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Rust on Driver's Side Seat Frame

RSchurig356

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
I noticed that my front driver's side seat bracket is rusted and corroded. It's a 2001 XJ Classic with a power driver's seat. All of the rest of the seat brackets in the Jeep are not rusted. Does this have something to do with the way that the power seat is grounded? Also, should I worry about this rusting my floorpan underneath? Has anyone else seen this problem and what is the solution to fixing it? Thanks.

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Every time I've seen that, it means the floor pan underneath it already has cancer. Take a peek and see if you got lucky or if you're in for repairs - if you got lucky, wirewheel/sand any minor rust spots, put rust converter primer and Hammerite paint over them, then undercoat it NOW!
 
Keep your fingers crossed. I had a similar situation when I bought mine. I pulled up all the carpet and it turned out there was only a about 1/2" surface rust around one of the driver's seat bolt holes. I undercoated it all anyway since the carpet was out...
 
Well I pulled out the seat and the carpet and this is what I have underneath. It looks like just some minor surface rust and looks ok. The rear drivers side bolt snapped off. Why is just this one bolt so rusty? What's the best way to get the broken bolt out? And I still don't know why the seat brackets were so rusty and corroded. Do you think it was a problem with the paint from the factory or does it have something to do with the electric seat?

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I had the same bolt break in my '96. I just ground it flush to the floor, drilled it out- start small, go bigger- and got lucky. Then I cleaned out the hole with a tap, and was able to use the original threads. On the other side-yes I broke the same bolt on both seats- I didn't fare so well, so I cleaned up the hole, and used a nut and bolt.
 
The rust is from water/snow on your shoes. Wire wheel and paint the seat base.

As suggested, grind flat and drill out the broken bolt. I re-tapped one bolt and on another I drilled out the bolt/threads and used a bolt, nut and thick washer.
 
The floor rust coming from rain/snow makes sense, but why would that piece of flat steel up under the seat be rusting? I can't see how that could have ever gotten wet. Plus the fact that the back bolt was so bad just where it connected. Could an electrical charge cause the steel to become more reactive?
 
What have you been eating. That is caused by horrible GAS. Not by anything else.
YOU SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR. There is a chance a doctor could fix you. Probably not but maybe. You didnt show what the top of the seat looks like . Does it look like a volcano? Or a sink hole. You mite want to call 911 cause yer in big trouble mister. Thats some serious damage. Imagine what your innards look like.
Have a nice day.
Ron
 
What have you been eating. That is caused by horrible GAS. Not by anything else.
YOU SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR. There is a chance a doctor could fix you. Probably not but maybe. You didnt show what the top of the seat looks like . Does it look like a volcano? Or a sink hole. You mite want to call 911 cause yer in big trouble mister. Thats some serious damage. Imagine what your innards look like.

maybe it's not "rust" :)
 
What have you been eating. That is caused by horrible GAS. Not by anything else.
YOU SHOULD SEE A DOCTOR. There is a chance a doctor could fix you. Probably not but maybe. You didnt show what the top of the seat looks like . Does it look like a volcano? Or a sink hole. You mite want to call 911 cause yer in big trouble mister. Thats some serious damage. Imagine what your innards look like.
Have a nice day.
Ron

Thanks for that great response. I enjoy wasting my time reading through comments that don't help me at all. Now does someone who actually has some helpful answers want to help me out?
 
The rust is a result of moisture in the air and the water/ice/snow (isn't that really all the same?) that you drag in during the year. When you drive and the heat is on the moisture is going to rise and land in other places when things cool down.

What you have is normal. Although it is a late model, you do live in the rust-belt, and my seats have the same thing but I changed out the bolts to stainless steel and put anti-seize on the threads.

PS--kidding around, within reason, is expected. Grin and bear it! :D Better yet, join in! :jester:
 
I ran for a while with 3 bolts holding my seat on. Never caused me any issues (yeah I know, not the worlds greatest idea, but I was a poor college kid with little to no time on my hands).

I can't see the pics as I am currently at work... but I highly recommend repairing any rustly floors that you may have ASAP. You may have seen me bitching and moaning about my floor pan replacements in some other thread around here. I will keep it short and sweet: once the floors are gone, its a somewhat long and PITA process to get them back again :laugh:

If the floors themselves are still solid, hit both sides with something to protect it (as was already mentioned by others). In that case you should be fine :)
 
My drivers seat was broken from rust... had to weld it back up together and now my seat is forever leaning to the left. haha

Does that make you a socialist? :confused1
 
Does that make you a socialist? :confused1
no no... his seat is slightly socialist and is always left supporting him when he would be left on his ass without the support. HE isn't socialist, he is just using the seat's 'left-leaning' tendencies to support himself while he travels though life :)
 
Mine were this way too. Wire brushed them and painted, and then reinstalled, really should get the stainless hardware though. I broke that same bolt as well on both sides (the outboard one that goes through the floor) and haven't fixed them yet. Did this when I put in my WJ seats.
 
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