When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go hereXJ (84-01)
All OEM related XJ specific tech. Examples, no start, general maintenance or anything that's stock.
Well I havent ripped out the interior yet. That's the next step. But I have poked around very thoughly with a screw driver and came up with a small section that had a few quarter size holes. I do have a welder (not experienced in the slightest) I have read to cut out the section and weld in some 16 gauge. Should I be thinking about welding in a whole new floor board if it's not any worse when i pull the interior? Or am i okay with doing the section?
I know the probable answer is post pics when you pull the interior but here's what i got from underneath
Did mine last year replaced all 4 but cargo area was ok. The rust will be worse than what you see. It was not hard just took a lot of time. I welded mine in. Remove carpet and post pics. This is what my drivers side looked like
black x jay. yours looks like it was repaired at some point already, using what looks like fiberglass.
i would for the sake of it, just get a replacement pan. yours looks pretty solid along the edge where you will be welding the new pan to, so i would just go that route. it will look more factory and a lot cleaner in the end.
unless you just want to patch that spot, which appears to be the only area, wouldn't be hard to do. just cut, clean, and tack a new piece in. no need to do a full bead of weld, that would likely just warp the floor.
when you've got it all welded in, use some seam sealer or rubberized undercoat on the bottom side, and whatever you feel like on top. just spray paint would work for the inside.
are you gonna put your carpet back in? if you offroad it, i would just leave it out. you could use bedliner (line X, rhino liner or the like) on the inside floor for more grip.
black x jay. yours looks like it was repaired at some point already, using what looks like fiberglass.
i would for the sake of it, just get a replacement pan. yours looks pretty solid along the edge where you will be welding the new pan to, so i would just go that route. it will look more factory and a lot cleaner in the end.
unless you just want to patch that spot, which appears to be the only area, wouldn't be hard to do. just cut, clean, and tack a new piece in. no need to do a full bead of weld, that would likely just warp the floor.
when you've got it all welded in, use some seam sealer or rubberized undercoat on the bottom side, and whatever you feel like on top. just spray paint would work for the inside.
are you gonna put your carpet back in? if you offroad it, i would just leave it out. you could use bedliner (line X, rhino liner or the like) on the inside floor for more grip.
It's not fiberglass, I just chipped and scraped off all the undercoating with a screwdriver and degreased it. When I pull the carpet out it will not be going back in, and I'm gonna take your advice and weld in a new pan. Same deal? Just tack weld and seam sealer? I think I can handle that
When I did mine I also used a good weld thru primer think it was Seymour from Napa tried a cheaper brand from Amazon and it splattered way more when welding. cut your way in and weld your way out as someone told me. Don't take short cuts unless you plan getting rid of it.
1998 Classic - The front pans were holed in various places. I ground away the cancer, removed all paint, scarified all exposed surfaces, above and below, and fiberglass repaired both surfaces above and below. I glassed up the interior sides of the firewall and tunnel surfaces as well. Then I ferreted out all points of leaking inside the truck and repaired them. If the Jeep leaks again water will pool but no corrosion will occur. The rear pans were just slightly spotted so I ground clean those areas and treated them with POR15. New carpet went in. That was last November and so far so good.
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Originally Posted by caged
black x jay. yours looks like it was repaired at some point already, using what looks like fiberglass.
Fiberglass and Bondo are great for hiding rust behind a nice, thick armor plate, so that rust can do its work unseen and uninterrupted. Only when it has total victory in sight will it poke out from behind its shield where you can see it and counterattack, but by then its usually too late.
That's why I hate powder coating, too. I'd rather see it when it starts, than find out long after structural damage has been done. Paint will let it out where you can see it.
Powder-coating / Bondo / fiberglass all are allies of rust.
I bought the Harbor Freight air nibbler on sale when I did mine. It zipped right through the floorboard like butter, and worked fantastic to cut the new metal to size. If you use a grinder, pay attention to where the fuel and hydraulic lines are underneath. You can buy pre-made floor pans if you need to do more than patching.
Thanks for all the advice. I'm sure its gonna be worse then what it looks like, as rust usually is, but I guess ill see the severity of the rust after I pull the interior. I'll take a pic of it and get your opinions once it's all out.
Well I think over all I got pretty lucky. Wasnt to terrible. It cut out the rust and por15 the rest. All metal was solid. Tmw after the por15 dries I am gonna clean up the two sides of clean metal, hit it with some weld thru primer, weld in a new piece of 16 gauge steel and seam seal over the new piece
One question about the seam sealer. I've seen people that use rivets put it on the overlap and then use the rivets to smush the seam sealer inbetween. This wouldnt be the case if I weld in a patch. So I'm assuming I should weld in the patch, paint, let it dry, and then seam seal over it?
10-11-2019, 02:40 PM
Rust on floorboard
