Rust Question

[NJFJ40]

OK - I am closing in on final decisions for my revitalization effort to my 02/80 FJ40. The tub has rust through-out with lots of repairs done by PO - some better than others. I am considering a new tub as one option but can weld and repair if needed to atleast keep the truck on the road for a while longer (can't envision 1-2 yrs of having an FJ40 and not being able to drive it - especially after waiting so long to finally own one).

The one area that worries me most is the area behind the DS and PS door - where the floor boards meet the vertical section that rises to the rear bed. This whole area is basically gone on both DS and PS areas on my truck - whats there is held together with POR and some creative welding done before so atleast the seat-belt anchor is somewhat secure.

Any advice as to if/how this is repairable? None of the panels you can buy address this area so patch-work refab on the tub would atleast require some custom fab. How have others addressed this as it looks like a logical area for rust?

Pic attached.

Thx for the help,

AndrewT

 

[Steve C]

I fixed this on my 78 fj40. I bought some 18 gauge steel sheet metal at a local dealer, cut the old rust out and welded the new material in. It's hard to tell by the picture how much material has rusted, but you need to cut all of the rotten metal out and maybe drill out a few of the spot welds along the bottom. If you need to make some bends, you can get creative with a hammer, some clamps and the end of a work bench. Fortunately, this is not a very visible area of the vehicle, so the repair dosn't need to be perfect, looks wise. As for paint, you could even roll on some epoxy primer and touch it up with spray can color.

One thing to remember about the fj-40 body is that is more like a model T than it is like a modern car, you can actually fix it with modest skills and equipment.

All just my opinions, of coarse.

 

[ken_79-fj40]

I had this problem on the 76 I used to have. We basically fixed it with a long piece of angle iron on the top, welded in a few spots , then a smaller piece welded to it and also welded to each door post. Not as easy to fix on an 80 though the floor in that area is totally different. I would first check and make sure the body mounts are sound. If so, weld away. If not, it might be time to start saving for an aluminum tub. I've got one on mine, and in the northeast it really seems to be the way to go.

 

[Chase77]

I just got finished welding a 77 back together and if I were to do it all over I would have still bought the welder and learned how to use it but not to repair the body. Major pain in the ass if you have to learn everything from scratch like I did. Im a student and busy with work/studying so Ive had it apart for over a year. If you can swing an Alum tub go for it and dont look back. It will be the most cost efficient thing to do if you account for all the time and frustration you'lll have in the old steel tub. Overall the process isnt very hard its just the time and learning required to get er done. Good luck.

 

[DieselFJ]

On an 80 it is pretty technical. I just finished that area on my 79. I had to cut all areas out that were bad, this included where the seatbelt bolts in as well as the body support underneath. I cut the items out and took them to a local machine shop who bent the metal for me. It took a lot of imagination and fab work(cutting, welding bending etc...) on my part to get it worked out, but it turned out great.

Scott