rust repair for lower edges below door cutouts - 58 CJ5

Hey guys,

Well Barney had a rough winter, even though he was just plowing my driveway and cruising locally..his "starting to rust" status changed to "actively rusting.." Looking for a thread or info or advice on rusty panel repair.

My problem spots are both sides...well I guess they are "rocker" panels, the lower panel sections from front to rear wheel base under door cutouts, plus the notorious section where the driver footwell meets the outside wall...

Searched but cant come up with the right search terms. Will keep looking.

I would prefer to find a thread about cutting and pasting as opposed to wholesale panel replacement. Anyone done this with some pics they could offer? I would even consider the diamond plate option although not preferable.

Thanks in advance,

 

Classic Enterprises makes a panel specifically for that edge. However, the top edge is flanged, and you may not want to do a repair like that. http://www.classicent.com/jeep.php#car5175

If you use the flanged panel, the flange will show on the inside of the Jeep. And flanges aren't the best joint for either smoothness or resisting rust.

Take a look at this thread http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182565 MP&C on Garage Journal is really the master of repair panels. You could get the panels from CE and cut the flange off, then follow his method, or you could make your own panels from sheet steel. The only difficulty might be finding a way to roll the bottom edge like the original panel. Use tight fitting butt joints, spot weld with your MIG, planish, grind, repeat.

 

find yourself a sheet metal dealer in your area . and buy 1/4 sheet 18 Gauge or 16 Gauge black iron sheet metal .(no galvanize) I prefer 16 Gauge . most places have leftover scrap from other jobs
and also have them bend a 1/4" lip on one side say 36" long .two pieces. this would be bottom of sides by how ever tall you think you might need , a air cut off grinder will cut the sheet metal and the sides of jeep .you can also get thin cut off wheels for a 4 1/2 electric grinder . I use both . you do have a good mig welder , I hope . just look at it as patch work. it just take a little time and patience . and before long jeep will feel much better

 

Re the material - 16 ga is really thick - much thicker than the thickest body panels. If you can locate a steel distributor near you, you can buy a full 4x8 sheet of cold-rolled 19 or 20 ga for ca $35. The material is not expensive, if you can find a place that sells steel commercially. You want A366/1088 cold rolled mild steel. Online metals will supply it, but the shipping will likely be prohibitive - http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=12780&step=4&showunits=inches&id=944&top_cat=197

I have used the doors from discarded computer cabinets for lots of things. It's about 20 ga, and fine for small projects.

Supposedly quenching with water is a bad idea - it will cause "hydrogen embrittlement" of the steel. The Garage Journal link above discusses heat build-up.

You can cut your panels with aircraft snips, if you use the tool correctly. Again, this is another reason to use the lighter 19-20 ga steel. 16 is really tough going with snips. This is a You-Tube video from the Garage Journal link about proper use of the aircraft snips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAOQfUaRZyw&feature=related I do a lot with aircraft snips.

I also use my Makita jig saw with a very fine blade, like 32 tpi. This is great for making panels with curved edges. You can do a lot with hand tools and a few inexpensive power tools.

Measure the thickness of your body panels, without paint. Even the oldest cars are no thicker than 19 ga. The body panels are designed to be rigid because of their structure, not because of the steel thickness. Don't go nuts with steel thickness - it will only make the job harder.

Like the MP&C thread above, there are many threads on the internet about rust repair of valuable old cars. IIRC there is a great thread on the SPI forum about repairing an R-code Galaxy that was a rusted hulk. And there are threads on AutoBody101 about rust repair. For a common car, it usually does not pay to do extensive rust repair, but these cars are typically rare and the investment is worth it. There's a great thread about repairing a Wagoneer on IFSJA (not a valuable car, but the owner has other reasons.) On a Jeep, the panels are mostly flat and simple curves, so you can do a lot with sheet steel and a few tools. Look to these other threads for some inspiration.

 

I have my friend Joe the race car builder for the tools I need, he can weld and/or fabricate about anything. This is all great info, I think maybe this summer i will try to schedule this. Anyone got pix???

 

The Jeep side panels are 18 ga. I got some surplus 18 ga metal and formed my patch by bending the lower flange in my vise.
Next, use the MIG welder to make spot welds starting in the corners, filling in between with more little welds until they are about an inch apart. Then make short welds to connect each spot. Keep the panel cool with wet cotton rags, don't use synthetic cloth for this it will melt. Grind the welds down smooth and use a hammer and dolly to straighten any heat distortion.



Try this URL to view the whole album showing a lot more of the body restoration on my '69.
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/djbutler23/

Don

 

There is quite a bit of difference between the thickness of the Kaiser/Willys and AMC body panels.

 

This is all great stuff. Thanks guys!
I think Barney may be getting a body-off-the-frame treatment soon. I think it might be fun to take him apart and get a good look around..just for kicks. He could use some attention.