Rust Repair

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tjkj2002

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Flat out saying rocker panel rust is from neglect is b.s. My rockers have paint blisters as well. There are NO paint chips, the rust is forming under the paint. I ground down some of the spots, one had a little perforation in the metal, but the rest were rust pits that formed between the metal and paint. I've been working on/restoring cars for nearly 40 years, I know what I see when I see it.... defective materials or workmanship.
Only way you get rust under the paint is from cracks/chips in the paint.


Again '02 here and zero rust,and yes it has been located and driven in 2 states that use salt(or similar solution).
 

CactusJacked

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Only way you get rust under the paint is from cracks/chips in the paint.

Yeah one would think, but not so here, and I see by others posts that mine is not alone. I can show you quite a number of little rust bubbles that I have with NO cracks and NO chips in the paint. There are no rust holes in the metal on the small blisters so rust is forming between the paint and steel. That, is not owner neglect! Could be Chrysler used inferior metal that has a propensity to rust like what happened in the 1970's when some cars were being built using self-destructive reclaimed steel.
 

tjkj2002

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Yeah one would think, but not so here, and I see by others posts that mine is not alone. I can show you quite a number of little rust bubbles that I have with NO cracks and NO chips in the paint. There are no rust holes in the metal on the small blisters so rust is forming between the paint and steel. That, is not owner neglect! Could be Chrysler used inferior metal that has a propensity to rust like what happened in the 1970's when some cars were being built using self-destructive reclaimed steel.
Toyota yes, Chrysler not likely.


I have rock chips on my hood that have zero rust and have been for 10+ years.Know my around the body side also so I've seen a lot.
 

dude1116

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I have rock chips on my hood that have zero rust

Thus proving the point that the rockers can't handle normal conditions that even the hood undergoes.

I can't say I've been meticulous with the "hygiene" of my Jeep. But I do know I've seen plenty of other vehicles go through the SAME conditions as my own Jeep and not suffer NEARLY the amount of rust.

Congratulations on washing your Jeep every week. I don't have the time nor money for that. I'd rather buy a car and let it rust to the ground and send it to the scrap yard at 150k than buy a power washer and soap materials to wash it every 200 miles driven. I do it when I can (which ends up being fairly often). I do what I can to expand the longevity of the vehicle. I work a weekday job 9-5, come home and eat dinner, then run (because I'd rather take care of MYSELF every day after work than my Jeep). Then on weekends I work 12 hour shifts at an entertainment company.

So you, sir, can continue to call it neglect. I will call it life. And to me, these vehicles should be designed to withstand life. Just like a large portion of vehicles on the road today.

Rant /over.
 

tjkj2002

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Thus proving the point that the rockers can't handle normal conditions that even the hood undergoes.

I can't say I've been meticulous with the "hygiene" of my Jeep. But I do know I've seen plenty of other vehicles go through the SAME conditions as my own Jeep and not suffer NEARLY the amount of rust.

Congratulations on washing your Jeep every week. I don't have the time nor money for that. I'd rather buy a car and let it rust to the ground and send it to the scrap yard at 150k than buy a power washer and soap materials to wash it every 200 miles driven. I do it when I can (which ends up being fairly often). I do what I can to expand the longevity of the vehicle. I work a weekday job 9-5, come home and eat dinner, then run (because I'd rather take care of MYSELF every day after work than my Jeep). Then on weekends I work 12 hour shifts at an entertainment company.

So you, sir, can continue to call it neglect. I will call it life. And to me, these vehicles should be designed to withstand life. Just like a large portion of vehicles on the road today.

Rant /over.
That's called neglect,bet if you own a home you don't just let it fall apart then complain when it does.I work also,50-55 hours a week.In this day and age everyone wants everything to last forever without having to maintain it and then do nothing but complain when it doesn't.Just like you having to take care of yourself you have to take care of your vehicle,"life" is not kind to you when you neglect yourself and the same happens to your vehicle.


If you think it's a burden to take 30mins a week(or every 2 weeks) and maintain something that for most is the 2nd if not 1st most expensive thing you will own then "take care of yourself" more and run to and from work and sell the vehicle.
 

cplchris

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Thus proving the point that the rockers can't handle normal conditions that even the hood undergoes.

I can't say I've been meticulous with the "hygiene" of my Jeep. But I do know I've seen plenty of other vehicles go through the SAME conditions as my own Jeep and not suffer NEARLY the amount of rust.

Congratulations on washing your Jeep every week. I don't have the time nor money for that. I'd rather buy a car and let it rust to the ground and send it to the scrap yard at 150k than buy a power washer and soap materials to wash it every 200 miles driven. I do it when I can (which ends up being fairly often). I do what I can to expand the longevity of the vehicle. I work a weekday job 9-5, come home and eat dinner, then run (because I'd rather take care of MYSELF every day after work than my Jeep). Then on weekends I work 12 hour shifts at an entertainment company.

So you, sir, can continue to call it neglect. I will call it life. And to me, these vehicles should be designed to withstand life. Just like a large portion of vehicles on the road today.

Rant /over.

you could at least take it to a touch free wash once a week...it only costs 5 to 7 bucks and you only work 64 hours a week.
 

cplchris

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That's called neglect,bet if you own a home you don't just let it fall apart then complain when it does.I work also,50-55 hours a week.In this day and age everyone wants everything to last forever without having to maintain it and then do nothing but complain when it doesn't.Just like you having to take care of yourself you have to take care of your vehicle,"life" is not kind to you when you neglect yourself and the same happens to your vehicle.


If you think it's a burden to take 30mins a week(or every 2 weeks) and maintain something that for most is the 2nd if not 1st most expensive thing you will own then "take care of yourself" more and run to and from work and sell the vehicle.

i wish it only took me 30 minutes to wash mine lol
 

Snail Farmer

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I take mine through the full service wash.. only $11 and I sit on my ass while they wash it for me. They spend a good 15 minutes on just the under carriage, then hand wash it, then send it through an auto wash, and then hand dry it. I wish I still lived in NC though. The Ford dealership there would fully detail it inside and out for only $8.
 

dude1116

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That's called neglect,bet if you own a home you don't just let it fall apart then complain when it does.I work also,50-55 hours a week.In this day and age everyone wants everything to last forever without having to maintain it and then do nothing but complain when it doesn't.Just like you having to take care of yourself you have to take care of your vehicle,"life" is not kind to you when you neglect yourself and the same happens to your vehicle.


If you think it's a burden to take 30mins a week(or every 2 weeks) and maintain something that for most is the 2nd if not 1st most expensive thing you will own then "take care of yourself" more and run to and from work and sell the vehicle.

1) I do not let my Jeep "fall apart". I fix every part that goes wrong, when it goes wrong. I have been this way since I was 17 and beating the ever living crap out of the Jeep.

2) Nowhere in the prior statement did I say "forever." I never expected it to. So STOP putting words in my mouth.

Why is it such a bother to ask for a little bit of factory built longevity in the paint? I take care of my vehicle 100x more than my father does and he hasn't seen a spec of rust on his past 3 Mercuries, 2 Fords, and 1 Mazda. I send it through the car wash at least once a month and in between power wash the underside with soap and water 2x a month. Yes it's not nearly as often as you and quite frankly I don't give a flying fart. I'll take 30 minutes of my life every week to do something else than wash something that's ultimately going to die/be removed from my life somewhere down the timeline anyway.

We're not saying we should be able to pay no mind to the vehicle. Often times I do skip my run to work on the Jeep. (by the way you're not going to win with that one. I will always take care of myself before my vehicle. Hands down. Trying to steer clear of heart disease.)

3) Stop being such a damn ****. The size of your internet ego transcends your existence sometimes. You're a great mechanic and incredibly intelligent but DAMN you need to get your egotistical head out of your behind because you are NOT always right.
 
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CactusJacked

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Can't speak for dude1116's utter lack of cleanliness, maintenance, and respect for his Jeep (I'm kidding of course), but I know for a fact my rust bubbles are not from neglect. Up until 3 weeks ago, mine had the factory running boards on, and my rocker panels stayed clean without even as much as road tar marks. Plus, as I mentioned before, the paint above my bubbles are un-split, un-scratched, un-nicked, and any other kind of un that would suggest "neglect". Simply put, I have surface rust forming between the metal and paint, and it should not be happening.
 

JeepJeepster

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Im with you 110% cactus. I could understand rust if it was 15-20 years old. My jeep is just 10 years old with 87,000 miles, this should not be happening. And it seems to start on the passenger side near the rear.

So you sanded yours and it wasnt coming through the rocker? In that case Ill sand my rockers down and coat them in bed liner. Cheapest way I know to handle the situation. Im not paying a body shop anything.
 

CactusJacked

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The bigger spot was a small rust through, but the smaller ones were just pitted metal. I removed the paint with my high speed angle grinder with a wire brush wheel. Works as fast as sanding but takes no metal off and doesn't overheat it. Plus it can reach down into the rust pits pretty well. I then coated the bare metal with POR15.
 

tjkj2002

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I'll take 30 minutes of my life every week to do something else than wash something that's ultimately going to die/be removed from my life somewhere down the timeline anyway.

.
Just saying you as a human will suffer the same fate regardless.
Im with you 110% cactus. I could understand rust if it was 15-20 years old. My jeep is just 10 years old with 87,000 miles, this should not be happening. And it seems to start on the passenger side near the rear.
10 years is 5 past the corrosion warranty so you got 200% more life then "intended".






Work in the field and you will see things and after awhile just don't even care as "it's not my vehicle".I'm seeing '12's and '13's with severe corrosion on them and from all makes.3 weeks ago had a '07 H2 that was so heavily corroded the front UCA's cracked when I lifted it,they hit the bumpstops and couldn't handle the pressure.The body was perfect and had about $25k in stereo junk in it but never paid attention to anything else.
 

JeepJeepster

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Sounds good. I just purchsed eastwoods version of por15 called rust inhibitor but its in a spary can. Actually bought it to treat rust on my 94 zj but i think i have enough for both. It can be top coated so ill see which diy bedliner is best.

Ill continue coating the insides of the rockers with fluid film. Hopefully it'll keep rust at bay inside of them.

Hold up, so after the 3yr/36k mile bumper to bumper warranty ran out i should be thankful the bumpers dont fall off? Or that the engine lasts till 80k?
 
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tommudd

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Mine gets washed at least once a week in the winter, sometimes even more.
04, 204,000 miles, Midwest winters, no rust except small amount of surface around the upper brake light, rockers are solid
 

TheBlueKJ

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Well I see that I started up quite the discussion!

My rockers were bubbling up for a while even though I was cleaning it meticulously. Then during the winter I was kickin off my boots and accidentally "popped" one of the bubbles and now we have the lovely rust we see today.
 

JeepJeepster

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Mine isnt even driven in the winter, really dont even drive it in the rain anymore. Its parked in a climate controlled garage pretty much year round. Probably the only reason they aren't rusting worse than they are.
 

TheBlueKJ

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Finally got around to repairing my rocker rust, only got one side done but you'd never be able to tell what was done.

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JeepJeepster

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Thats exactly what I plan on doing.

Did a shop just bend some sheet metal to weld back in? I was thinking about buying new rocker panels and just cutting out the section I need from the new rocker panel then welding in a new section. Always wanted to buy a welder anyway. Grind it all smooth then bed line the rockers.

Probably drill some big drain holes in the rocks every two feet or so and coat them with fluid film yearly.
 

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