Rusted Jeep saves my '84 Jeep CJ7

[@chickensfloat7427]

The main thing is if the outer c of the box is solid. Older Cj5s had a c channel frame aswell as smaller pick up trucks. My grandpa had a 77 cj7. The thing rotted out in the lower part right after the axle like yours. He got pissed and took a tortch and choped a hole in the inner part and hole sawed a hole in the rear crosmember/bumper so he could spray water and flush out the frame from the back. He did that with my 81 cj7 when he got it with 800 miles and sprayed trans fluid and undercoat on the umderside. Kept the jeep rock solid till he gave it to .y great uncle. He let it go and she rotted out but only 20 years after all the other cjs wjere im at rotted out. Currently has 1 pin hole in the frame but not bad for 39 years in salt and 20 ish of. Neglect. My 82 jeeps been off the road for 25 years and in a barn for 20 and its frame is worse than my 81 which was a daily till about 2012 then recently became my daily driver.

[@restosandrevivals4597]

Hopefully I can just cap the inner part of the frame and be good to go! lol

[@chickensfloat7427]

That frame is from a 76 to 79 cj7. It can be made to fit the other jeeps but you can tell by the axles and the extra rear crosmember next to the rear shock mount and the shorter less wide front shock mounts. The non welded tall wide front shock mounts are from 82 to 86 wide trac jeeps and 80 and ul they eliminateed that rear crosmember as my 81 cj narrow trac doesnt have it and its frame is all original and i know kts history because its been in the family since it had 800 miles. Our 77 has that extra crosmember. But our 82 and 85 cj7s dont have it either. Edit that frame might be a 1980. It has disc front brakes but has the extra crosmember. I heard from a guy who parts out jeeps that the 1980s ones have the old style 258 with a metal valve cover. So im thinking 80 had old style frame with disc front but frame was cheapened later

[@restosandrevivals4597]

I actually started a conversation on Facebook about that extra rear crossmember. From what I’ve learned they stopped using it in 1980 but it did carry over into some jeeps in 1981. I agree with everything you said about the frame unfortunately it’s the only one I could find in the last year that would get me rolling on the project again. If I happen to find a nice 1980s frame I will probably swap it to keep the jeep as original as possible.