Frame rusted @ rear where shackle mounts :(

[TwistedCU]

My heart sunk about 3 inches lower into my chest when I hit the local carwash to get the mud out from under (and over) my Jeep. The Passenger side rear shackle is mounted to some seriosly rotten frame metal . I noticed it needed work when I put my lift on, but didn't realize it was that bad. I guess I rattled the rest of it loose wheeling, and when I hit it with the pressure from the carwash, metal & rust went a flyin' :shock: . It's rotted out pretty bad UNDER the shackle eye and along the bottom of the frame about 6" toward the front. The good news is my brother-in-law is in town from Pittsburgh and he's a welder ! He's going to look at it tomorrow and I may head up to Pitt with him to fix it since I'm off work 'till Tuesday. I told him it was bad, but he said he'd be able to fix it no matter what - I hope he's right :? . The weird part is that corner of the vehicle is the only problem I had with rust. Like that corner was sitting in a hole or something while it was stored (it sat thru the 3 winters). It was a real pain in the neck lifting that side, and when I did the brakes, the drum had a rusty lip around it so big it tore up the hardware when I pulled it off. Weird, ain't it?
Anyway, I guess it'll be ok to drive to PITT, I wheeled around on it all day yesterday and drove home, I'll just take it easy. Hopefully she'll come back good as new.

 

[TwistedCU]

Just took some pix:
Right rear (outside):

Right Rear (inside):

Right Rear Frame from underneath looking up front of shackle:

Doesn't look good .
Any advice going into this???

 

[Greywolf]

Hey,

Clean it completely up (obvious I know), and cut some metal "plates" to weld to the frame all the way around from the end of the frame back past the rust by several inches (in other words you'll be boxing in the fram rail). Some serious rust coat would be a good idea prior to putting the plates on though most of that will burn off during the welding.

I've repaired 2-3 frames in similar or worse shape over the past several years that way and they seemed to hold up just fine.

Once finished, make sure the welds are as smooth as possible (if it's a good bead just leave it the way it is without grinding but wire brush it really well), prep the metal with rust preventive stuff and paint.

Now then... some states will not allow frame patches to pass during an annual inspection so get creative. Once the paint dries, get out in some dirt/mud and get the shiney new stuff covered up and matching the old stuff.

Good luck,

Chris

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Hello Twisted,

Sadly, I cannot offer any advice on fixing your Jeep, but it would seem that your Jeep will soon be in the competent hands of your B-I-L anyway.

I can say that anyone shopping for an older rust-belt Jeep should look very closely at the frame where your Jeep has rusted. I have seen many older Jeeps rusted through in exactly the same place. Your Jeep is the only one, however, I have seen that rusted through on only one side.

How odd.

So odd, in fact, that I might take the time to "tap out" the other side of that frame. That is, sound it out by tapping the frame around the spring perches with a small ball-peen hammer. You will be able to tell the difference between the sound of good metal and the dull thump of rusted metal.

Perhaps your B-I-L could reinforce the other side of the frame before it also rusts through.

Regards,

Gadget

PS: Greywolf is 100-percent correct. Some states are very touchy about frame repair.

 

[TwistedCU]

Fortunately, State inspection is a one time deal in MD. Thanks for the info.

 

[TwistedCU]

It's weird, Gadget! The other side is solid. I don't get it :? I busted my @$$ getting out the main spring eye bolt on that side, while the other was fairly (in comparison) easy. Same with the brakes, as I mentioned earlier. We will, however, give the whole Jeep a good once over - not too often I'm given the opportunity to have welding done for free!
thanx
TC

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

brush guard pros and cons

(Chuckle) It is high Jeep-Zen, TC.

As such, it is beyond comprehension.

There are several things peculiar to older Jeeps that I will never understand.

In any case, wishing you luck on the repairs.

Happy trails,

Gadget

 

[chinard]

I'm currently in the middle of rustproofing my jeep, and i decided that it would be a good idea for me to inspect my shackels for similar damage, and i noticed that our shackle setups are different between CJ's and YJ's

It appears as though CJ's have the shackles mounted to a hinge bolted to the bottom of the frame, wheras your YJ has it going right through the middle bar.

Since you are taking it out to your friend to get re-welded, you might want to try changing your shacke mounts to something a little more long lasting like this. Actually, you'd probably gain about an inch of lift at the same time

So, keep us posted on how the frame work is gong.

 

[jay79cj7]

I have been through this with my CJ. The previous owner did the passenger side, and it's solid after a few years of abuse. The driver's side caught up to the other this summer and I had that welded up too. Haven't had a problem since either were done. I have seen write-ups about welding a box to replace the rotten part, but the guy that fixed mine this summer used a U shaped channel of the same size. Seems like that might be easier, and stronger. Good luck.

 

[TwistedCU]

Leaving for Pittsburgh @ 5am tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out. I just hope the spring /shackle stay put on the drive up there!

TC

 

[jps4jeep]

Wheel Bearing Question??

You can simple patch the cancerous areas with metal plates, but this will not fix the problem, just slow it down , and it will only get worse. Go to a reputable shop where they do frame repair/fabrication. Usually a custom speed shop (build hotrods, and muscle cars), or even some well equiped body shops. Have them cut out the bad areas and then welding a new piece of metal. This is a better method of solving the problem. if welded properly, the welds are stonger than the original metal is!

 

[TwistedCU]

Well, I just got back from Pitt. It's fixed, and fixed right. He's been welding for over 20 years. We cut out all of the either rusted or thin metal and he cut and welded in plates in their place. It's solid and rustproofed. The rear of the frame has a hole at the ends, that side was clogged up, and I'm going to assume that moisture just laid in there and rotted it away. We checked the entire Jeep out for any other spots needing attention, and there weren't any. He did however, weld my tailpipe where it comes out of the muffler (chronic problem of it popping out now solved-hopefully). I have some pic's but no time to post, I'll put them up later. Thanks everybody for the replies.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

I noticed that our shackle setups are different between CJ's and YJ's. It appears as though CJ's have the shackles mounted to a hinge bolted to the bottom of the frame, wheras your YJ has it going right through the middle bar.Since you are taking it out to your friend to get re-welded, you might want to try changing your shacke mounts to something a little more long lasting like this.

I wouldn't call the CJ style 'long lasting'. The stock shackle hangers are prone to easy breakage when taken on the trail, and there are heavier replacement versions sold that are stronger.