[chitownEMT]

It rained like a fiend last night and apparently my soft top wasn't completely sealed. I have carpet in the front and it was soaked so I decided to take it out and let the interior dry. That's when I stumbled on a tremendous amount of surface rust and a lovely hole about the size of a golf ball that was completely rusted through. I didn't think to take a picture because I was so close to crying at what I saw. So the first pics are after about 2 hours with the angle grinder and flapper wheel to the surface rust.

[chitownEMT]

Next I used the angle grinder with a cutoff wheel and some tin snips to cut out patches where the rust was really bad. After that, it was a lot of Rustoleum rust inhibitor spray paint and some butyl rubber caulk on some new patches of 22GA stainless steel sheet metal. I used rivets to hold the new panels down. I know it's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it's better than it was before. I have to let the rubber cure for 5 days before I can paint over it, but it'll get one more spray of Rustoleum flat black then I'm going to bedline the whole thing. No more rusty floorboards for me!

Edit: For the record, that butyl rubber sealant is sticky as sin! That's why there are strands of it all over the new patches of metal. You literally touch it at all and it's coming with you. PITA.

[Lemmiwinks]

Nice work man!

[2003RubiBlue]

Looks good!!!

[j_niko]

I'd be proud to have that floor

[chitownEMT]

Thanks for the kind words! And proud to have which floor, the rusty one or the patched one? Hahaha

[rikkards]

Welcome to the club. I have a spot to fix that is about 10" long where the round drain hole is. I have rocker guards that had a small hole in it which got plugged which then let everything stay in and rusted it out. I have cleaned it out and am planning on using POR-15 on the innards and then welding a patch over it. I then have to herculine the floor.
Also for yours I would look at getting the drain hole drilled back in and put back in the rubber plug. You could probably do a pilot hole from the underneath where that drain hole is.

Btw the floor is 18G not 22 (but 22 should do the job).

[Brainwashed2566]

looks good man, now bedliner that thing before it does it again

[rikkards]

The biggest help is keeping the carpet out. The noise insulation sucks up all of the saltwater and never dries until spring. Bedlining will help a bit but not the section with the tunnel which is what I had rot out which is what happened to me. The only solution to that is keeping it empty and if you can, paint the interior of it the tunnel.

[chitownEMT]

Rikkards,

I am definitely going to redrill the drain plug hole. I'm just waiting for the rubber sealant to cure before I start messing with it. And hearing about your rust issues makes me feel better; I assume this is a common problem with TJs? Makes you wonder why Daimler-Chrysler didn't just use stainless steel for the floor pans and treat it properly. Probably because it makes too much sense haha.

And I plan on either using Herculiner or Rhinoliner as soon as the rubber is cured and I lay down one more coat of rust-inhibiting spray paint.

[Jonny Jeep]

I wouldn't redrill the drain hole where it was. I'd pull the drain plug from the lowest part of the floor and replace it with a JK plug if I were you. You can get the JK plugs on ebay pretty cheap...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swap-Steel-Floor-Drain-Plug-w-Rubber-Jeep-Wrangler-TJ-/370452726231?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories &hash=item5640b401d7

Here's a thread with info about the JK floor plugs......

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/co...-whew-1106780/

[chitownEMT]

Is the JK plug oval-shaped like the hole in the floor pan at the lowest point?

I couldn't figure out why there is a nice and easy circular rubber plug that's NOT at the lowest point of the pan, but at the lowest point there's a goofy oval metal plate with clips on the bottom.

[j_niko]

Originally Posted by chitownEMT

Thanks for the kind words! And proud to have which floor, the rusty one or the patched one? Hahaha

Oh the patched one....I already have the rusty one.

[rikkards]

I think the reason for the rubber round one is not as a primary drain but to be able to ensure the tunnel is clear. Plus really the floor is pretty flat. That's why I think they put it there. When I got mine I ended up getting new oval ones which look like they changed the design (the JK were just coming out). The original ones appear to seal well while the new ones didn't my theory is that they recognized the sealing ones as being a bad idea after the fact as it trapped the water in and went with the non sealing ones so if there was any water it would have a way of escaping. Like I said, it's my theory so I would take it with a huge grain of salt. Granted it may let water in if you are doing a deep water crossing although with mats I would assume it wouldn't leak too much but at least it has some way to get out.
Here is what I have to deal with (yes it isn't completely cleaned up yet) and you can see the new style replacement plug to the right. All that is holding it in is two small clips which don't actually pull it in, they only hold it from leaving the hole. There is a lot of play.

[ryan_289]

Pics like these make me glad I live in the South! There are plenty of 20 plus year old rigs running around with no rust!