[Bell-Vegas]

I have read a lot of the frame repair threads, it seems that no one really removes any of the rust from inside the frame. It appears that most people coat the inside with linseed oil or some other product. This seam to me that the rust issue is still there and any repairs that are being made will be worthless in the long run, mainly since all the rust has not been removed from inside nor the inside exposed metal covered with paint.

So my question is has anyone cut their frames open to remove all the rust, repair damage, paint the inside, re-welded the frame, then paint the outside?

[BioTex]

Seems like it would be easier, and safer to just dip the frame to remove all rust to bare metal. Then have it dipped to etch maybe. Just thinking it would weaken the frame to cut it.

[Lifesgoodhere]

POR paint is the way to go. They have these cotton balls on long flexible rods which work great.

[jscherb]

The worst rust inside will be around the areas that rust through to the outside - the rust inside the rest of the frame probably won't be much more than surface rust. Unless the frame is in *really* bad shape (and probably isn't worth repairing), the rust inside should be fairly localized to the rust through areas in my experience.

In my case, there was rust through at the rear spring hangers, which is pretty typical of CJ frames. I cut most of the inner frame rail away at that point to remove all the badly rusted metal. This gave me access to the inside of the frame, so I could do a good job rust treating the inside. The rust to worry about didn't extend much past the parts of the inner frame rail I cut out, so I was able to treat all the significant rust areas.

Then I used parts of a second frame to replace the inner rails I cut out. I actually used the outer rails from a second frame to replace the bad inner rails, see the thread for more info and photos. The end result is a frame that's treated on the inside where it needs to be, and all bad metal is replaced.

The build thread is http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/gaucho-cj-stepside-pickup-build-709132/, the frame work really starts around post 129 in that thread.

[jscherb]

Originally Posted by BioTex

Seems like it would be easier, and safer to just dip the frame to remove all rust to bare metal. Then have it dipped to etch maybe. Just thinking it would weaken the frame to cut it.

I would think just the opposite - if the frame has rust through, it's probably got areas where the metal is now very thin but hasn't yet rusted through. Etching it and then coating it with something might stop or slow the rust, but you've still got thinned metal. IMO the best way to repair a rusted frame is to cut out the bad and thinned metal and replace it. Properly welded, going back to the stock thickness metal (or thicker) will be stronger than metal that's been rusted thinner.