chassis replacement

because of the extensive rust on the frame of my jeep I am looking for a chassis. Are the chassis all the same for all the cherokee line ? or do I need to stay close to my year which is a 1996.

-Ryan

Well, I could be wrong, but I think you are talking about a "frame" and Cherokees didnt come with frames. They are unibody construction where the body and "frame" are built as one. If you are talking about replacing the whole body, then thats more like getting a whole new jeep.

Don't know what to say other than maybe plating the framerails and patching other rust holes in the tub.

well chassis, frame, unibody. what ever it is called. I have a perfect body and I have a body shop that told me if I can find a new rails they would do the work.

-Ryan

I would recommend some TnT Frame Stiffeners.... I havent installed any of them but I hear good things. Eliminate squeaks from what I understand.

is it all frame or is it the underside too?

Its is the frame, the body shop said they would have to replace from what he could see 6" to 8". The body shop showed me a quote from one of there after market suppliers and wants $495 per rail.

-Ryan

you need a 1-foot section of the frame rail? call a junkyard

With regards to the XJ's frame, it's a three sided frame-rail, spot welded to the floor of the Cherokee. It's not really a "uni-body". The frame could be replaced---at great expense, I would think, since all of the spot welds would have to be drilled out, and the new rails spot welded back in; very labor intensive. Probably cheaper to by a "new" '96.
I'd say if parts of the rail are rusted out, it's very likely than the whole frame should be replaced $$$$.
It's a possible home-shop project, if you have the tools, time, and fab skills.
You could build a new frame out of 2x4x3/16 tube, cut out the old, and weld in the new.
As the body shop's quote shows, OEM-type replacement rails are quite expensive. His quote is probably for just a partial rail replacement--in the area of rust he can see.
Sounds like one of those projects, that once started, will continue to expand in scope--and in $$$$. Once you have a couple of thousand invested, you will feel compelled to through in another couple of thousand when the shop comes back to you with the "bad" news of a need to replace even more rail.
It's the kind of project that I'd do myself. I wouldn't hire it out to a body shop, unless you want a restored '96 costing more than the Kelly Blue book value.

buy yourself a cordless sawzall and some 9" or 12" coarse tooth metal blades, then head for the junkyard. Get about six to twelve inches more than you think you're going to need, better to get more than not enough!

Also, if you don't care about the old uniframe (which you don't, obviously) you can grind the spot welds out instead of drilling through them, that way you don't have to patch the holes on what they're welded to. Worked for me, at least. You can work the grinder wheel (I like to use a cutoff wheel edgewise for this) back and forth and watch the color of the oxide layer formed, when it turns a different color on the part surrounding the welded area, you know you're getting pretty close to breaking through and should slow down and be careful. I've pulled brackets off this way and left the sheetmetal they were welded to nearly perfectly smooth.

well I guess good thing for me is that the trunk floor needs to be replaced looks like swiss cheese with all the rust holes. So before I commit to the frame rail repair I will remove what is left the the floor. this way I can see how much of the frame needs to be replaced.

I told the body shop that I am doing all the tear down, I will get it to them with the trunk floor removed so all they have to do I replace the rusted frame sections and than weld in the new stamped steel floor pan I have.

-Ryan

be careful during removal or you will make unnecessary work for the body shop. the floorpan rests on the frame rails and a lip that goes around the side panels, and is then spot welded into place. try to keep as much of the lip as possible and drill out the spot welds instead of cutting the lips

well all of the major rust is along the seam sealer line. The seam sealer is in some spots gone and as far as the lip goes, the only thing left of those so far is the spot weld spots all the metal rusted away around the spot welds.

-Ryan

just saying that the more of the lip you remove the more hours $$ you will pay the body shop for repairs

yea i know it just that the lip isn't there it rusted away.

-Ryan

Trunk floor, "frame" rails, New Jersey rot. Sorry to come off as negative, but you will end up with something patched up, that will never be right. You'll have $2k plus more into it than you already do. You can buy another XK for 2 or 3k that will serve you better. Maybe even one from down south.

winterbeater said:

Trunk floor, "frame" rails, New Jersey rot. Sorry to come off as negative, but you will end up with something patched up, that will never be right. You'll have $2k plus more into it than you already do. You can buy another XK for 2 or 3k that will serve you better. Maybe even one from down south.

Click to expand...

not to mention sell the rusty one you have now to some idiot for $1000....

well the way I see it is I spent 4K to buy the car from a dealer 5 years ago, other than the money I spent to put a lift on it. I have not spent a great deal of money on the jeep. I am a mechanic so fixing the car is no big deal. so the way I see it 1k -2k for rust repair is not a big deal. and plus the car is paid off and insurance is cheap.

-Ryan

I have a '92 Limited I'll sell you for $2.5K complete! Absolutely no rust anywhere. Just have to come out here to the Left Coast and pick it up! Perfect for a mechanic as it needs a little TLC if you want it for a nice DD, otherwise its good to go. It is my DD.

^^ I dig the NMO mounted antenna, not often I see someone do an antenna mount *right*.

Jeep called it "uni-frame" construction.

GO GET THAT LIMITED