My Rusty FJ62 (3 Viewers)

[snowyhermit]

Bought my first truck a few months back, this glorious 1988 FJ62.

So far I've done the belts, most of the fluids, valve cover gasket, side cover gasket, oil pan gasket, valve adjustment, PCV valve, speedo cable, new muffler, and "fixed" the worst of the dents and body rust. A bit of Tranny service, and knuckle, bearings, and brake work still pending.

I was getting the frame ready for a coat of Fluid Film when I discovered an aftermarket drain hole... (well, two, one on each side)
I understand the general procedure, cut out the rust, cut a new piece to fit, weld it up. But I've never welded, I'm afraid. I've always been more of a nuts and bolts guy. But with box frame, unless I'm willing leave a couple wrenches in the frame for the rest of time, that doesn't seem to be an option I don't suppose some giant self-tappers would be appropriate?

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Clean that area up and see if there is good metal around it first by tapping and poking to see if it is swiss cheese. Get to good metal. Get some 1/4” plate and get out your cutoff wheel and trim out a patch that clears about 2-3 inches past poor metal area. Take it to a guy with a welder and have them burn it in. Clean inside the frame as best as possible before welding.

 

[snowyhermit]

Clean that area up and see if there is good metal around it first by tapping and poking to see if it is swiss cheese. Get to good metal. Get some 1/4” plate and get out your cutoff wheel and trim out a patch that clears about 2-3 inches past poor metal area. Take it to a guy with a welder and have them burn it in. Clean inside the frame as best as possible before welding.

I've been cleaning it up with an angle grinder, hammer and punch, and a pressure washer.

It's not insured at the moment, so I can't take it anywhere. I guess I'll just have to borrow my dad's welder, and see how fast I can learn!

 

[Devils Paw 80]

How did you "fix" the body rust? Hard to say from that one photo how bad your frame is.

 

[snowyhermit]

How did you "fix" the body rust? Hard to say from that one photo how bad your frame is.

Clean it up with a heavy duty wire wheel and some sand paper, base coat of rustoleum, cut some flashing and rivet it in place, sand, bondo, sand, and paint again with rustoleum.

I'll upload some more pictures of the frame when I'm done cleaning it up. But on the worse side, the rust crack seems to span about a 16" length on the inside, between the front mount of the rear spring, and a bracket for a crossmember.

 

[snowyhermit]

Rained today, so I couldn't get the angle grinder out to finish cleaning it up, but this is what the worse side looks like after beating it with a punch.

Handy that all these brackets and stuff are right there. I'm thinking I'm gonna have to pull the rest of the fuel line hangers so I can pull the fuel lines out of the way, then drill out the rivets holding the bracket to the crossbar, and cut the welds to the frame. I suspect there's a bit more rust hiding behind it, anyway. And no matter how I do it, there's no way I'm fixing the frame properly with it in the way.

 

[snowyhermit]

Got a bit sick of frame depression, so, I introduce to you:

The Zero Dollar Bumper Repair!

 

[snowyhermit]

Hey, uhh, while I'm down here,

Is the Proportioning Valve linkage supposed to be bowed like this?

 

[RevISK]

Yup

 

[snowyhermit]

Yup

Oh good! Thanks!

I was getting ready with a torch and clamps

 

[kevin in okinawa]

wow, that thing is crusty! I applaud your efforts to revive that LC.

 

[snowyhermit]

wow, that thing is crusty! I applaud your efforts to revive that LC.

This is just what trucks look like up here. At least in my price range

 

[snowyhermit]

Right, well, I've been looking at all my options for fixing this frame, between the expensive, difficult, and questionable.

I'm really not confident, as someone who's never welded before, using a 120V Harbor Freight welder, to weld this frame reliably.

I'm looking at various options on the blindbolt-rivetnut-rivet spectrum. Anyone here have any experience/advice therin?
Let me guess, just buck up and put on the dark mask?

One more quick (and rather unrelated question),
The driver's side low beam stays on when when switching to highbeams. Is that normal?

 

[zeeklafreek]

Right, well, I've been looking at all my options for fixing this frame, between the expensive, difficult, and questionable.

I'm really not confident, as someone who's never welded before, using a 120V Harbor Freight welder, to weld this frame reliably.

I'm looking at various options on the blindbolt-rivetnut-rivet spectrum. Anyone here have any experience/advice therin?
Let me guess, just buck up and put on the dark mask?

One more quick (and rather unrelated question),
The driver's side low beam stays on when when switching to highbeams. Is that normal?

Re. the headlights, I think yes, and that the actual issue is that the passenger side headlight is the one having the issue. But I could be wrong as I only have the round eye.

 

[RevISK]

Right, well, I've been looking at all my options for fixing this frame, between the expensive, difficult, and questionable.

I'm really not confident, as someone who's never welded before, using a 120V Harbor Freight welder, to weld this frame reliably.

I'm looking at various options on the blindbolt-rivetnut-rivet spectrum. Anyone here have any experience/advice therin?
Let me guess, just buck up and put on the dark mask?

One more quick (and rather unrelated question),
The driver's side low beam stays on when when switching to highbeams. Is that normal?

You guessed right, learn to weld. With that much frame repair needed it’s a no brainer.

It’s really not hard. Come visit me for a couple days and I’ll get you started.

Or fly me up

 

[toy_tek]

I'm really not confident, as someone who's never welded before, using a 120V Harbor Freight welder, to weld this frame reliably.

I'm looking at various options on the blindbolt-rivetnut-rivet spectrum. Anyone here have any experience/advice therin?
Let me guess, just buck up and put on the dark mask?

Wow I commend you for diving in. That looks worse than most of what I left behind in my native Rustbelt state, Ohio. Save that ‘71 Blazer my dad had hauled off for scrap in the mid 80s .

Having done my fair share of heavy structural throughbolt and rivet patches in my airline days, I don’t think that’s the best route here for a couple reasons.

Some 1/4” scab patches are probably the “easiest”/best option, in reality you’re just prolonging the inevitable here as this level of corrosion will ultimately beat you... “rust never sleeps” and all that. That’s not to say it isn’t worth the fight tho.

Follow the advice given earlier in the thread, but I’m of the mind you’ll need a 240v welder to get the penetration needed on 1/4” plate. But I’m sure more has been done w less, so “run what you brung” as they say.

Keep up the good fight, amigo.

 

[snowyhermit]

Re. the headlights, I think yes, and that the actual issue is that the passenger side headlight is the one having the issue. But I could be wrong as I only have the round eye.

Thanks! Yeah, at first I assumed I had a burnt out bulb on the passenger side, but switching between low and high does switch between the low and high bulbs, the low just turns off when the high turns on.

I checked on one of my family's American trucks, and it switched between as well, so I thought it must have been the low beam staying on that was weird. More light sure seems like a good thing, though!

 

[snowyhermit]

You guessed right, learn to weld. With that much frame repair needed it’s a no brainer.

It’s really not hard. Come visit me for a couple days and I’ll get you started.

Or fly me up

If only I had that kind of budget

Alright, alright, I'll dig out the old welder

 

[snowyhermit]

Wow I commend you for diving in. That looks worse than most of what I left behind in my native Rustbelt state, Ohio. Save that ‘71 Blazer my dad had hauled off for scrap in the mid 80s .

Having done my fair share of heavy structural throughbolt and rivet patches in my airline days, I don’t think that’s the best route here for a couple reasons.

Some 1/4” scab patches are probably the “easiest”/best option, in reality you’re just prolonging the inevitable here as this level of corrosion will ultimately beat you... “rust never sleeps” and all that. That’s not to say it isn’t worth the fight tho.

Follow the advice given earlier in the thread, but I’m of the mind you’ll need a 240v welder to get the penetration needed on 1/4” plate. But I’m sure more has been done w less, so “run what you brung” as they say.

Keep up the good fight, amigo.

Compared to my dad's '99 Suburban, it's really not that bad

I have considered what I would do to replace the whole frame. I can't imagine finding one up here, and I could never afford shipping one up. A part of me wants to give it straight frame rails like a truck. It would be much easier and get rid of those _stupid_ swoopties that fill up with dirt and rot out. Center of gravity might not be too pleased with me, though

I'm tempted to ask more about your riveting experience, but with this many people telling me, I should probably just throw in the towel and learn a new skill like a _responsible_ person. Grr, how dare you not feed my bad habits!

 

[snowyhermit]

I'm officially at the stage in the project where I'm wondering what the heck I got myself into.