My truck has been sitting outside for a while in preparation for a front axle swap and a few weeks ago I noticed a gas leak by the tank... well, I decided to get it into the garage, drop the tank and replace rusted pump... and now after a few weeks I have gone mad!!! I could not bare to look at all the rust that spread all over the underbody and frame so I have decided to lift the whole thing (body) off the frame and go through a complete resto... so now body sits lifted 4 inches off the frame, I have dropped everything inlcuding T-case, removed all electrical, gas and brake lines and am in the process of cleaning and painting... POR 15 to the rescue! hope it will let me drive thins truck for the next 13 years... this truck deserves it!
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Frame off? why not?!
- Thread starter Dre
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Dre
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It's been an uphill battle so far... hope to get the upper hand soon though... that was a before picture... here's during:
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I had the body off mine and the chassis rolled out from under it in four hours. Which is exactly 1/12 the amount of time it took me to do a 3" BL. 
The bodies on these things come off suprisingly easy.
The bodies on these things come off suprisingly easy.
Dre
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I'm doing it partially cause of the rust and then also because I was planning on doing a whole lot of mods...
I'll take a picture of a rear end later on... it's been redone.
Everything new on the rear end, SOA, drop BL, replace body mount bushings and bolts, replace brake lines, gas lines, drop in manual t-case, new gas pump, rework exhaust, remove rusted rocker panels and install metal 2X4 in place of rockers... POR15 everything under there... fab custom rear bumper... just bought my new MIG welder a couple of days ago... and the list goes on... that's why I say that it's still an uphill battle... I'm not half way there. So far the entire underbody has been wire brushed, rust cut-out and painetd... I spent two days just chipping rust off the frame... hope there's something left after I'm done.
and to think of it... new frame cost: $1500.00 - the way I'm doing it probably three times as much...
I'll take a picture of a rear end later on... it's been redone.
Everything new on the rear end, SOA, drop BL, replace body mount bushings and bolts, replace brake lines, gas lines, drop in manual t-case, new gas pump, rework exhaust, remove rusted rocker panels and install metal 2X4 in place of rockers... POR15 everything under there... fab custom rear bumper... just bought my new MIG welder a couple of days ago... and the list goes on... that's why I say that it's still an uphill battle... I'm not half way there. So far the entire underbody has been wire brushed, rust cut-out and painetd... I spent two days just chipping rust off the frame... hope there's something left after I'm done.
and to think of it... new frame cost: $1500.00 - the way I'm doing it probably three times as much...
Dre
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LOL Yeah careful, as soon as the body pops off, the bank account goes to half .. EVERYTHING at that point needs to be "restored"
and a few years down the road I'm planning on taking it off completely... sandblasting the frame, sandblasting the underbody and painting it while replacing most of the stuff... I'm nuts about my exploder... that's because I'm an exploroholic!
and someone would ask... why bother with everything? it's just a car! it's gonna end-up at a junk yard one day anyway!
In my world it's not like that. I've got a 50 year old VW that still drives and looks like new... it can be done.
Jason94sport
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WOW! That's some serious rustage!
Dre
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and that's been cleaned a little too... I had to use welders hammer to knock most of the rust off... it chips like flakes!
one of the body mounts is rusted a little too much and needs to be replaced.
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Dre, good luck with the project. I'm going through similar stuff on my "new" Dodge Dart. www.rhphoto.com/1970_dodge_dart
In fact UPS just rang the doorbell about 30 minutes ago and dropped off Eastwood Rust Encapsulator which is a product similar to POR 15.
My Explorer was rust free until I brought it out to Badlands and Gilmer. Just three trips to the land of humidity caused any exposed metal to get a scale of surface rust.
The first time I brought my Ex to Badlands I came with an unpainted rollcage. When I left Phoenix it looked like brushed stainless. When I got it back to Phoenix it looked like I struck gold!
In fact UPS just rang the doorbell about 30 minutes ago and dropped off Eastwood Rust Encapsulator which is a product similar to POR 15.
My Explorer was rust free until I brought it out to Badlands and Gilmer. Just three trips to the land of humidity caused any exposed metal to get a scale of surface rust.
The first time I brought my Ex to Badlands I came with an unpainted rollcage. When I left Phoenix it looked like brushed stainless. When I got it back to Phoenix it looked like I struck gold!
Dre
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the problem with the midwest is a combination of humidity in the summer and salt in the winter... not too good on our vehicles. Changing oil in my wife's Outback yesterday I noticed some rust showing here and there - it's a 2002!
Looks like my next project.
Here are some before and after of the rear diff:
Looks like my next project.
Here are some before and after of the rear diff:
Dre
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it's time consuming... I have cut rockers on both sides since they were pretty rusted... cleaned and painted remaining parts... now I'm kind of sorting out the wiring and trying to figure a way to hook-up shifter to manual t-case with a missing part and no floor panel...
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I can appreciate all the work your doing. I would also make sure all your grounding straps are bolted to a cleaned frame. I added extras to mine and also covered the bolts and the immediate area around the cleaned frame with liquid electrical tape.
With all the rust you used to have, how are the body mounts. Did you have to do any work to them like welding added metal?
With all the rust you used to have, how are the body mounts. Did you have to do any work to them like welding added metal?
Dre
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Thanks... as far as body mounts - I didn't have to do anything. I just chipped off all the rust and used my wire wheel on it. I have also converted my angle grinder to a nice angle sander - works wonders! all the nooks and corners were pretty hard though. Next time I'll just sandblast it.
I did replace body to frame insulators and bolts as I stripped most of the bolts. Good thing I was able to save front and back insulators as they don't have them available anymore. Leaf springs are at the shop (Autozone screwed-up again by giving me wrong spring bushings but I ordered new ones from Summit) but other than that everything else is ready to go. New brake line is in - took a little while to wiggle it through.
It's all nice and clean now compared to how it was before...
Manual transfer case is also in. I was able to find the missing part at the dealer - the guy found it for me even though computers were showing that part as no longer available.
I'm just nuts about this truck - otherwise I wouldn't do all that.
I did replace body to frame insulators and bolts as I stripped most of the bolts. Good thing I was able to save front and back insulators as they don't have them available anymore. Leaf springs are at the shop (Autozone screwed-up again by giving me wrong spring bushings but I ordered new ones from Summit) but other than that everything else is ready to go. New brake line is in - took a little while to wiggle it through.
It's all nice and clean now compared to how it was before...
Manual transfer case is also in. I was able to find the missing part at the dealer - the guy found it for me even though computers were showing that part as no longer available.
I'm just nuts about this truck - otherwise I wouldn't do all that.
Dre
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and I just wonder sometimes how much more am I going to do to this truck?
yeah... on all bolts I have used anti-seize and also covered them with liquid electrical tape... and hope they don't catch any water or salt. Front end will be rebuilt later... for now basic SAS is more important.
yeah... on all bolts I have used anti-seize and also covered them with liquid electrical tape... and hope they don't catch any water or salt. Front end will be rebuilt later... for now basic SAS is more important.
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377Z
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and I just wonder sometimes how much more am I going to do to this truck?
Wondering how the POR15 has held up thusfar. My '98 Sport's frame is looking about that way, and I'm itching to put a stop to it as I intend to keep it forever. I've always wondered whether POR15 holds up, of whether I should do it Navy style and slather every inch of the underside with a regular application of some oil spray (or spray grease, or wax, or...).
I am wondering what you rested the body on; I figure a few pieces of railroad tie or similar between the body & frame or something? I would be happy to have just enough access to the frame from all sides so I can paint it (if I go through with it). It will probably make sense to me once I actually get to looking at it, but just wondering if you have any details.
I had the body off mine and the chassis rolled out from under it in four hours. Which is exactly 1/12 the amount of time it took me to do a 3" BL.
The bodies on these things come off suprisingly easy.
wrt the bolded, are you serious, and why? I'm thinking if I go through with this, I might just install the PA-792 2" BL since I'll be in there. What specifically eats up time with a BL install--hopefully its stuff that the 2" BL avoids?
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