Jack Plate Rust Repair, Found some Rust! Options

[warrenoliver]

While waiting for some exhaust gaskets to repair an exhaust leak, I decided it was about time to finally take off the rockers to check out the gunk that accumulated in there.
Driver's side looks excellent. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)
Passenger side initially looked good until I started poking at a lump under the paint on the lower part of the jack plate. Damn screwdriver went right through. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) . I started picking away and found that it wasn't as good as I thought. So, I started to grind away the paint and rust to find the extent of the cancer. Looks like the lower part of the plate is bad and a little of the front part of the plate is bad also. I doesn't look like that thing can be removed without cutting the fender so no way am I going there!
I have not yet ground away most of the metal on the lower part of that plate, but I will. When I look through the holes I can see the outer part of the long and it looks rusty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

I know this is not nearly as bad as many,but this is mine and I don't want rust on my car. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Now what? How agressive do I want to get with attacking this? I can certainly cut the plate away, but I do not weld and I am assuming this will have to be rewelded.
I need help with what is the next step. How much of that plate do I remove and once I remove it, and fix the crap underneath, do I just get someone to weld a patch on it? What do I do with the rust on the long, just remove and then POR15?







Warrenoliver

[jc914]

That is not that bad Mines are worse i found out yesterday. There is a thread on how to fix this.

[sww914]

You could just patch up the existing plates but that's not the right way to do it.
The right thing is to grind off all of the spot welds, fix the rust under the jack points, and weld new parts on. I'd be happy to help you but you're about 2500 miles too far away. Any bodyshop that's good at rust repair should be able to tackle it in prolly 4-6 hours.

[warrenoliver]

You could just patch up the existing plates but that's not the right way to do it.
The right thing is to grind off all of the spot welds, fix the rust under the jack points, and weld new parts on. I'd be happy to help you but you're about 2500 miles too far away. Any bodyshop that's good at rust repair should be able to tackle it in prolly 4-6 hours.

Steve,

How about if I fly you out here and let you have at it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

I figured the plate needs to come off, but how do you do that without messing up either the quarter panel or the rear door post? I can get at the lower part and the sides, but not the top of the plate. What is the secret to accessing that?

Warrenoliver

[rjames]

You may be able to just remove the lower part of the jack plate to fix the rust issues, that is if it is not to extensive. I was lucky, and only a small part of the longs had to be removed, and it was all under the lower part of the jack plate.

Some lame cell phone pics of my repair:

[r_towle]

One of the issues is that the top portion of that jack post outer bracket is welded to the top of the long.
Its not easy to get any tools up that high.

I would suggest you buy a new jack post outer bracket (or you can make your own piece) and cut off the bad portion of what you have...like the picture above.
Leave the top part of the jack post in place.
Remove enough so you can clean inside and treat that part of the long, then weld the repair piece back in place.

Now, so it wont happen again.
When installing your rocker panel covers, go to the hardware store and get a handful of 1/4 inch rubber washers. Put these washers between the rocker panel cover and the long and run the screw through both.

This holds the rocker panel away from the long and away from the jack post just enough for the crap to fall out when you aim a water hose in there.

Rich