Replacing Rotted Jeep Wrangler Body Mounts/Torque Box/Floor Support

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[@mattdolinar737]

Doing this repair right now, genuinely still can’t comprehend how you got the old box out in one piece haha

[@bencunningham6298]

Glad I found this before I started. You make it look easier than I think it's going to be haha.

[@voodoo1506]

Great job! I’m no welder so can’t do all that. I’ve used Rust Reformer a lot on my TJ, and the rust simply pushed through. Cheap stuff turns out expensive, I recommend POR15 or Eastwood products. Also DRX works great to remove rust! It’s great when you can salvage a part by getting some rust off and repainting it.

[@markdudley5656]

I just removed the driver's-side torque box on my son's '98 Wrangler. It was so rusted that I couldn't see where the spot-weld dimples were, even after removing the rust. There also seemed to be more spot welds along the top edge of the torque box (behind the fender) than I could see in this video (mine had 4). The other issue was that, in several areas, I couldn't get the drill exactly perpendicular to the surface, because the structure of the torque box prevented it. This was especially true directly underneath of the driver's seat support. It's advisable to use an extension on the drill bit in those areas. Also, the roll bar mount bolts were frozen and had to be removed with an angle grinder. I was glad to know that they screw down into the new torque box, so that won't be an issue, but the floor under the mount was rusted out, too. Consequently, I have to patch it to have something to weld the torque box to... and teach myself how to weld in the process. :)

[@WeekendHandymen]

Have fun with that! I'm sick of working on rusty JUNK! Road salt is the spawn of satan.

[@gp500fan]

I'm really glad I came across this video and thank you for posting it!! I just purchased a 1998 TJ SE in need of some love for what I think was a good price. It's got 237,000 km (146,000 miles) on it and doesn't look too bad until you look underneath it. It'll be a project, a hobby and a labor of love by the looks of things. Replacing these items are part of the love it needs. So far, I think the rest of the frame is okay but we're going to find out soon enough.

[@cheyneturbyfill4727]

Ha! I just bought a 98 tj se with 146,000 miles too 😄 Fortunately it’s looking like the body mounts are the only thing I’ll need to replace. I see you posted your comment a year ago... how is your project going?

[@seandowling7204]

@@cheyneturbyfill4727 hey, if you don’t mind. how much did you buy your Jeep for ? I am selling my 2004 SE. I believe just the idly mounts and windshield frame need to be replaced. I was wondering what a fair deal is

[@cheyneturbyfill4727]

@@seandowling7204 I paid 4,800 for it but at this point I’ve put about 750 into new steering kit, shocks and new bump stops/cups and a new top. At this point I’d probably not get my money back but that wasn’t my plan. Hopefully you’ll run across someone like me that can see potential. 🤙

[@advxnturxwithmx]

Bought my 98 tj sport a year ago and doing torque boxes now😩

[@neon922]

Thank you for posting this. I couldn't figure out how to get the new rail in until I saw you video. I kept on trying to push it in from the side instead of removing the fender and sliding it straight in.

[@billjones5331]

Thanks for posting. I'm about to replace the floor panels and these braces on my 2000 TJ. Was wanting to see what I was in for. Great job!

[@gp500fan]

How did you make out with the job and how difficult did you find it?

[@OntarioFreshwaterFishing]

I'm waiting on my tourqe box in the mail, glad I found this I was not to sure how to tackle it

[@Jeepdriver75]

Great job, how did it hold up afterwards? You should invest in a 5 gallon bucket of Fluid Film.

[@galehess6676]

TIPS FOR a NOT SO RUSTED situation and for those just needing to replace the lower half of bushing to pass inspection: See the two BOLD words below for tips on how to replace just the lower halves, also tells how to pull bolts without breaking them and needing to CUT through the tub to access the top "nut"... THIS is the critical part!! penetrating oil and heat... Get the CROWN MOUNTS FROM JEGS FOR YJ. Thank you Sir for the video. .you have to order the stock Crown body mounts from JEGS for $126 in January 2020 with the 10% off found on JEGS sight, because most other kits are for 1" lift which will cause you problems all over, and you can't do what i did only replacing 2 mounts for inspection because only 2 had the lower half of the mount disintegrated and therefore not passing PA inspection, you don't want 2 /11 mounts 1" higher than others LOL. I found the Crown kit has minimal instructions, but sort of helpful. Does give enough hints I figured out assembly order , but I also looked at what I removed to get a final clue and be sure I was butting what where. FYI the bushing with the nubs that stick out goes under and is the lower bushing half, the bolt runs through that and draws against it and the bolt goes though maybe a metal insert with the 2nd half above the piece that's welded to the frame, then the bolt disappears into the tub rail and threads into a square plate insert thing. Removal: Every 24 hours I covered the entire visible mount with liquid wrench for 2 days and then HEATED the bottom bolt head with a torch for a minute until the rubber began to catch fire a few times, I kept my hand inside under the carpet on the tub to ensure the heat got only a very little warm there, so no fire, then more liquid wrench, wait 15 minutes, torch again and impact gently tighter for about 2 uggas and then reverse 2 uggas, repeat, repeat, then just revers and see what happens and they spun off 100%!!! Install: I GREASED the bolt threads to have a chance to catch the plate and spin in without messing it up and having to chase threads, or worse, cut through the tub. That probably did mess up my goal of 50# torque, having grease on there because that made the bare metal that was spec'd into greased more slippery metal, but oh well, they are squished nicely now lol maybe shoot for 40# as a safe goal. So happy, was able to see up to the square thread plate insert which on one mount had drifted so I had to lean the bolt at an angle to line up to hit the threads. Good luck otherwise, happy grinding, you will grind through from above tub... see other videos.

[@bdc7273]

Need to do this to my Jeep. Both sides. Needs basically what yours needed but also gonna the front fender plus some other bad rust by the rear mount. Road salt is a nightmare

[@garyreen2]

Great video, Just wish i could figure out how to get the Spot Weld cutter to work, bought the exact same one, but after one hold its spikes are just completely chewed threw. Can even get one cut to work without ruining the litte blades. tried 3 so far

[@rustyrelichunter7085]

Very nice work . How long does it take to do per side ?

[@kabbythedog9409]

Thanks for this I think this what we need on. Ours

[@ctcourtking]

Great video. I’m thinking of purchasing my first Wrangler. Seller says she needs Shock Body Mount Replaced. What purpose does the Shock Body Mount serve? As a motorcycle guy, just not sure what this parts does or how safe the vehicle is with/without this repair done immediately.

[@Godsfavorite4.0]

Good job 🎉

[@danhambrick6331]

Looking good.That salt sure does eat jeeps up...

[@WeekendHandymen]

Its terrible! A few years ago I started only driving 'sacrificial' vehicles in the winter...this red jeep being one of them

[@timothyjagielo1048]

I'm having the floor supports replaced on my TJ. I felt liekI should buy new mounts, but I wasn't sure if the Dorman kit for positions 1 and 5 would work for the floor pan braces -- do you happen to know which mounts would work there? Thank you; great video.

[@superdaddy4564]

Hi can u tell me part mun and where to buy thanks

[@MrRyanlipp1980]

Dammit I thought I only had to mess with the three bolts on each side. I’ve got to loosen up the body mount bolts on the back by the gas tank also?

[@WeekendHandymen]

Yes, all body mount bolts need to be loosened

[@DevenWilson93]

Where did you get the new replacement parts? What gauge are they?

[@gabrielrascon3065]

Where do you buy the parts that were replaced? Please respond

[@Nukem6477]

What company makes the replacement part? I need front body mounts for a 1997 Dodge ram 1500.

[@MrRyanlipp1980]

Forgive me for asking but can you not simply clean up the rusted areas and then fit this full torque box panel over top and slide it into place good enough to welded on from underneath??? Instead of completely removing the old one?

[@WeekendHandymen]

With a big enough hammer anything is possible, however I would not recommend it because the first place rust will form is lap joints between steel, and you'd essentially be creating a lap joint the full length of the torque box, meaning the repair will not last

[@MrRyanlipp1980]

@@WeekendHandymen Ok I need these full length panels , but my inside floor boards are already done and whole inside is done with bed liner . So I wanna do the job all from underneath . If I cut off almost all the old torque box and clean whole area almost to being flat can I weld on these panels from underneath ? Leaving just the old tabs or flaps from the old one

[@tkftombo]

I see you replaced the center frame, doing the same thing here. '

[@scottmcclenaghan3236]

Great video, needing to complete this process now on my 2003 tj. Do you really need to remove the front fender? Any help would be appreciated

[@WeekendHandymen]

Yes, you cant get to the front spot welds without removing it

[@scottmcclenaghan3236]

@@WeekendHandymen sh@t, but I guess that makes sense. I’m just afraid of what I’m going to find under them lol

[@garylavon5119]

@@WeekendHandymen hey, I’ve got a ‘00 TJ I’ve had for around 12 years now and she’s needing the passenger side torque box replaced. I’ve got a local welder willing to do it but he has no clue how long the job will take. Could you give me an idea how many hours this took you? Thanks in advance!!!

[@thomasellis1210]

I’m about to give this a shot during my quarantine time. What was the purpose of taking the fender off?

[@WeekendHandymen]

The fender needs to come off in order to access the spot welds at the front of the panel

[@skyjones5425]

I need to do this too

[@markdudley5656]

What kind of welder/wire did you use for this job? Looks like you also repaired the frame rail on that side.. something I'm not looking forward to on mine :(

[@WeekendHandymen]

HOBART HANDLER 190 WITH .030 SOLID CORE WIRE FOR BOTH REPAIRS. HAVE FUN...

[@jeremy8715]

How’s it holding up? Any plans to to a 3 year review of the repair?

[@WeekendHandymen]

Sold it 2 years ago but was holding up well at the time

[@erikcaldwell2913]

Did you use a flux core welder, or gas? I used a cheap flux core welder on frame repairs , the welding was a little rough, and I used to weld professionally.

[@WeekendHandymen]

I used gas. Flux makes too much of a mess for my liking

[@erikcaldwell2913]

WeekendHandymen My torque boxes are only rusted around the middle body mount. Would you suggest replacing the whole torque box like you did, or buy the middle section to weld in? Thanks

[@WeekendHandymen]

If the middles are already gone the others aren't far behind. The rear ones will be the next to go, soon followed by the fronts. The only way to properly repair is to replace the whole torque box panel. Anything less would likely be considered an improper and unsafe repair in the court of law, should you get in a crash and end up there.

[@johnvanbuskirk2304]

What’s the part

[@SpidermanKussh]

How much would you charge to get this job done? On both sides of a 2000 TJ

[@WeekendHandymen]

I'm not a professional, I just did this myself to save a few bucks. No idea what an actual body shop would charge

[@SpidermanKussh]

WeekendHandymen ahh ok. About how much did you spend for the whole process? Sadly I just bought one and didn’t even know how bad it was till I throughly inspected it. Both sides are done for. Probably worst than yours

[@Monstaparty]

how long did it take you to change the body support brace ?

[@WeekendHandymen]

I learned on the first side and it took about 3 days working slowly. I think the second side took one day.

[@sosick2005]

Do you think it was a necessity to remove the fender to lift the body up enough to inset the frame mounts?

[@WeekendHandymen]

Would not have been able to access several spot welds and properly complete the repair if the fender was not removed. An improper repair is a major safety hazard in the event of a crash and I'm no lawyer but I can only imagine the lawsuit that would follow if an improper repair on these components led to major bodily harm or death of another, so this needs to be done right.

[@dawsonvieno4048]

Hey man just bought a jeep tj i have the same problem u do where u located???

[@WeekendHandymen]

Sadly a common problem. I'm located in the northeast USA, road salt capital of the nation.

[@dawsonvieno4048]

Cant be worse then Ontario

[@pirateradiooffroad2460]

I will second the salt in Ontario.

[@TriumphTrailBlazer]

drink every time he says um..

[@WeekendHandymen]

I don't endorse welding under the influence. With that being said... UUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

[@ceceliarodrigues]

Do you happen to know the part number for those panels.thanks

[@timtimzim9921]

Justin Coulton go to Quadratec.com and look they have lots of floor pan pieces

[@KINGJB3100]

blah, just burn through that coating

[@joserico5509]

Too much work u can purchace repair kit ,,

[@WeekendHandymen]

"Repair kit" is a halfass job. Try explaining to the judge why you killed someone because you thought it was a good idea to cut corners on a critical safety component. The only way to PROPERLY repair rusted body mounts is a full replacement replicating factory CRASH TESTED installation methods as shown in the video.

[@treeman765]

What is that annoying sound in the background! ?

[@garymelanson8089]

that sound is so annoying the video is hard to watch

[@CelticKnott]

7 mins of talking to much

[@galehess6676]

TIPS FOR a NOT SO RUSTED situation and for those just needing to replace the lower half of bushing to pass inspection: See the two BOLD words below for tips on how to replace just the lower halves, also tells how to pull bolts without breaking them and needing to CUT through the tub to access the top "nut"... THIS is the critical part!! penetrating oil and heat... Get the CROWN MOUNTS FROM JEGS FOR YJ. Thank you Sir for the video. .you have to order the stock Crown body mounts from JEGS for $126 in January 2020 with the 10% off found on JEGS sight, because most other kits are for 1" lift which will cause you problems all over, and you can't do what i did only replacing 2 mounts for inspection because only 2 had the lower half of the mount disintegrated and therefore not passing PA inspection, you don't want 2 /11 mounts 1" higher than others LOL. I found the Crown kit has minimal instructions, but sort of helpful. Does give enough hints I figured out assembly order , but I also looked at what I removed to get a final clue and be sure I was butting what where. FYI the bushing with the nubs that stick out goes under and is the lower bushing half, the bolt runs through that and draws against it and the bolt goes though maybe a metal insert with the 2nd half above the piece that's welded to the frame, then the bolt disappears into the tub rail and threads into a square plate insert thing. Removal: Every 24 hours I covered the entire visible mount with liquid wrench for 2 days and then HEATED the bottom bolt head with a torch for a minute until the rubber began to catch fire a few times, I kept my hand inside under the carpet on the tub to ensure the heat got only a very little warm there, so no fire, then more liquid wrench, wait 15 minutes, torch again and impact gently tighter for about 2 uggas and then reverse 2 uggas, repeat, repeat, then just revers and see what happens and they spun off 100%!!! Install: I GREASED the bolt threads to have a chance to catch the plate and spin in without messing it up and having to chase threads, or worse, cut through the tub. That probably did mess up my goal of 50# torque, having grease on there because that made the bare metal that was spec'd into greased more slippery metal, but oh well, they are squished nicely now lol maybe shoot for 40# as a safe goal. So happy, was able to see up to the square thread plate insert which on one mount had drifted so I had to lean the bolt at an angle to line up to hit the threads. Good luck otherwise, happy grinding, you will grind through from above tub... see other videos.