Drain holes in the frame

Jeep_Dawg08

Jeep_Dawg08

New member
I'm trying to research something some guys around my neck of the woods are doing.
Drilling 3/4" holes in the bottom of the frame behind front control arm braket and in front of rear as well..
Being out here in the midwest, theres alot of mud/clay that gets in there and almost impossibke to remove. Which means rusting out of the frame over time.
I wonder if adding extra holes would mess with the integrity of the metal. Make it not as strong and subject to breaks.
What does everyone have to say about this?

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In all my years living back east I have never seen a frame rust from the inside out. I doubt it would mess with the structure but not sure I would even bother with it.
 
I agree with overlander. I wouldn't worry about it. If you are worried about it you can do what I do and just stick the hose in the few open holes and spray the mud out.
 
Actually overlander here in PA that's exactly what happens to jeeps. It's crazy but the crap they put on the roads in the winter gets built up in the frame rails and they literally do rot from the inside out. It's happened to me personally and a lot of people I know. They look good on the outside but they are gone. Although having said this drilling holes in the frame is the last thing I would do, instead you need to keep the frame rails hosed out really well and spray oil inside the frame and raft should keep them nice and rust free. Even XJ's are rusting from the inside out, so far the JK's do not seam as bad as the TJ's and XJ's were.
 
My 97 TJ. Engine runs great, transmission is decent, new brakes, brake lines, u joints and wheel bearings, new lift new tires. Frame is rotted to complete hell. i didn't take good care of the frame here in NY. Same salt as PA uses I think.

Very very hard and sad lesson learned. I've had that TJ for almost 17 years. It currently sits in my driveway awaiting a donor frame.
 

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What about filling the voids in the frame with a water blocking expandable foam like great stuff?
 
Armydog said:
What about filling the voids in the frame with a water blocking expandable foam like great stuff?
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Well if you seal it off completely that's not good either. If we lived out west with no humidity that would work but the frame will still sweat inside and it would never dry out. It will take longer than leaving it open but so far the best medicine is keep it clean and keep it lubed.
 
I had the same issue with this tj. It rotted from the inside out, I ended up patching it and selling it as a donor jeep to someone with a good frame..
 

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OJK12 said:
Actually overlander here in PA that's exactly what happens to jeeps. It's crazy but the crap they put on the roads in the winter gets built up in the frame rails and they literally do rot from the inside out. It's happened to me personally and a lot of people I know. They look good on the outside but they are gone. Although having said this drilling holes in the frame is the last thing I would do, instead you need to keep the frame rails hosed out really well and spray oil inside the frame and raft should keep them nice and rust free. Even XJ's are rusting from the inside out, so far the JK's do not seam as bad as the TJ's and XJ's were.
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I lived in upstate NY for 20 years, I know a thing or two about winters. I will stand by what I said that I've never seen a frame rust from the inside out.
 
OverlanderJK said:
I lived in upstate NY for 20 years, I know a thing or two about winters. I will stand by what I said that I've never seen a frame rust from the inside out.
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You didn't know my irresponsible 20 year old self haha. Honestly, if you wash your jeep weekly, and stay on top of the salt and rust you won't have problems. I was an ass and didn't take care of my TJ. As it sits now I can poke holes in the frame with a tap of a hammer on a flat head screwdriver. Whether it rusted from the inside out or outside in it rotted.

Tldr
Wash your jeep of you live in a salt state.
 
OverlanderJK said:
I lived in upstate NY for 20 years, I know a thing or two about winters. I will stand by what I said that I've never seen a frame rust from the inside out.
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The next one my buddy has come in to repair I'll snap some photos for you, he's already done 4 this year. One TJ only had 51,000 miles on it and the frame was gone. Looked solid on the outside but as soon as you poked it you went right through. The inside frame rails had chunks of rusted steel laying in them. They start pealing inside right at the big hole in frame at the front of the rear wheels.
 
OJK12 said:
The next one my buddy has come in to repair I'll snap some photos for you, he's already done 4 this year. One TJ only had 51,000 miles on it and the frame was gone. Looked solid on the outside but as soon as you poked it you went right through. The inside frame rails had chunks of rusted steel laying in them. They start pealing inside right at the big hole in frame at the front of the rear wheels.
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What does your friend do repair wise? Does he use safe t caps? I'm either doing a full safe t cap on mine or finding a donor frame. Gotta have the TJ ready in a few years for my kid to drive.
 
KingCopperhead said:
What does your friend do repair wise? Does he use safe t caps? I'm either doing a full safe t cap on mine or finding a donor frame. Gotta have the TJ ready in a few years for my kid to drive.
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He's a small fab shop, he builds lifts, bumpers, installs gears, repairs frames a lil of everything but it's just a side job and he doesn't just take anything. He usually makes his patch panels from scratch. I've never seen him use the safe t caps or any kind of premade patch for a frame. Usually when he cuts the part of the frame out he fills a bucket with the rusty steel and dirt that's been built up inside over the years.
 
If people here in the northeast only drilled holes in there frames 10 to 15 years ago there would be a lot more TJ'S on the road. I have a friend that does a lot of frame repairs here in NY and the TJ's do in fact rust from the inside out.

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kgw350 said:
If people here in the northeast only drilled holes in there frames 10 to 15 years ago there would be a lot more TJ'S on the road. I have a friend that does a lot of frame repairs here in NY and the TJ's do in fact rust from the inside out.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using WAYALIFE mobile app
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True True. i didnt keep up on washing the mud and sand out of the frame and when i did it was to late..:bummed:
 
All the CJ, YJ, and TJ frames I have seen up here in Maine all rot out from the inside. I just try and flush mine regularly with every car wash.
 
This is in JP this month
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Sorry it's crooked, around here the front is usually ok but they collect dirt by the back right before it turns up over the rear tire. That is where my 2000 Tj rusted out. Without a hole in the bottom of the frame how do you flush it out?
 
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