Questions about 2000 TJ rotting frame

[Captain K-man]

This week when I was getting my oil changed the guy changing it showed me a major problem with my 2000 Jeep TJ wrangler. The driver side frame has rotted out & the cross member that holds up the transmission is hanging by only the passenger side. I can put 4 fingers in the holes that the 3 bolts that hold the cross member were. I'm poor because of being disabled (spine cancer)and on a fixed income. I need to get 1 to 2 more years out of this jeep. Any ideas on how to fix this cheep?

 

[alosix]

Hmm, without seeing it its hard to think through it. I think I'd be worried about how the rest of the frame looks.

i'd almost suggest finding a local club to help. Find a junkyard frame (might be hard to source a straight one, but TJs are old enough to get totaled easy for body work and bent broken axles now).

Supply beer/food for a few weekends and swap the tub and drivetrain over. It wouldn't be 'that' hard if a few people had a clue.. but is major surgery.


Save that.. I'd probably get a large chunk of 1/4" angle iron. Drill the holes in it needed for the cross member. Put some weld nuts on the back (I might even had the ones needed lying around in a box here) and cut/weld that into position on the side of the frame. Only issue there is.. if the underside of that frame rail is already that bad, its rough to say that it hasn't spread to the rest of the rail.

Jason

 

[Booner]

I feel your pain brother, my 78 CJ frame turned to dust a short while ago. We stripped the Jeep and determined that the frame was not repairable. For every visibly rusted area, we found twice as much hidden rust. I searched for a used frame without success, and ultimately ordered a new frame from Throttle Down Kustoms. The CJ should be back in action soon. You may want to try the Davey's Jeeps website, I know a couple guys that bought TJ frames there. He is in Ohio.

 

[Ty-Dean Customs]

The driver side frame has rotted out & the cross member that holds up the transmission is hanging by only the passenger side.

Sorry to hear about your frame.

You may already know this but the skid plate is a major structural component of the TJ frame. It is the ONLY "cross-member" in the middle of the frame.

What ever you do.....fix it soon before you have a major failure.

This repair kit may be an option.
http://autorust.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=184&zenid=d4dc2c5415f374413382c4b7ad3f5ffa

Auto Rust Technicians
275 Niantic Avenue
Cranston, Rhode Island
02907-3121 USA

(401) 944-4444
toll-free number (800) 407-7024


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[acousticrawk]

hey, sorry to hear about your frame. dont bother fixing it. its just a band-aid. patch it up and sell or or buy a new or used frame. dozens of TJs are starting to pop up with frame rot. especially on the drivers side near the tranny/tcase cross-member. if you fix it... it will just rt out further down the frame and continue to forever.

ive replaced several TJ frames for this very reason. good luck... sorry about your luck bud.

 

[Stumpalump]

Weld it up if you are on a buget. It can allways be cut off later if you need it apart.

 

[wjeeper]

This repair kit may be an option.
http://autorust.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=184&zenid=d4dc2c5415f374413382c4b7ad3f5ffa

Auto Rust Technicians
275 Niantic Avenue
Cranston, Rhode Island
02907-3121 USA

(401) 944-4444
toll-free number (800) 407-7024


.

x2

I welded in a auto rust technicians kit to to the rear of a rotted out YJ wrangler a few years back. It fit exactly as it should. Like the OP the owner was just looking to keep the vehicle on the road for a few more years. It was certainly more cost effective than replacing the whole frame!

JP magazine installed the same repair section I installed:http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/154_1103_beating_jeep_frame_rot/index.html Not the same frame section but the procedure is basically the same