Dzimm Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 I'm replacing the nonexistent floors in the XJ. I'm using galvanized steel from and old washer and dryer and am getting close to done fabricating. This is my winter DD for at most the next two years and then I'm getting rid of it. I am only replacing the floors because the seats were literally falling through the floor. Before we go any further, I know that the correct seam sealer is the way to go, and I know I can get it for like $35 a Quart on Amazon. Problem is, the gf unexpectedly lost her job so I don't have the extra money to buy the proper stuff right now and I just need to get it done. I already have a lot of rust reformer, primer, paint, bedliner, and undercoating so I can do everything else before and after the sealing is done. What I'm considering doing is getting some GE silicone 2 ($6) for the floor above the exhaust because it has higher heat resistance (400*), and getting some tubes of DAP ALEX PLUS for everything else since it's paintable and only $2 a tube. The GE silicone 2 is not the acidic kind so it won't cause rust while curing. The DAP is paintable so it will look better everywhere else but only has 180* temp resistance. Would it be better to seal it with this or just leave it all exposed? I'm guessing it will rust fast if it's exposed but if water gets behind the silicone it'll rust really quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06BOM6 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 Man I don’t think there’s anything besides what you already mentioned (the $35 seam seal) that I could recommend. It’s either you do it right now, or you do it again later. I did however, use some contractor grade liquid nails or something on my first jeep I did floors on. I also used self tappers vs rivets because I was an idiot. So in theory, you could use liquid nails like I did with rivets like I didn’t and it would probably be fine, but it’s just not the right way to do it. Gm seam seal is really the best way to do it. I just did a driver floor patch on my current XJ and used rivets and seam seal. And I used license plates. It’s the best way without welding to do it. Good luck with whatever you choose tho. You gotta do what you gotta do when necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 3 minutes ago, 06BOM6 said: Man I don’t think there’s anything besides what you already mentioned (the $35 seam seal) that I could recommend. It’s either you do it right now, or you do it again later. Right, I'm not one to do something twice, I always research for hours before making a decision so I can be sure to do it right the first time. I'm just broke and need it done now so I don't get stuck driving the rust free MJ on salted roads, dodging the idiots headed for the ditch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 9 minutes ago, 06BOM6 said: I did however, use some contractor grade liquid nails or something on my first jeep I did floors on. I also used self tappers vs rivets because I was an idiot. So in theory, you could use liquid nails like I did with rivets like I didn’t and it would probably be fine, but it’s just not the right way to do it. Gm seam seal is really the best way to do it. I just did a driver floor patch on my current XJ and used rivets and seam seal. And I used license plates. It’s the best way without welding to do it. How long did the floors last with the self trappers and liquid nails? I'm welding mine in and will undercoat the underside and bedliner the topside when I'm done. I just don't know how the silicone and DAP caulk will hold up but I know it could accelerate rust if it fails. Some PO replaced the pans with no seam sealer at some point and they were totally rotted out again so I feel I should do something to seal it before driving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06BOM6 Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 How long did the floors last with the self trappers and liquid nails? I'm welding mine in and will undercoat the underside and bedliner the topside when I'm done. I just don't know how the silicone and DAP caulk will hold up but I know it could accelerate rust if it fails. Some PO replaced the pans with no seam sealer at some point and they were totally rotted out again so I feel I should do something to seal it before driving it. I dunno to be honest. I did them and then sold it cause I moved across country. Seemed rigid. And it was weatherproof. Probably one of those things where it’s just fine, just not ideal. If you’re welding in pans, then just use some sort of corrosion protection aside from seam seal. There are a lot of options out there for normal corrosion protection and I’m sure most would be a little cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZJeff Posted October 30, 2018 Share Posted October 30, 2018 20 hours ago, Dzimm said: Right, I'm not one to do something twice, I always research for hours before making a decision so I can be sure to do it right the first time. I'm just broke and need it done now so I don't get stuck driving the rust free MJ on salted roads, dodging the idiots headed for the ditch. How about some of that asphaltic stuff that comes in caulk tubes and is used to seal asphalt shingles on roofs? It tends to stay pliable for a fairly long time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted October 30, 2018 Author Share Posted October 30, 2018 37 minutes ago, AZJeff said: How about some of that asphaltic stuff that comes in caulk tubes and is used to seal asphalt shingles on roofs? It tends to stay pliable for a fairly long time.... That could be an option but I'm worried how sticky it will stay since I'm not putting carpet back in. Doesnt that stuff get tacky when heated from the sun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZJeff Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 On 10/30/2018 at 3:01 PM, Dzimm said: That could be an option but I'm worried how sticky it will stay since I'm not putting carpet back in. Doesnt that stuff get tacky when heated from the sun? Yes, it does stay tacky, at least for a few months. I purchased real body shop seam sealer and I paid about $12 for a standard sized caulk tube, as a point of reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 do not use anything asphalt related. learn from my mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinkrun Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 I would use silicone just make sure its 100% silicone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZJeff Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 7 minutes ago, Pete M said: do not use anything asphalt related. learn from my mistakes. OK, I gotta ask....WHY? What intrinsically makes any use of asphaltic sealers bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZJeff Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 1 minute ago, sinkrun said: I would use silicone just make sure its 100% silicone. THe down side of silicone is that it only sticks on VERY clean surfaces, completely free of rust. The upside is that, if it does stick, it's flexible and resistant to most chemicals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, AZJeff said: THe down side of silicone is that it only sticks on VERY clean surfaces, completely free of rust. The upside is that, if it does stick, it's flexible and resistant to most chemicals. the downside is it's also resistant to most chemicals, like paint. and the roofing stuff is just a sticky mess and it stays a sticky mess for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. there are proper tools out there. use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted November 2, 2018 Author Share Posted November 2, 2018 37 minutes ago, AZJeff said: Yes, it does stay tacky, at least for a few months. I purchased real body shop seam sealer and I paid about $12 for a standard sized caulk tube, as a point of reference. Yeah that's the problem is I would need like 10 tubes of it because I wasn't able to do full pans, I have quite a few seams. I ended up finding some bondo hair buried under some stuff so I'm using that for the seams on the floor, and then using silicone caulking along the outside edges of the floor. This cost me like $20 in stuff I didn't have already or needed more of. Not the best solution but works for me right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZJeff Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Pete M said: the downside is it's also resistant to most chemicals, like paint. and the roofing stuff is just a sticky mess and it stays a sticky mess for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. there are proper tools out there. use them. You are spot on about silicone's inability to take paint, and that is why I don't recommend it. I use the real deal, body seam sealer, but OP was looking for a "cheap fix", and silicone and body seam sealer are both relatively pricey, on the order of at least $6 or more for a tube. It looks like he found another solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted November 2, 2018 Author Share Posted November 2, 2018 7 minutes ago, AZJeff said: It looks like he found another solution. Indeed. Thank you all for the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 In pinch I've use some stuff called "through the roof" and it work remarkably well. You can get it a Lowes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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