Rust On Underbody 1996 Question

I am a senior in high school and I just purchased a 1996 jeep Cherokee with 93,000 miles on it. I don't know if this is normal or a hazard but I noticed a part on the underside of the jeep was very rusty looking.

I am looking for any input on if this is normal.. And also what part is it? Thanks and sorry for the noobness this is my first jeep. Thank you!

https://m.imgur.com/rJP4xeb

https://m.imgur.com/Uitvs4x

https://m.imgur.com/rL5838A

Do you mean the drive shaft? The frame itself looks good to me.

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Not really sure what you are seeing. Wish I still had some pictures of my '96 I used to own. I can show you what rust is. Structurally she was disaster. Ran like a champ though. Had a soft spot for that Jeep. Should have never sold it. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoyed mine.

Two types of rust, surface rust which is the beginning of a larger problem maybe years away and the Jeep killer ROT!. Rot is where the metal is disintegrating.

Something to think about, rot sometimes starts underneath the undercoating and you may not notice until to late.

That crappy looking drive shaft may or may not present an issue. I've had one so rusty it went out of balance and I had a noticeable vibration from it when driving. That vibration prematurley wore out may transfer shaft seals. Not the type of thing to really worry about, seldom causes an issue.

Some places to check are under the front carpet. Pull the front seats removed the side molding and fold the carpet and pad up out of the way. Usually not necessary to remove the consul.

The floor above the CAT.

The gap in the rear between the frame and inner fender well.

The floor under the rearmost carpet both sides.

That Jeep would be sold up here in Central NY state as rust free ...

There's no rust on that

What you are identifying as rusty are your driveshafts and exhaust pipe. It would not hurt to wire brush the driveshafts (stay away from the rubber boots though) and hit them with some spray paint. Don't worry about the exhaust system. There is nothing you are going to apply to that and have it make any worthwhile difference.

Since your location says "bay area" I would suggest you pay more attention to the inside lip of your rain gutters. Get a step stool and take a look. Maybe with a small mirror so you can see where the factory did not apply adequate paint. If your Jeep lives outside and collects the morning dew that is where you will find your problems. Again, wire brush first. Then perhaps something like POR15 applied with an artist's brush (something small--need to reach the areas that can't be reached with a spray gun).

Thank you for everybody replying. So I should wire brush, which I'm guessing is scraping off the surface rust, and then spray paint the drive shaft to prevent anything worse from happening? Should it be a specific spray paint or just any?
I appreciate everybody's feedback as this is my first jeep and want to keep it in best shape as possible.

Unrelated but if anybody wants to weigh in it would be appreciated. A few small other issues I've noticed is the steering wheel creaks/whines a tiny bit when I turn either way. Another is when I let off my brakes after a complete stop they make a metal creaking sound almost as if they are wet. The jeep jolts a little bit when putting it in drive or reverse but I've read that it is quite common and doesn't seem to harmful. One more thing is that my engine seems to take a bit longer to shift gears when the AC is on but I feel like that's normal also for a car this age.

It is a 1996 Cherokee 4.0 straight 6 and has the high output emblem on it. Thank you all for the feedback!!

Yes, the wire brush is just to get the loose stuff all cleaned off. Sandpaper can work too, but it will instantly load up as soon as you get any grease type crud on it and it will tear if you get it near a hard edge like a welded on balancing washer.

As far as paint choice...Rustoleum, POR-15 or ZeroRust...whatever is readily available and reasonably priced. This isn't about a show finish and it is a step beyond what most folks would do. The shop that rebuilds/balances my driveshafts does a quick and dirty rattle can job and it is plenty adequate.

The situation might be different in the salt belt though.

When I did my drive shaft I had it up on jack stands to do the rear brakes anyway. I put it in gear got the drive shaft to rotating and used a bastard file, cleaned it up in a jiffy. Did the same with a wire brush to hit the low spots.

Brushed on a coat of Hammerite flat black. dries quick. Been a decade and still looks good.

Rustolium rusty metal primer is also some good stuff. Takes quite a while to dry. Used to come in spray cans or brush on.

Be careful of rotating drive shafts, loose clothing or long hair can turn really ugly really quick.