frame rot

[jeep90]

so i bought a 1980 CJ5 the other day and when i was looking at it i seen some easy to fix body rust and little surface rust on the frame....thought no big deal. today i was looking it over to figure out which body parts need replaced/fixed. noticed a spot on the frame that was just coated, got curious and started tapping on the frame looking for weak spots. just as i thought, right where it was coated it started to sound hollow. after examining it some more i realized that this section was nothing but BONDO :evil: ...this guy is great with bondo.... cant believe i didnt see this before i bought the thing, i looked it over good, so i thought. i guess my question is.... where can i get a good frame? if i get a frame how many hours of labor charges am i looking at? i dont have time to dive into a project this big. is it possible just to weld in new pieces? and one more....i imagine that the replacement of the frame means taking out the motor, off with the body, and every other thing imaginable....right?

thanks for the help, and if not for this site i would be lost sometimes

 

[Snitty]

ehh.. the frame is about the MOST labor intensive thing to replace.. you are looking at WAAAAYYYY too much... anything that is bolted to it, has to be replaced

 

[olyeller]

take it to a welding shop and have patches put onto the frame, if possible. where is the rusted out section?

 

[jeep90]

the hole is right behind the pass. rear tire...might be more i just have to build up the nerve to do some more in depth investigation. i know a guy who runs a small town welding shop, i will give him a ring whenever time permits. starting to think that maybe i should just unload this thing and get another yj. there are plenty of guys around that would love a good restoration project.

 

[olyeller]

don't give up on it yet. a good welder can fab some patch plates and have them welded into place in less than an hour. if there is good metal in front of and behind the patch plates, the frame should be as strong as a new one.

you just don't want the patches to make up the majority of the frame. :mrgreen:

 

[far_right]

starting to think that maybe i should just unload this thing and get another yj

dont do that, just repair that one, or get a cj in better condition.... unless you live in the east.... then you might need a yuppiejeep

 

[TwistedCU]

the hole is right behind the pass. rear tire...might be more i just have to build up the nerve to do some more in depth investigation. i know a guy who runs a small town welding shop, i will give him a ring whenever time permits. starting to think that maybe i should just unload this thing and get another yj. there are plenty of guys around that would love a good restoration project.

I just had my brother-in-law weld some plates in for my rusted YJ frame. Right behind the Pass. side rear tire! It was not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm uploading some pix for you. If they are heavily viewed they might disappear, but you can pm me with your email address and I'll send them to you. Bummer that the rust monster got you, too! Relax, it is probably fixable!

pix coming soon...

 

[TwistedCU]

Outside:

Underneath:

Cutting partially done:

Almost there:

Done deal!:

This was done after lunch and we were done by about 6pm.

Good luck and hope this offers a little encouragement!

 

[TwistedCU]

Yeah, I know, I need longer shackles! :roll:

 

[jeep90]

hey thats some nice rust, still got ya beat though :lol: does make me feel a little better. ill take her to the usual weld shop as soon as i can. if this ends up fixable i am going to start sanding the body for primer. if the body is too bad i may need a new tub. what do yall use.....kevlar, fiber, or steel. from what i see

kevlar=$$$$$$$
fiberglass=no rust
steel=cheap, can drill into and wont crack like fiber, and i can prolly get one fairly cheap at the jeep graveyard around here

 

[TwistedCU]

Hopefully the shackle eye is intact (mine was). That will make the repair a lot simpler.

 

[redrooster]

If your talking about swapping tubs then the rust repair will be easy with the body off. The hardest part of repairing the frame back there is getting nice and cozy next to the gas tank.
Have fun with it. If it's, metal then it can be fixed.