Pulling up carpet?

[Squeegy410]

I have yet to pull up my carpet and check for rust, and was just wondering what is the quickest route to check for rust while taking as little things off my truck as possible?

[deziped]

Rust likes to hide :headpop: under and behind things. Usually in addition to under the carpet it will be behind the fender flares :wall: or under/behind the side moldings on your truck. Any place it gets wet and doesn't dry out is susceptible to rust. If you happen to live in one of the areas where they use sodium solutions on the streets in winter, well, just sit and watch your vehicle dissolve, :grrrr: there aint no cure for that stuff known to man. :yes:

[Squeegy410]

Fortunately tennessee is all rain no salt so this truck has no noticable rust. I have checked under the fender flares and all the little places you typically see rusted and so far have found no rust, but i would like to pull my carpet back to look make sure, particularly uner my clutch master cylindar because it was leaking when i got the truck. Fortunately it was just because the truck had been sitting for a while and all the seals went bad, but i would like to pul the carpet back reguardless. i just need tgo know if there is a way to look under it without taking out screws , and if not what is the quickest way to look under my pedals and in that general area?

[Rymanrph]

I took out my whole interior, but I think you can just remove the kick panels and lower rocker panels. The piece that was the biggest pain for me was the firewall padding. It was difficult for me to move it out of the way enough to inspect the entire driver side firewall. I didn't feel like taking out the dash, so I just cut it in a few key places.

[Squeegy410]

so if i just take out the kick panels can pul it up enough to look under my pedals?

[gambit4000s]

you could look at the driver footwell from the bottom(underneath), poke at it with a pick, small screwdriver etc, If its solid you're good, if it passes through into your carpet, you were already SOL and the hole you just opened won't make much of a difference

[Pete M]

Sometimes( but not always) water under the carpet will start to stink. If you peel back the carpet a bit in the front and the rear and smell something, then you might want to plan on pulling the whole interior. If you don't smell anything and don't feel any dampness in the underpadding, then you may (or may not) be ok.

[the_wizard_of_fire]

so if i just take out the kick panels can pul it up enough to look under my pedals?

to get a better look, take off the covers on the bottom of the door sill. it helps hold the carpet down along the side.

[Squeegy410]

I think I'll climb under it with a pick and see what I come up with. It isn't the most urgent thing because if I do find rust I don't have time to fix it. In the case I do find rust is my body steel or aluminum? I know several jeeps were made of aluminum.

[Pete M]

That'll only show you if it's super-duper bad. It's like cancer. The earlier it's detected, the better. You need to pull up the carpet. At the very least, if the under insulation is soaked, you can rip it out and help stop the accelerated demise of the floorboards.

 

All Jeeps were steel. I believe you're thinking of the early landrovers.

[Squeegy410]

That'll only show you if it's super-duper bad. It's like cancer. The earlier it's detected, the better. You need to pull up the carpet. At the very least, if the under insulation is soaked, you can rip it out and help stop the accelerated demise of the floorboards.

 

All Jeeps were steel. I believe you're thinking of the early landrovers.

 

My aunt had a jeep with aluminum doors. I know this because my dad tried to do some welding on it and it was obviously aluminum when he tried. It could have been just that year or something I'm not sure, but i was just making sure mine had no chance of being aluminum so thats good :yes: thanks for all the support :cheers:

[Pete M]

we can only wish our trucks were made from aluminum. :(

[dasbrick]

I'm already planning on pulling carpet when I do my seat swap here in a couple weeks. Any recomendations on a floor pan or what grade of metal to weld in?

[Squeegy410]

we can only wish our trucks were made from aluminum. :(

 

I'm glad mine isn't. I like the ability to weld whatever i want to to it if i have to, and i can't afford an aluminum welder haha. but i do seriously wish i had just a small aluminum welder. I have an alumimum cross box under my barn that is a quarter inch too short to fit in my bed and i don't want to cut the bed up. so sad :( :(

[MJ is dead]

Uh....aluminum doesn't rust. :roll:

[Pete M]

It does oxidize though. :yes:

[avnsteve]

"I'm already planning on pulling carpet when I do my seat swap here in a couple weeks. Any recomendations on a floor pan or what grade of metal to weld in?"

 

18ga will do, that's what i'm using, and it's close to original. my supplier only sells it 4X10 sheets, so I will have much to spare...

 

I'm considering just fabricating a custom floor pan and eliminating the seams and all that crap...

[Wildman]

It does oxidize though. :yes:

 

And Corrodes from rock salt too :eek:

 

 

but i do seriously wish i had just a small aluminum welder.

 

If you have a gas set-up, you can gas weld alum using Aladdin 3-in-1 rods :D

 

I just had to make up a small alum box today for a door control :brows:

[Squeegy410]

So I can OA weld alluminum with those rods?? I never even thought about OA welding aluminum but it wouldnt be very hard. i woud need to practice some because it has a low melting point compared to steel. Any tips on how to do it?

[Wildman]

So I can OA weld alluminum with those rods?? I never even thought about OA welding aluminum but it wouldnt be very hard. i woud need to practice some because it has a low melting point compared to steel. Any tips on how to do it?

 

Yea, you said it..........Practice :eek:

 

Really couldn't tell you how to do this and that, you'll see the alum start to flow, and that's the time to stick the rod in to fill and fuse the alum together. Yes, the aluminum has a much lower melting point over steel. Most of what I welded was on 1/8" and 3/16" stock, using a #2 tip, 5 and 5 on the O/A.

[Squeegy410]

i'm not bragging at all but i have alot of practice oa welding so i think i can do it if i try. i really want the ability to weld aluminum. has anyone tried the oa alminum welding?