Frame Repair

[aeo]

I know I am going to regret this rabbit hole. I can see it now.

I need to replace some rusty parts on the frame of the 110. The bulkhead outriggers and probably the rear crossmember. This frame is strange as parts of it are amazing and others are rusty. At some time it looks like it had some kind of coating put on it that is now flaking in areas and trapping water/road de-icing and causing rust.

The question- how do I find someone to weld the replacement parts in place? Any recommendations, we are in Steamboat Springs (NW Colorado), not far from Salt Lake City and Wyoming.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[WreckITFrank]

The times where I was in that spot I found sometimes more, some less after a good cleaning. I suggest getting the power washer out and going to town first, then see where you are at. Hard to tell from those pics.

 

[UnfrozenCaveman]

I thought I saw an agricultural type welding outfit over in Craig the last time I was through there???

 

[TravelinLight]

Make the drive to Denver and have Roadside Werx do the work properly for you. They specialize in this.

 

[evilfij]

Buy a 110v flux core MIG, a grinder, and a reciprocating saw and DIY.

 

[aeo]

Buy a 110v flux core MIG, a grinder, and a reciprocating saw and DIY.

You just want to see what other ridiculous questions I can ask.

 

[evilfij]

I will freely admit I am not a good welder. I would say I am at best a hack. But, if you can use the internet and a hot glue gun, you can weld a Land Rover frame. I would also say that 95% of the work of welding is the prep so if you have a local friend who can weld at a very basic level, you can do the prep and have him burn it in. Hard to tell from pics, but just because an outrigger has a hole in it, does not mean you have to replace the whole thing. You can plate over the hole or preferably patch it. The aftermarket outriggers are not as nice as the original stuff in my experience. Most of the defenders in the UK are running around with patches on the frames. It’s basically maintenance ….

One other thing is, at least around here, there are welders who have a side business of patching jeep and Toyota frames. They advertise on Facebook marketplace. They will show up to your house (with a 110v flux core mig) and do the patch. That might be an avenue to pursue.

 

[rocky]

What's the first thing a shop will want to do? They'll want to dig into the chassis, and figure out the entire extent of the problem.

So with that in mind, a serious power wash, as @WreckITFrank suggests is definitely something you can do then go around the chassis to see how many holes you can poke in it.

I have a sense from the description and images that someone has been down the repair route with this chassis before.

 

[aeo]

What's the first thing a shop will want to do? They'll want to dig into the chassis, and figure out the entire extent of the problem.

So with that in mind, a serious power wash, as @WreckITFrank suggests is definitely something you can do then go around the chassis to see how many holes you can poke in it.

I have a sense from the description and images that someone has been down the repair route with this chassis before.

It stopped snowing today so some better pics.. I think you are correct @rocky that it has been repaired. Pic of the hole in the outrigger seems to have a welding seam maybe a plate was welded there.

The frame has a black undercoating that I think was great until it started to flake in the last two years and now is trapping moisture/dirt/road de-icer and causing issues. For a 1983 I think it's in pretty decent shape. We had the bulkhead replaced by ECR about 13 years ago and there wasn't a discussion of a need for a new frame then or any repairs.

Maybe I can find a fellow ski patroller who can weld better than @evilfij and I Or teach me so I can break more things on my truck.

 

[dkemm]

I know I am going to regret this rabbit hole. I can see it now.

I need to replace some rusty parts on the frame of the 110. The bulkhead outriggers and probably the rear crossmember. This frame is strange as parts of it are amazing and others are rusty. At some time it looks like it had some kind of coating put on it that is now flaking in areas and trapping water/road de-icing and causing rust.

The question- how do I find someone to weld the replacement parts in place? Any recommendations, we are in Steamboat Springs (NW Colorado), not far from Salt Lake City and Wyoming.

Thanks,
Alex

Alex,
While not answering your welding question... I do have a rear crossmember that you are welcome to (ABQ, NM).
I salvage it when I did my frame swap on my Ninety last year. Was a replacement on a bad frame, so the crossmember is in good shape.
I think I also have a single rear outrigger in my box of stuff.
Wife would be pleased if the big parts werent in the yard any more....

 

[aeo]

Poked away at it, put some naval jelly on it, power washed it and here were are. I don't even think this could be made Ron good considering there isn't really much of solid surface left.

 

[dkemm]

that hurts...
my journey began when I spotted a hairline crack on the rear section.....
then poking and prodding...I noticed there was no top section (all around the shock mounts).
at that time i ordered a new chassis...as I didnt want to keep chasing cracks and welding instead of driving.
When I was swapping my chassis... I learned that he rear section... while I didnt poke a hole through it...had been repaired with 20Ga sheet metal.
as soon as I cut the rear member off....the right side collapsed in on the sheet metal.

 

[erover82]

Poked away at it, put some naval jelly on it, power washed it and here were are. I don't even think this could be made Ron good considering there isn't really much of solid surface left.


View attachment 30165

Cut a patch from steel sheet a bit larger than the hole and secure it with a few self-tappers. At least, that’s what those Limeys did with my last chassis.

How do you say “That’s not going anywhere” in British?

 

[Mirrajumper]

Poked away at it, put some naval jelly on it, power washed it and here were are. I don't even think this could be made Ron good considering there isn't really much of solid surface left.


View attachment 30165

Where on the frame is this? Both sides or just this?

 

[WreckITFrank]

Poked away at it, put some naval jelly on it, power washed it and here were are. I don't even think this could be made Ron good considering there isn't really much of solid surface left.


View attachment 30165

Looks like the top has been repaired already? New outriggers are not terribly expensive, mostly the labor and PITA factor...

 

[aeo]

Cut a patch from steel sheet a bit larger than the hole and secure it with a few self-tappers. At least, that’s what those Limeys did with my last chassis.

How do you say “That’s not going anywhere” in British?

The only thing better is the use of drywall screws in random places.

Where on the frame is this? Both sides or just this?

Both sides and bottom have holes. At least now the water can drain instead of just sitting in there. I think the top has some metal left. @WreckITFrank is correct it looks to have been repaired at one point.

 

[evilfij]

Cut off the old repairs and rust use slightly bigger patches and then spray the inside with the rust inhibitor of your choice and it would be Ron good. Compared to replacing the outrigger I would totally repair that. In fact, I would cut patch panels out of the Range Rover chassis sitting under my deck. I would do one side at a time starting with the front which seems the worst and doing the bottom last. A competent welder fabricator that’s a couple hours work. Me it would take months.

What else are you dealing with rust wise on the chassis?

I have never done a front outrigger, but the rear ones I did were pretty annoying to do. My main advice would be to buy new bulkhead bolt and I would be very tempted to leave the inner part of the OG outrigger and weld onto that v directly to the frame.

 

[aeo]

Cut off the old repairs and rust use slightly bigger patches and then spray the inside with the rust inhibitor of your choice and it would be Ron good. Compared to replacing the outrigger I would totally repair that. In fact, I would cut patch panels out of the Range Rover chassis sitting under my deck. I would do one side at a time starting with the front which seems the worst and doing the bottom last. A competent welder fabricator that’s a couple hours work. Me it would take months.

What else are you dealing with rust wise on the chassis?

I have never done a front outrigger, but the rear ones I did were pretty annoying to do. My main advice would be to buy new bulkhead bolt and I would be very tempted to leave the inner part of the OG outrigger and weld onto that v directly to the frame.

I ordered a new outrigger and bulkhead bolt from my favorite enabler.

My plan is to to cut the old outrigger out up to the frame leaving as much of the top section in place. Hopefully it is salvageable. So far that looks like the path of least resistance. I've been watching a lot of videos and this seems to be the backyard approach. It looks like the top of the outrigger that goes over the frame is really awkward to access to weld into place.

 

[evilfij]

So the issue I have with the replacement outriggers is that they have a piece of the frame on them which results in making them hard to set up and then creates a rust point where the metal doubles up if you don’t cut out the frame to fit it. Also, the metal on the replacement parts are crap in my experience. Now one that does not have that or you just mount the outrigger part all the better.

This is triggering me because I have had a 110 crossmember from ZG in my living room I need to fit and it’s been there for a couple years at least.

 

[pmatusov]

How do you say “That’s not going anywhere” in British?

Tommy: What's wrong with this one?
Turkish: [Pulls the caravan's door from its hinges] Oh, nothing, Tommy. It's tiptop. It's just I'm not sure about the colour.