Pete M Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Mostly because it had already fallen away from the truck. To the guys that bought actual MJ replacement panels, how well did they fit? I swear I saw a pic of one of the panels here, but I cannot find it anywhere. I seem to remember that the side didn't come up high enough to help the trans tunnel. I think tomorrow I'll go to the store and see what they have in the way of aluminum. I can't weld anything in, so I don't need to limit myself to steel. I bought a 3lb dead-blow hammer a couple weeks ago and am itching to try it out. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Leave it, it's an emergency brake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostissues Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 i just got full floor pans for both sides of my 87, this is my first project so I'm not sure on everything, i asked about the floor pans http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1323 i bought mine from shermans, they seam to fit, with a little persuasoin and some cutting, here are some pics. not sure how well this will turn out, hopefully well, they fit pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feerocknok Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I don't understand how it gets so bad, even with all the salt. My town oversalts the road like mad, and we get wicked snow. I just don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DansGreyMj Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I'm happy i live in so cal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRC 88MJ Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I got the footwell patches from Sherman's but I still think they were designed for an XJ floor. They didn't sit down tight on the framerail and side support under the truck so I just put a big @$$ rock on the pan to push it down. I had heavy rust going up into the tunnel like you. I had bought a donor XJ for drivetrain and just cut a big piece of the tunel out of that and installed it. The rust was actually bigger than the panel so I had to fab up and weld in some patches out of 18GA steel. Also, you might want to cut back the reinforcement pieces. I found a lot of heavy rust underneath mine. You can order those parts online (I believe). I haven't put them back in yet and I don't know if I will. BTW, don't worry about a welder. Yeah, it's the best way but not the only way. I used a combination of structural adhesive (epoxy, available from companies like 3M, Loctite, and Lord), structural and standard breakstem rivets, and self-drilling screws. It feels solid as hell. I MIGHT go around and stitch around the edges of the patch but that would only be because I believe in gross overkill. Hope that helps. Brent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Through some expanded metal over it.. that way you can see where you are going on the trail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 find a street sign or 2 and bolt them in.... much cheappers, and just as good for a beater truck. once you have that much rust you are never going to totally get rid of it. your new floor pans are going to out live the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 I don't understand how it gets so bad, even with all the salt. My town oversalts the road like mad, and we get wicked snow. I just don't get it. The rust perpetuates like that because there are a dozen ways for water to get under the carpet, but no way for it to leave. Water + steel = rust This truck is just a beater to get me around town this fall/winter so I'm not "restoring" it as much as trying to keep the gravel/snow from hitting my feet. I've decided that the important parts are solid (frame rails and seatbelt mounts) so I'll go forward with the buildup. But I'm holding off on repairing the floor since it provides great access to the top of the rusty crossmember bolts. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jage Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I don't understand how it gets so bad, even with all the salt. My town oversalts the road like mad, and we get wicked snow. I just don't get it. Actually I think a lot of the MJ and XJ problems are track in- even with an undercoating like my truck had the salt/water that was tracked in and left sit in pools in that thick thick carpet seemed to be the problem. If you look around the surface rust the surface on the inside is more extensive. Are you sure it's salt? I've heard a lot of places don't use salt anymore. I've also heard that Indiana gets it's salt free courtesy of the big 3 auto makers... so who knows. I do know that even my 2000 TJ was rusting after the first winter here. Nothing is safe! Here's my MJ floor made out of random pieces of steel patchworked: I used JB weld on the red arrows and Black Silicone on the green arrows. More black silicone went here...you can see the angle I used against the outside frame rail to support the floor. And some half dried up herc makes it all look halfway decent: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Chances are that's what mine will look like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHEEP Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 I am about to do my drivers side floor and I am using this.... It is the floor out of a 92 XJ. Just some surface rust. Only about 40 more spot welds to drill out and I am good to go. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRC 88MJ Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Here's what I started with (you can see the patches I had to weld in just to meet up with the new floorpan): With the help of this: this: and these: I now have this: Everything was sealed up and strengthened with some Loctite structural epoxy adhesive that I got from work. It's solid but there are a couple of areas I have to fix up in the tranny tunnel area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepaholic Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 A plasma cutter and a wire feed welder she will be as good as new in no time. Try to cut all the way back to the good steel so that you can actually have something to weld too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 A plasma cutter and a wire feed welder she will be as good as new in no time. Try to cut all the way back to the good steel so that you can actually have something to weld too. sigh... I wish I had those things available to me. :cry: I foresee aluminum panels beat with a hammer, a couple tubes of construction adhesive, lots and lots of rivets/screws and then Hurculiner to top it off. It won't be pretty, but it's not like this is the only problem area in the truck. I just need to stick with my mantra: just a beater truck, just a beater truck, just a beater truck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnaevd Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 but Pete will it always be a beater? a little time and money invested now can save you in the near future. if you plan on restoring this truck (or anything close to restoring) u might as well just on greatlakes and ask for some help. someone will have a welder and the know how, u supply the pans and beat up knuckles. i don't know if it is as much of a situation to buy the panel, but i think that's the only way to go. PS< won't the aluminum make the oxidation accelerate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Yup, always a beater. The rockers are toast, the bed has plenty of poorly-repaired rot, the frame is rusting from the inside-out, it's just not worth the time and money to fix everything. :wall: Anyone in his right mine would haul its 210k-mile-butt to the junkyard. But not me. :roll: I paid money for it. I'm swapping in new axles, t-case, etc and hopefully a new A/C system (which has been waiting patiently in a box in my garage for several years now). All I want out of this MJ is a reletively comfortable ride around town. This means functional A/C, good brakes, and no stones hitting me in the shins. Everything else is just me having fun with my new project. :thumbsup: Later on when I have spare money lying around, I'd really like to go out west and bring home a rust-free MJ to fix up for summer-only driving. :driving: I know that some metals react funny when they come in contact, but I'm quite certain there will be a thick layer of glue or other sealer between the rust, er I mean steel, and the aluminum if that's what I use. In the garage I also have a bit of galvanized sheetmetal I could use. It's pretty stiff stuff though and hard to shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87manche Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 did the truck have AC to start with Pete? If not I'd appreciate some documentation. I've been really thinking hard about AC in my MJ, after the Uwharrie wheeling in 100* heat suckage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Yes, my 90 MJ has non-functioning A/C in it. But the kit I have was apparently designed to go into a non-A/C truck. I got if off my neighbor's son and he got it in a cardboard box in the bed of the MJ he bought. No idea how old the kit is. I'll dig it up tonight and see if there's a manufacturer's tag or instructions anywhere (it's been a couple years since I last looked at it). I do remember it contains a new heater core box and new under dash contols as well as everything under the hood (including the engine bracket). In the interim, I recommend a 12volt fan. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 This is probably way too late for Pete but if someone does a search for floorpan this might help. http://www.chryslerpartsdirect.com/ has an MJ floor pan which is actually both sides and tunnel as one piece for for $170. Search the Body catalog, then go to Cab, Rear Panels, Rear Header, and select View Illustration. All sheet metal is listed, if they're actually available is another matter. Hope this helps someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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