Topic: rusted out frame questions

[Jeffy]

What I don't like about Por-15 is that it's usually very lumpy.  They use it a lot as undercoating for trucks in Hawaii but I think it looks terrible.  You will still want to treat the rusty area to neutralize it to it's not going to rust under the paint.  Stuff like rustilium and Hammerite do neutralize rust.  Although, if it's bad, I would wire brush it and then use Naval Jelly.  It will cause the rust to turn black and go inert.  If you have a lot of rust you'll still want to wire brush it and chip off any scale.

On a side note: I noticed in Qtec, they have replacement frame pieces so you can cut and patch your frame.  The pieces are a bit expensive though.

[blacknblue]

     O.K. so the t.c. skid arrived today missing the shifter relocation bracket that is supposed to come with it, and the Skyjacker decals and warning sticker (skyjacker voids warranty without this decal displayed in the cab).  I ordered this thru Amazon for $508.95 plus $49.10 for shipping...so it was listed by DiscountJeepParts.com which is run by Tellico4x4 it seems.  Of course when I called the warehouse is closed, but I will give them a chance to reconcile this tommorow. 
 
-------  " Skyjacker High Clearance Transfer Case Skid Plate for Jeep TJ 1997-04 w/Automatic Transmission. Includes Automatic Transmission Shifter Relocation Bracket (P/N SJ-JSRB231A).
Made from 3/16" steel with formed and gusseted corners. A Z-bend internal crossmember provides ulitmate load capacity to withstand abuse from the harshest terrain. Zinc finish for a great look and corrosion resistance."
   
 The 3/16" steel is thick and heavy duty,  it will most definately be able to take some serious punishment off road.  The sides are boatsided and the overall profile is only 1 5/8"!   The bottom is smooth and has several drain holes in the middle.  I am not a big fan of the Zinc coated look,  but for practicality I believe in anything against the war on rust.  I am going to lightly fine sand it, prime it, and paint it to match the frame rails. 
     Now I need to rent a tranny jack, pick up some sawzall blades and a hole saw for the nutserts as well as the new nuts.  I wonder if it is better to weld the nuts to a piece of steel and then weld that to the frame or just weld the new nuts into the frame.  I would think it would be stronger with the steel plate,  but would that interfere with a long arm lift sub frame brackets...IF I ever went with a long arm lift?  Also going to pick up some anti-sieze lubricant so the nut and bolt don't rust weld again in the future, and I need to drop the skid to do a Advanced Adapter SYE and a Tom Woods CV driveshaft next month.

[sharpxmen]

you can get away without a tranny jack - just have a regular jack under the bellhousing where it meets the transmission (unless you lift the whole jeep up high, then you need one)

[TrailsLessTaken]

I think I saw a cradle at harbour freight to turn your regular floor jack in to a transmission jack.  You just pull out the round disc and the craddle just drops down in the hole.  I think it was only 15-20 bucks. Im pretty sure thats where I saw it at

[blacknblue]

thanks Sharpaxeman,
    I am supporting the transmission with my floor jack at the bellhousing.  After putting my rig up on 4 jackstands and taking off my wheels this is job is getting more involved as now I am noticing rust forming everywhere.  I am going to be using Naval Jelly with a brush, as that was also recommended by my neighbor the machinist. Not sure yet on the topcoat,  but I am looking at Rustoleum products also recommended by my buddy.  So far I was able to remove one of the bolts with the stripped out nutsert by using a pry bar and putting pressure on the skid to kind of pull as I used an impact.  I have two left and will probably be using the sawsall now that I have a little bit of room to get the blade in.  I am waiting for the shifter relocation bracket to arrive from Tellico 4x4 next week.
     I saw a good write up on this particullar problem here........http://articles.jeepforum.com/Nutsert_Removal_and_Install   
     I am not sure that I want to remove and replace the nustserts, as this is a pain in the ass of a problem to have pop up again in the future.  So most likely I will be drilling out the frame holes and welding in new nuts.  I am questioning if having the nuts welded to some plate steel will interfere with mounting subframe brackets for a long arm lift as they sometimes are sandwiched between the skid and the frame using the frame rail mounting holes?

     

[blacknblue]

Finally found the part number for the mopar nutserts for a TJ...part number #06 035739.  I decided to go the POR-15 route for the rust treatment of my frame.  I am doing everything I can reach without taking everything off...p.i.t.a. I am also going to by spraying on the por-15 topcoat with an air gun.  I am cleaning out the inside of the frame of loose rust by using a blow pipe attachment for the compressor and some 3/8 flexible tubing to reach inside the frame.  I plan on installing the nutserts first and then using this product called  BILT HAMBER - DYNAX S-50 750ML ANTI CORROSION WAX - PMBHDS50  This is a cavity wax product that comes in an areosol can with an flexible extension wand to get inside of the frame.  Here is the link...http://www.agriemach.com/product_info.php?products_id=1060&osCsid=t25cpjokngp8hr67ju1aresqm1 
     Here is the product info....Dynax S50 is a high-performance anti-corrosion wax that provides exceptionally long-lasting protection to steel surfaces. It creeps into welded seams and seals surface defects. Dynax S50 forms a soft, brown, wax-like film that self-heals in the event of disruption. It is also able to arrest existing corrosion and to provide long-term protection to pre-corroded and corrosion-free surfaces.

Dynax S50 has been proven to substantially outperform competitive material in salt-spray trials under conditions of ASTM B117.

Dynax S50's soft-film is optimised for enclosed cavities where extremely corrosive conditions develop. Dynax S50 is also recommended for protection of valuable machinery and component in transit, machine tools, moulds etc.

The advanced metal seeking anti-corrosion molecules which form Dynax S50 are able to displace water, so even damp surfaces can be protected, these same molecules arrest and prevent corrosion even on already rusty surfaces and provide remarkable self-healing abilities if the film is damaged.  Whilst Dynax S50 is primarily a cavity rustproofing compound it’s also able to prevent corrosion in a multitude of mud traps and water collecting voids.  Dynax S50 has been used with superb results to protect voids and cavities in steel boats, vessels, off shore installations and other steel structures subject to severely corrosive atmospheres.

[blacknblue]

Since this product is from England they cannot ship areosols to the states. Until I find a way around that,  I may end up buying the gallon and using a spray gun with some kind of tube rigged up to get inside the frame rails. 

[blacknblue]

Found a supplier of a product similar to the Bilt Hamber Dynax s50 from England.  This is a USA manufacture called Eastwood.  Here is the link to the product called Internal Frame Coating....http://www.eastwood.com/internal-frame-coating-w-spray-nozzle.html
Hope this helps some people with similar rust problems.     

Now I just need to recover from a knee injury from riding my brothers ATV and bouncing my knee off the snowplow lever he neglected to remove for the summer.  Spending the next week or 2 in my recliner on pain meds. 

[blacknblue]

     Finally finished applying POR-15 to my frame, axles, front linkage, lower control arms, body mounts, oil pan..etc...etc.  I tested it by hand painted my frame two coats to begin with and it did start to rust thru in some areas.  Aparently you need to wash off the metal ready prep before paint.  I took some 40 grit sandpaper wheels and worked out the bad spots, and this time I rinsed the metal ready off.  To speed this up and avoid getting all over my arms I bought a detail spray gun for $40. Actually had to buy two guns,  The first one broke on me after job was done. It worked out great using the spray to get into those hard to reach areas and it went on in thin coats, like they recommend. 
     The topcoat called Chassis coat was really thick and was not spraying very well I had to use laquer thinner and thin it down some for it to work.  The whole process was done in a day, there is alot of prep and you really have to read the directions a few times...both on the bottles, cans, and the paper instructions.  Overall I am happy it is done now, and happy I went the spray gun route.  It looks good with the body lift to actually see a nice paint job and not the rust.  I even did the wheel wells and where the underbody meet the body mounts.
     I'm also trying out some of POR-15's detailing products...like Boss Gloss for the interior, Por Glo for the exterior rubber and viynl like my faded flares!!, Artisan Metal Polish for my aluminum rims, and some solid carnuba wax.  They engineer more solids into these products that they claim makes them last longer but we'll see.
  It is easy to get information overload when researching rust prevention!  For the inside of my frame I am not using POR-15 as it may fail and you'll never know and you really cannot prep the metal properly.  I will be investing in a undercoating gun http://oemproamtools.com/undercoat.htm that has flexible wands that spray a 360 pattern.   I will be buying a product called Fluidfilm in bulk....http://www.fluid-film.com/  and spraying the inside of my frame with that.  Also plan on doing the engine compartment and entire undercarriage.  It works on electrical connectinons too.  It also works as a wax and can bring back faded paint jobs i've read...we'll see.  This is going to be an ongoing process with reaplication before and after every winter.
     Now all I have to do is install the nutserts, transfer case shifter bracket,  high clearance tranny skid plate and save up for a lift kit , SYE and CV driveshaft.  I'm in too deep now...had my first argument with my girlfriend about working on my jeep when we should be spending time together   I might get this up and running by the middle of summer.