• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

1" holes compromise unibody strength?

outlander

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Columbus,Ohio
im working on getting rid of rust on my89 and was thinking about drilling two one inch holes on each side of the unibody one near the front and one near the rear to allow me to clean mud out of there after i wheel and to allow me to spray eastwoods internal frame coating to kill existing rust.
I have noticed there is a lot of dried mud inside the frame rails and rockers and would be nice to have access holes big enough to get a pressure washer nozzle or garden hose in there a couple times a year to flush all the crap out.Will get body plugs to put in the holes to keep mud out.....
 
I used to stick the pressure wand in through the UCA holes. After a couple times getting it clean, I decided to avoid mud from here on out
 
Am not aware of any detrimental uni-chassis consequences of making access holes in the locations I think I understand you to have described. However, I am not into automotive chassis/body work to give you structural advice. That said, I would think that should any of those sections develope holes from crap inside, and the exterior areas merging into rotting rust holes.., what are you going to lose, or not lose?

On the driver's side of my '89, the floorpan was rotted away mostly from the body/door side, towards the tranny hump, and towards the slope area up to the firewall, and back towards the seat bolting rails. Ripped that area out, and replaced with a sheet of steel roughly, etc., to restore it. One thing I noticed was the interior of the frame rails, and noticed that the inner surface was somewhat involved in the rust zone due to the aforementioned. I used OSPHO, a watery light blue/green liquid of straight phosphoric acid, (danger Will Robinson), and used a recycled spray bottle to squirt all areas of rust, before rebuilding. It makes rust into an inert rust oxide. (The product you are looking at contains the acid as part of a receipe. I'm willing to divide such an all-in-one application, for the actual separate ingredients into several steps instead, i.e., no blending required; gaining complete dispersion of each, and complete coverage).

I'm real cautious with the stuff, so I suggest to those who have never used it before to wear sacrificial clothes, gloves, mask, and goggles, as it will eat them, and you. Depending on what results you want, usually three coats, (3 days), are necessary, with descaling involved inbetween steps, and then a primer paint, paint, etc. However in the area you are describing I would consider that after you flush out the rails, to also follow it up with a blast of OSPHO. J.C.Witney used to offer, and may still, a spray trigger/buttun handle thing costing perhaps twenty bucks. It permits you to connect it to an air hose via one port, and then another port allows you to connect a vinyl hose, say a four footer. This hose can go into any stable container, containing any liquid. When you trigger the button, air pressure goes through towards the nozzle end, sucking/picking up the fluid through the hose, and out the nozzle. The spray is forceful enough to run through, and completely coat the interior frame rails, i.e., stick nozzle in one end, and it will blow out the other hole you make, and any other holes already existing.

I've used the JCW spray rig to CLEAN grease, etc., from engine compartments, engines, trannys, etc., using GASOLINE, (which has it's dangers of course), but as a solvent, does a great job because of the greater air pressure, greater flow, over a hand-held recycled spray bottle. Not sure I'd want to use the JCW rig to do the complete underbody surfaces with OSPHO, though.., I'd stick to the recycled spray bottle, with appropriate protective clothing, etc.

What I did; EXAMPLE: With vehicle up on jack stands, a drop-light, etc., Brush, Scrape away all crap, rust, etc., and then from underneath, lying down, starting at one end, spray everything with the little bottle, working, (pulling, sliding one's-self), towards the other, thusly avoiding drips, and most splash-back. Next day, do the same thing in the opposite direction. That's about 1.5 coats. Let dry another day. Several Rattle Can Primers, allow to dry, and then several rattle cans of rust preventative paint. From then on it's mostly just a one rattle can of paint once a year. It's easy! 1,2,3, parts, and 1,2,3, days. Consider marine grade paints.
 
Back
Top