Frame rot: how far gone is it?

[sjed21]

Hi guys,
I’ve been following this forum for years now but haven’t joined/made a post until now. I, like many here, am thoroughly concerned about frame rust on my tj. Until this past week I wasn’t aware of the no drain holes issue that the bright minds at chrysler have left us with. I got an endoscope to inspect my frame and the pictures attached are what it looks like. For reference the biggest scales are about quarter sized. Does this look really bad? Will cleaning it, clog hog, drilling drainholes, and coating with eastwood or fluidfilm just be prolonging the inevitable? Should I cut my losses and look for a clean rubi from the southwest? The outside of the frame is spotless as I have been militant about cleaning, wire brushing, and coating with encapsulator and fluidfilm but I was caught a bit off guard by the inside of the frame. This jeep spent about 6 years in Pennsylvania so I assume that’s where most of this rust happened. All of these pictures are between the control arm mounts on each side, it’s spotless above them front and back. Cheers!

 

[Moglocker]

Hi guys,
I’ve been following this forum for years now but haven’t joined/made a post until now. I, like many here, am thoroughly concerned about frame rust on my tj. Until this past week I wasn’t aware of the no drain holes issue that the bright minds at chrysler have left us with. I got an endoscope to inspect my frame and the pictures attached are what it looks like. For reference the biggest scales are about quarter sized. Does this look really bad? Will cleaning it, clog hog, drilling drainholes, and coating with eastwood or fluidfilm just be prolonging the inevitable? Should I cut my losses and look for a clean rubi from the southwest? The outside of the frame is spotless as I have been militant about cleaning, wire brushing, and coating with encapsulator and fluidfilm but I was caught a bit off guard by the inside of the frame. This jeep spent about 6 years in Pennsylvania so I assume that’s where most of this rust happened. All of these pictures are between the control arm mounts on each side, it’s spotless above them front and back. Cheers!

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Get the drill powered drain cleaner from hobo freight,with 4 links of thin chain.

 

[BlueC]

The southwest guys are panicking after seeing those pictures.

Delamination is typically a bad sign. How bad, well that's situational. Your posted shots make everything look fairly bad, but I'd guess IRL it's not that bad. You need to really examine the typical problematic areas, like at the skid mounts. Mechanically removed as much rust as you can and evaluated from there. The proper coatings can stop the rust and prevent future rust if the metal is structurally sound.

 

[tnjeepguy]

This jeep spent about 6 years in Pennsylvania

Lesson 1: Do not buy a Jeep that has spent any time in the road salt (or maybe brine) states.

(General advice to anyone; not meant to make our Yankee friends feel bad.)

 

[sjed21]

Lesson 1: Do not buy a Jeep that has spent any time in the road salt (or maybe brine) states.

I bought it from North Carolina, I owned it for all the years it was in PA

 

[Moglocker]

Get the drill powered drain cleaner from hobo freight,with 4 links of thin chain.

When you’re done and get it all washed out use the Eastwood internal frame coating (must be good stuff I did mine about 4 years ago) and when I installed a new rivnut it still looked good.just tape all the holes except the one to install the tube,and make sure you do it in the grass the stuff will not come off of concrete!

 

[Chris]

It's gone enough that I wouldn't buy it, that's for sure

 

[Artsifrtsi]

Hit the frame with a hammer, ball peen preferred, especially where your problem areas are to make sure the integrity of the frame is still intact… then proceed with the descaling and recoating

 

[DuckNut]

Your endoscope makes thing look really bad because the pics are an inch away.

It certainly could be better but without corresponding external pics it is difficult to say just how bad it is.

 

[ChasUGC]

I would like to see inside and outside comparison. That doesn't look like surface rust. I can't believe that if it looks that bad inside that it is spotless outside. If it is that bad inside, then a hammer tapping the outside should go right through. But, if the hammer fails to do damage, I guess it is surface and wire wheel and treatment might be best.

 

[cliffish]

Get the drill powered drain cleaner from hobo freight,with 4 links of thin chain.

is this what you are referring too? If so what chain links and how to attach?

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ft-drill-powered-drain-auger-57201.html

 

[lBasket]

is this what you are referring too? If so what chain links and how to attach?

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ft-drill-powered-drain-auger-57201.html

Frame snake!!!

 

[cliffish]

Frame snake!!!

so that is a yes? how do you attach the chains?

 

[lBasket]

so that is a yes? how do you attach the chains?

Haha sorry I don't actually know

 

[Squatch]

After you hit the inside of the frame with a frame snake (or whatever you want to call it), you can clean it out using something like this:

I took a mayonnaise jar lid and cut a hole just big enough to force a section of heater hose into it. Then I duct taped the lid to the end of the hose of my Shop Vac. All I had was a length of new heater hose, so it was pretty stiff, and it takes some manhandling to get it started, but after it's been run through there a few times, it gets quite a bit more flexible. You would be surprised at just how well this works. It's both extremely satisfying and a little unnerving to hear the amount of debris that you'll pick up with this.

 

[macleanflood]

 

[Moglocker]

is this what you are referring too? If so what chain links and how to attach?

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-ft-drill-powered-drain-auger-57201.html

I used 5
links(2 per side)middle link threads on to snake end and go to town.


Chain was off of a 3 foot Florissant light fixture.

 

[Rcroane]

Could be a candidate for a Safe T Cap repair job....depends on how high up the rot goes. You would need at least a good inch of solid metal on the top half of the frame. It ain't cheap, unless you have the tools and talent to do it yourself.....I know from first hand experience.

 

[Westtown Willy]

 

[Rut Row]

Get the drill powered drain cleaner from hobo freight,with 4 links of thin chain.

that is great for the center of the walls but doesn't get the corners.