I grew up on the east coast and cars that we consider daily drivers in the west are museum items there.
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Yep, and now they're starting to do it in Portland (and Oregon) as well.

Really, really makes me mad.
 
I feel for ya! Start buying FF by the case! It was so bad in MD that after a storm cars would be so covered with salt that you couldnt tell what color they were and stores would run out of windshield washer fluid.
 
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So I know it's been beaten to death, but ya'll are talking about Salt. Ol Yeller was raised in North Carolina, and is a relatively (4 yrs or so I'm guessing) transplant to the Boston area where I live. For a 16 year old TJ, she's in pretty durned good shape. My outfitter did a deep inspection and found no frame / body problems at all.

However, it's Boston, and we're in mid-winter now. I drove a bit today,a dn I'm sure I coated the underside with salt from the roads. What should I do to keep the rot at bay? Should I wait until spring and go through the carwash, making sure we do a heavy duty underspray? Should I do that more often?

My outfitter has offered to do an entire frame recoat and seal for $2k-ish (these guys are some of the best Jeep techs in Boston, their prices are high, but i've never seen anyone so focused on detail and doing it Right.) - since I'm hoping to have Yeller for a decade or so, is this something I want to consider?

Here's what they said to me when I asked about it:

Internal Frame Coating needs to be scheduled in advance as we cannot have any other Jeeps in the shop at the time and it takes 3+ days in total.

We clean the internal frame, Etch the internal frame & then apply multiple zinc based coatings to the internal frame. This is not something we have seen anyone else offer professionally anywhere and we do perform quite a few of these services for clients that intend to keep theyre jeeps for a long period of time.

Also where required we will add drainage holes as some models do have an issue with drainage which leads to frame rot in the first place.

External coating is available however I will be honest and say that at the age of a Tj any TJ it is more for Aesthetics's and bare little protection however it does obviously reduce external rust.

Please be careful with this type of request, we have seen many clients new and existing seek this type of service only to have some schmuck slather rubberized undercoating allover the underside where it doesn't even help anything to merely "Look Better" and have little to no protection value all the while covering components that should never be coated in such a product underneath.

Also be advised if there is existing rust that just doesn't go away. unless sandblasted bare "Which we have done" rust never goes away and it is best served treated with professional methods, Items like POR15 and what not are not effective and we have seen little long term success from the products sold to the online and enthusiast world.
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Whadya think, guys?
 
Fluid Film sounds like the answer to your protection. Get a 'wand' as well, to coat the internal. Start by removing loose rust and cleaning off what you can, and layer a nice coat of FF in and on the frame. As for how often you should clean the frame; do it after every snowfall, when the roads are clear. If not for my garage and second vehicle, I'd be hosing the underside every weekend. A simple carwash w undercarriage spray works well. Touching up the frame w FF periodically.

I'd like to know how these guys actually "clean the internal frame" when it's a boxed frame. Plus, not really being able to see inside (unless inspected w a camera) how do you it's current condition?


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I know it was on another forum, but I drilled a "drain" hole on the bottom of my other TJ. I am going to do the same to the new to me TJ. Both are 97's. Anywho, the hole I speak of is drilled on the bottom of the frame right in front of the rear tire where the frame starts to curve up. this allows any water to drain out and on dry days I would blast air from the Air compressor to help push any static water out. Then you can apply Fluid film.
 
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Fire41fighter...I had similar rust on Ammo Can, my original 97 TJ. what I did was cut just past the rust with a cut off wheel, I then applied a rust convertor and painted the INSIDE. after I knew it was good to go, I used some old ammo cans and made "patch's" and spot welded them on. Paint to like color and enjoy. Or as you were saying install rocker guards.
 
Jeep9748...That's my plan! I already cut out the area...coated with POR15, including the inside and will plug weld a small patch panel...fill the area with body filler, sand smooth, give a good coat of paint and cover with the diamond plate. Ta da. Actually this is minor compared to the work I had to do on my 67 Mustang when we pulled it out of a barn. Gives me a chance to freshen up my welding skills! At the cost of ammo cans now, sheet steel is prolly cheaper! LOL!
 
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Sorry about the ammo can. With going on over 19 years in the Army I have a collection of ammo cans. so for me it was cheaper to use ammo cans. But I would suggest that before you go and buy sheet metal. I would check with local body shops or a junk yard for "scrap" metal that they can't use but will fit the bill for you.
 
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Fire41fighter said:
Its a constant battle fighting rust here. Most of the TJs I looked at had serious rust issues or were not worth repairing This one has some rust issues but nothing I consider to be major...yet. But it will take a lot of work to get it where I want it to be...and lots of POR 15, bedliner, and FF. Too bad they cant come up with something less caustic than salt on the roads!
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Oh how I hate the winters here in Ohio! Now they spray the road with Brine and beet juice at the mere mention of snow. Then they start throwing rock salt/sand when the snow starts falling. Makes for a hell of a mess.
 
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Fire41fighter said:
Jeep9748...That's my plan! I already cut out the area...coated with POR15, including the inside and will plug weld a small patch panel...fill the area with body filler, sand smooth, give a good coat of paint and cover with the diamond plate. Ta da. Actually this is minor compared to the work I had to do on my 67 Mustang when we pulled it out of a barn. Gives me a chance to freshen up my welding skills! At the cost of ammo cans now, sheet steel is prolly cheaper! LOL!
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So I know this thread is crazy old, and u may not even use this forum anymore lol, but if u see this, how did u fix this? Mine has identical rust on both sides. I plan on cutting and welding with my friend, also replacing the torque box and front fender at the same time. Any advice?
 
MrBClark said:
So I know this thread is crazy old, and u may not even use this forum anymore lol, but if u see this, how did u fix this? Mine has identical rust on both sides. I plan on cutting and welding with my friend, also replacing the torque box and front fender at the same time. Any advice?
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Flipping this back to you. Did you ever repair yours??
 
I have actually since sold the Jeep due to rust issues. Still very sad about that. I did not ever fix that spot but I did replace the torque boxes. Not very easy but doable with the correct tools. Here is a link though to someone fixing that spot. Maybe not the absolute best fix but will definitely make it so you have many years before that spot causes issues. As a side note, DEFINITELY coat your TJ in fluid film before every winter. Maybe even more often then that.
 
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That kids Jeep is an official beater. The only way something that extremely rusted will hold up for some years is if its no longer used in salt and snow. Either garaged in the winter or he moves to a no-snow location.
 
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