Rust on rear hatch, What to do.

Im going to be recieving a 97 jeep cherokee in a few months so im making my list like RE4.5, 32s and whatnot. But i was admiring the jeep yesterday and i noticed rust at the top left of the window in the rear hatch. The was some showing on the exterior so i pulled back the rubber cover around the window and the rust countinued on for a good 3-4 inches both directions.


I have no experience with paintjobs, or body work. But should i do anything to prevent, or fix this problem from countinueing.

bb_xjer said:

But should i do anything to prevent, or fix this problem from countinueing.

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Well... It depends largely on a) how bad the rust is, and b) how much surgery you want or need to do.

My usual tactic for light rust has been to hit it with a neutraliser like Jenolite (sorry, don't know what the US equivalent to it is if there is one) and repaint.

For heavier stuff, grind it off, then hit it with POR-15 or similar. If it's really bad, either a) cut it out of the affected area and weld in new metal (followed by rustproofing & painting), or b) outright replace the offending panel with a good rust-free one.

Given the type of rust you're describing, it may or may not be swiss cheese. If it is, it's probably going to be easier to replace the hatch as a whole than try to save the area around the glass; been through this before with a few cars.

That odd because the rear hatch is fiberglass.

Only the old ones are fiberglass...i.e. pre 1996 I believe.

Bender said:

Only the old ones are fiberglass...i.e. pre 1996 I believe.

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Yep, '97 up is steel.

I really hate dealing with rust around windows. Usually it's a sign of a blocked seal drain somewhere - water pools up between the seal and the panel, eats through, and you can't tell it's doing it until it's already too late. Had a Triumph GT6 years ago that I eventually ended up selling because the back hatch had become so rotten from exactly this.

96 was the last of the glass, 97 back to steel