Hi all, I've got this rust on the underside of my HiJet frame. A blacksmith friend suggested I bolt 5/16" stainless-steel sheet metal over it (bent 90 degrees to cover side and bottom) with about 6 bolts on each side to repair it. Any thoughts on that approach?
Clean it out really well first, and see if that's the only spot like that. Is it possible to bolt to that? I think welding might be a better option
On either side of the rust, yes, there's room to bolt to the frame. Blacksmith said sometimes the welding can impact the straightness of the frame, causing other problems?
I think a good welder will have no problem welding that. However, if it's this bad in one spot, is it any better further down? I would do extensive testing of the rest of the frame. Either way, no point in welding or bolting to rust
I would cut the rust out and make a patch to fit of the same gauge mild steel. Many Kei truck frames are only 1/16” making patches pretty easy to form. Tractor Supply has small sheets of different metal at a reasonable cost. Then butt weld the patch in place going in spots here, there and back. This will prevent too much heat in any one area and stop warping. Grind the welds flat, automotive prime any bare metal. Scuff the patch with some 400 grit sandpaper and paint the entire patch and slightly beyond with some semi gloss white Rust Oleum. It will be good as new and unnoticeable if done well. Steve
Not trying to reinvent the wheel here, as I've done similar, repairs in more ways than I can remember, but the main goal is to fix the problem, and prevent further weakness of the frame! Correct? With that in mind, clean as was suggested, thou rally, without destroying the integrity of what's there. Evaluate, as we're doing from the pics we're viewing, up close. If you clean it down to the bare metal, and then coat it with a premium primer, anti rust, material. Then in my opinion, you can re brace, support what's there without loosing the original integrity of the structure you're trying to rectify. If you cut a section out, you have to temporarily support what's there, otherwise you can create unforeseen problems with the original, structural integrity of the frame, causing yourself all kinds of problems and aggravation, not to mention, a lot more $$$ and time invested! IMHO! It's a lot easier to descale and repair than to rebuild the whole thing. If it we're mine I would do as I suggested above, and clean the rest of the frame and undercoat with a encapsulate paint from Eastwood, as I have done to my frame! For my money the stuff works great, and dries on as a paint, and seals out rust and other possible problems down the road! Limestone
The only problem with treating, bracing and/or bolting/welding patches over the area is resale. Bulges disformed metal or bolted/welded panels over and around the problem area will have most buyers running to a vehicle without these issues. That’s why I suggested cutting out only the bad metal in a section and patching that alone. In this case, only the bottom part and a little of the sides seem bad. The solid part of the other three section of the frame there will hold its shape while repairing the forth. I have been importing, repairing and selling these trucks for the past several years. I know frame integrity is one of the first things buyers crawl under these trucks to determine. If you never plan to resell it, then any repair method mentioned will be fine.
