Floorboard Rust!

[Kalal92]

Should have ripped everything out when I first got her, but better late than never. Any tips or tricks are very welcome.

 

 

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[sinkrun]

Buy a welder and learn how to use, it looks fixable but will take a ton of work.

[ftpiercecracker1]

I don't know if you'll need it with the degree of rust you have, but the basic spot weld cutter made by Blair tools works fantastic. They make fancier and more expensive ones and i've tried them, but for me their most basic cutter worked the best by far. Just make sure you order some extra cutting heads.

 

http://shop.blairequipment.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=13224&gclid=CjwKCAjwk4vMBRAgEiwA4ftLsxjhzYKJgzFfIEuM002Wc_sf1SQCmkjcybAFPq7jPhWtBzF1PU5WkhoCT10QAvD_BwE

 

 

Like said above a good mig welder is the right tool for the job here, but if you don't have one there are other options. Other people here have had a fair amount of success using rivets and a lot of seam sealer.

 

I used 12ga sheet metal for the flat floor parts and 22ga for the hard stuff along the transmission tunnel. FYI 12ga sheet metal is pretty damn stout and hard to bend, but it makes for a really solid floor. On the other hand 22ga is pretty thin and easy to burn through, but i made it work and i'm only a novice welder.

 

TIP 1: Clean up inside both frame channels really well and paint the hell out of them (POR-15 seems to be the product of choice). Once this job is done its likely they will never see the light of day again.

 

 

TIP 2: If you want to paint your floorboard. I am a huge fan of tractor/implement paint from TSC (Tractor Supply Co).  It comes in a variety of colors and once fully cured is almost indestructible. The only drawback is its cure time. For me here in south FL it takes about a month for it to be 100% fully cured and rock hard, its tack free in a couple days, but will still come up with your fingernail with a little pressure.

 

 

Having a plasma cutter will make this job a lot easier.

 

 

FPC.

[AMC86Kid]

i would cut out all the rust in squares and rectangles then weld in with sheet metal and bed coat over to protect it from happing again 

it you have a spare Cherokee that will help you cut and paste it together 

[Tj1]

I used a cut off wheel and an eclectic body saw from harbor freight. Make sure when you see ready to weld to clean the surface up real good so you don't burn through as much.

The pans I put in are holding up a lot better than the random sheet metal patches. Don't forget to treat both sides of the pans after it's all in.

[hassyfoto]

Beyond what has already been stated, cutting out the rusted metal, cleaning around the weld areas to be, prep the replacement floor panel ( i used the cheap ones available on the internet- good starting point, but they had to be modified slightly) the biggest issue is the cross-brace and the floor brace above the floor pan. I removed the entire floor brace ( or what was left of it on my rig). 

Before I cut anything out, I cleaned as much rust and loose debris out of the rig and made a paper template of the brace. The template was marked were the bends and tabs would be located. I had to add some additional metal to the aftermarket floor pan as the rust on my rig extended beyond the size of the patch panel.

 

My steps:

removed interior & cleaned all loose debris

Measured and made a template for the floor brace(s)

Scraped and cleaned all undercoat & paint off the top & underside of the vehicle beyond the projected area of welding

Cut out the rusted metal

Trail fit and cut all metal to install the patches

Test fit all metal replacement panels again

I used weld-thru primer - ( I used the 3/8 inch over-lap method- crimp when applicable)

Welded floor panel patches in place

Used the template and created the floor brace, cut out shape, bend the metal to form a replacement part using a 5 inch vice and two pieces of 36 inch angle iron- the angle iron acted as an extension of the vice. Used a few vise-grips to help hold the ends of the angle iron tightly together. 

Drilled holes in the flange area of the replacement patch for plug-welding.

Cleaned up all the welds on the floor patch

Applied weld-thru primer 

Trail fit and adjusted the floor brace- splice part of the old brace with the newly made section

Welded in braces ( part of the original brace was used to make it easier for reinstall and to align everything back as much as possible to original.) Spliced in the new floor brace

I did a complete perimeter weld on the floor panel. I used plug-welds on the braces to replicate the factory plug-welds

Cleaned up the welds on floor & underside of the vehicle  ( I had to install rocker panels as well, so there is some overlap work as well)

Cleaned and sanded the floors, prep work for primer

Applied epoxy sealer to floor & underside of rig

Applied seam sealer to both floor side and underside of vehicle as well.

Allowed the epoxy sealer to cure for a few days, sanded and applied a second coat over 1st coat of primer and seam sealer

Followed up the epoxy sealer with paint ( PPG epoxy sealer can be used as an adhesion coat and that's what I did)  

Let the paint cure a few days until the weekend

Reinstall interior.

Applied rubberized undercoat on the underside of the vehicle

Drive!

[gogmorgo]

Just as a precaution you might want to unplug your ecu before you get started welding. With the amount of electricity flowing through things you can end up inducing current in places you wouldn't expect, so it's best to be safe. I've seen one fried before.

[Nodrama43]

Just this week I got my 91"rust free" pioneer back from my body man.  I had the same issue on the passenger side floor board.  I bought a complete reproduction passenger side floor pan and it worked out well.  We still had to cut out all the supporting metal and actually fab some of it for replacement.  It was a bunch of work and it was nowhere near as bad as yours.  I wanted it to look completely stock from inside and out so that is why I did it that way.  My guy is an excellent welder and fab guy and he had over 30 hours in the repair.

 

With the amount of rust you have I would probably look for a complete floor pan somewhere and just cut it all out and start over.

[Kalal92]

Can you get a 4x4 lever kit?


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[Kalal92]

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[Kalal92]

Here’s a update on the floor boards


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[Pete M]

yes.  can't remember who, but a kit exists that bypasses the original weirdness.  hopefully someone can chime in with the brand.  

[Strokermjcomanche]

6 hours ago, Pete M said:

yes.  can't remember who, but a kit exists that bypasses the original weirdness.  hopefully someone can chime in with the brand.  

Novak / boostwerks and azzys design are all brands that will eliminate the factory linkage , you'll still need to retain the lever though 

[carnuck]

For mine I will eventually use a PTO cable or similar in the tcase because the factory shifter sits under my left knee with the seat all the way back and gives me leg pains.

The mini console is even a pain ita and when I got my parts rig (Floor so rusty that the tcase shifter and what was left of the floor moved together and the left rear spring eye rotted off the pack)

 

 

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