Dealing with a little frame rust

Others can provide more detailed information based on personal experience. They will almost certainly link you to this thread - How to clean your Jeep Wrangler TJ frame which may be overkill for your purposes but I guarantee it can provide good info. You may find you want to do a more thorough job and that thread is the place to start.

I was told by someone who has done this job already to use at least 4 cans - that should be sufficient. The internal frame coating is the same one you mentioned and yes it has the tube with 360 nozzle I believe. I myself have 4 cans sitting in storage while I wait for it to warm up.

Good luck.

Edited to add that someone will also tell you that if you can see/feel just a little rust on the inside, even a tiny amount of flaking, there's probably more you can't see/feel. Completely anecdotal experiences have largely confirmed this.

GregAusTex said:

Thanks that's a great post!

One thing about the Eastman product seems to be that it is a coating. Something like Rustoleum Rust Reformer I think chemically converts the rust to something inert.

I wonder if, after cleaning out what I can, pumping some rust reformer in there might be a good step before applying the Eastman coating.

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Here's the front of the can - mentions converting. I'm guessing that success largely depends on how thoroughly you clean out the frame though. I've read comments on other jeep forums that insist you're "only making yourself feel better rather than actually solving the problem" when you rely solely on this stuff to treat the inside after discovering rust.

That may be partially true but I really doubt a detailed cleaning, especially one as thorough as what's described in the linked post, followed by a liberal application of this coating inside the frame will not yield some benefits and protection. It absolutely has to be 110% dry though or you are locking in that little bit of moisture for good. Even a tiny water drop will eventually "find its way out" I'm told.

I have one or two serious flake "cakes" built up inside my frame in the usual spots by the rear LCA mounts, along with sand, gravel and whatever else found its way in there. I've had two shops look it over though and I've mashed my face and hands around under the car to look for spots where it might have eaten through - nada. I was told by someone I trust/who knows what they're doing that going through the process in the linked post + using this coating will do a lot to help mitigate further damage and rusting. I plan to do an external coating with FF or boiled linseed oil or something eventually too, before next season. We'll see...I'm just trying to make it through winter on salty roads while DDing my unprotected Jeep...

Hoping someone else who has already undertaken the project can chime in with their own results.

My frame is exactly what you're describing as well. I am in the same situation and weighing all options. I think some sort of rust reformer will be the key to success, but I think there are better products than rust oleum for something as critical as the inside of the frame. I took my steps off to help work on the frame easier. I'm using my air compressor with a 90 degree bend to blow all the rust grits and flakes to one end. There's enough holes throughout the frame that this has been working quite well. I then have been using a telescoping magnet to pull all the rust out the big frame hole (in front of the rear wheels). After doing this I used a ball peen hammer to tap anything loose hanging onto the frame off. Then repeated the blowing and magnet process to remove the rest. I have already drilled two 3/8" holes in the bottom of the frame rail to allow water to get out. I'm going to drill them to 1/2" as I think the 3/8" plugs too easily and doesn't allow for good flushing.

I plan to wait until warmer weather to paint, hopefully this summer. I don't think you would want to paint without using some sort of rust converter/reformer. Painting over rust can cause the rust to actually be worse in my experience. I plan to use heavy gauge wire and braid it to make a flexible rod, on the end I will attach light chain. I will chuck this to a drill and run the piss out of it on the inside of the frame. Then I will pressure wash it the best I can. Then let dry for about a week and coat it with something to take care of the rust and then maybe Eastman's, not sure what product would be best.

Like I said, the way you are describing your frame couldn't describe mine any better. I am structurally good, and quite a bit of mine still has good paint..... but I want to do something now before I end up with major problems. This is going to be my approach, so hope this helps.

I’m in the process of welding on repair rails for both the center section and rear control arms. I have owned my 2000 TJ since new and wasn’t aware of the problem until after I blew a brake line, so while investigating that, I discovered that my transmission mount/skid plate was falling off! Until then, the outside of the frame was pristine. I had pressure washed it and coated it a couple times. I purchased an inexpensive needle gun from Harbor Freight and did some cleanup on the outside, low and behold it blew right through at the rear control arm on both sides.

I bought the Pocono Metal version of the caps since they are 10ga steel and am moving forward. I would recommend getting yourself an inexpensive cellphone endoscope and inspecting the inside of your frame. Based on the size of the pieces that came out of mine when I cut off the bottom of the control arm mount, those pieces aren’t coming out a small drain hole.

PJOJeep said:

I’m in the process of welding on repair rails for both the center section and rear control arms. I have owned my 2000 TJ since new and wasn’t aware of the problem until after I blew a brake line, so while investigating that, I discovered that my transmission mount/skid plate was falling off! Until then, the outside of the frame was pristine. I had pressure washed it and coated it a couple times. I purchased an inexpensive needle gun from Harbor Freight and did some cleanup on the outside, low and behold it blew right through at the rear control arm on both sides.

I bought the Pocono Metal version of the caps since they are 10ga steel and am moving forward. I would recommend getting yourself an inexpensive cellphone endoscope and inspecting the inside of your frame. Based on the size of the pieces that came out of mine when I cut off the bottom of the control arm mount, those pieces aren’t coming out a small drain hole.

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Wow that got out of hand for your, looks like your fixing it right though! Just out of curiosity did you ever drill holes in the bottom of your frame and wash the inside out with a garden hose ever, or just kept kept the outside clean?

No hole in bottom, missed that information until it was too late. I did a 4” lift about 7 years ago which included the transmission drop kit and the bolts came out without a problem. The only rust issue I had noticed in the past was where the center body mount was. I have those repair pieces from Pocono Metal and will do those after the frame repair.

I think drain holes would have saved almost all of the TJ frames. Almost wonder if they puposely didn't have them so we'd all have to go buy new Jeeps after 10 years.

PJOJeep said:

I’m in the process of welding on repair rails for both the center section and rear control arms. I have owned my 2000 TJ since new and wasn’t aware of the problem until after I blew a brake line, so while investigating that, I discovered that my transmission mount/skid plate was falling off! Until then, the outside of the frame was pristine. I had pressure washed it and coated it a couple times. I purchased an inexpensive needle gun from Harbor Freight and did some cleanup on the outside, low and behold it blew right through at the rear control arm on both sides.

I bought the Pocono Metal version of the caps since they are 10ga steel and am moving forward. I would recommend getting yourself an inexpensive cellphone endoscope and inspecting the inside of your frame. Based on the size of the pieces that came out of mine when I cut off the bottom of the control arm mount, those pieces aren’t coming out a small drain hole.

Click to expand...

Bummer! My brother in law had to do a smaller version of this (just one of the control arm mounts at the back) on his TJ and I've kinda just accepted I'll probably have to do the same or something similar someday. I went ahead with 1/2" drain holes (just the rear for now) and may end up going up to 5/8" - glad to hear the Pocono is a viable option and you're on track to fix the problem.

I'll invest in the scope soon, probably closer to the time it warms up and I can actually do the work necessary to address the problem(s). If I do it now, I suspect I'll just be stressing myself out about things that are outside of my control for the time being.

The Eastwood stuff is fantastic, I have used it in several restorations over the years and is doing everything they claim it does. I would recommend after allowing it to dry at least 72 hours at 60 I would follow up with an application of 3-M rust fighter cavity wax. One can per rail should be enough. The cavity wax is recommended by just about every OEM to be used after a vehicle has been repaired in a collision. It is one of the only products that will meet or exceed the factory corrosion protection on late model vehicles.

Wire brushes usually won’t do the trick for rust but at harbor freight there are these black polycarbonate grinder and drill wheels which strip everything and don’t really dig into the metal.


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