dingus vs. his rusty XJ AGAIN (pics)

[dingus]

So i brought the XJ in for PA state inspection to learn that the floorboards in the rear cargo area are rotted out, mainly near the rear shackles... this was no surpise as the rest of the floor needed replacing last summer, but this news didn't exactly make my day. Instead of welding like last time, i chose to pop-rivet in patches of sheet metal. First, i cut all the rusty metal out and used an air chisel to get the spot welds off the frame rails (which are solid as a rock, thankfully) All of the patches are also riveted to the frame rails, which makes everything pretty sturdy back there too. Once that was done, i fiberglassed over all of the seams from the inside (so that it would be air/water tight) and silicone'd them from the bottom.

For reference, this is what the rest of the floor looked like (from last summer):

*sigh* what a day, my back hurts!
-Dingus

PS. for those who remember this whole ordeal when i bought the jeep... i filed a civil suit against the seller (ebay item... description stated that the floor was completely rust-free and that the seller had it repaired professionally). I got a default judgement from the district magistrate court which they appealed. After that, i went to the prothonotary's office at the courthouse in York, PA and filed a "complaint" against them. Since then, i have been back to the courthouse several times, and i'm a few days away from having another default judgement (which can't be appealed this time). the nice thing about all this is that these people now have to pay me off ($3500) in order to clear their judgement which shows up on their credit report and they won't be able to get a loan until it all gets cleared up.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Good to hear about the judgement, sorry to hear about all the rust. Going through this right now with my MJ, not quite as much rust as your front floorboards.

Is that rustoleum or what's the black?

Between the welding and riveting, which method would you recommend?

What metal did you put in?

 

[dingus]

yeah thats rustoleum... satin black.

as for the weld vs. rivet... i'd say that riveting is preferred, being as its way easier and just as strong if you do it right. welds tend to rust right along the seam. used galvanized steel.

 

[dingus]

The Cat's Meow

here it is ladies and gentlemen... the moment i've been waiting for...

FINALLY! I wasn't sure if i was gonna be comin back from school with dead stickers but i managed to get her thru inspection before it was even due! I basically had to BEG the guy at the shop to give me a sticker... i promised him this would be the last time i'd ask him to inspect it.

Tires are 3/32"
Front Brakes are 6
Rear Brakes are 3

So i think i BARELY snuck through with the rest of the jeep... luckily. Any recommendations? I don't think i'm going to be keeping this thing for more than another year or so. (225k miles, cancer...)

-Dingus

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Inspections sound like a major PITA, glad we've got nothing of the sort around here. Only thing we have is emissions, and I live just outside the area requiring that testing, thank god.

My MJ is an '88 at 211K, and the rust is almost as bad as yours.

 

[dingus]

More Pics

Sealed around each patch with 100% silicone, fiberglassed over all of the major seams...

 

[Sparky-Watts]

You say you sealed it all up....did you leave any drain holes at all? I mean, just in case you get crazy and go deep-water wheeling or forget and leave a window down?

 

[dingus]

You say you sealed it all up....did you leave any drain holes at all? I mean, just in case you get crazy and go deep-water wheeling or forget and leave a window down?

Realistically, i dont plan on getting anywhere near that crazy with this old thing... but to answer your question, there are no holes in the cabin area. in the rear, as you can see, the frame rails are exposed from the top (i knew the shop wouldn't lift up the carpet to check my work, just from beneath.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Consider POR15 if you ever do anymore floorboard rust repair, it'll last a lot longer over rust than silicone or fiberglass. I've got some pics of my floorboard repair, I'll get them up asap.

 

[dingus]

Consider POR15 if you ever do anymore floorboard rust repair, it'll last a lot longer over rust than silicone or fiberglass. I've got some pics of my floorboard repair, I'll get them up asap.

i didn't patch OVER the rust, i cut all the rust back to clean metal first.