Ok guys , as promised here a re a few pic of the frame now that the body is off so you can get a better look at the damage.If you don't flush the crud out of the frame every once ina while , this could happen to you too.The thing with this rot is it starts from the inside , so you don't notice it , and once you do , its too late , the frame is not fixable , no matter how good you are at welding <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> My advice to anyone , is if your in doubt about your frames condition , check it with a hammer or a screwdriver , make sure you can't poke a hole in it , if you can , get it checked to see if its fixable still , if its not , look for a good frame and do a complete swap like I am doing.

As you look at the pics , you will see a few spots where the frame is broken , missing parts of it , or has big holes in it.You'll see what I mean right away as you look closely.




















So , after reading this post , I hope I inspire at least a few of you to check your frames.Don't get to the point where you have to do a big project like me , although I did make it bigger while doing lots of other stuff at the same time.Its a lot easier to do everything as you go and have it all done at once. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Amazing! Usually when I have seen frames like that, everything else is rusted also. You body doesn't look to bad, the axle looks to be in good shape . . . amazing.

ahhhh.....that sweet salty air!

Damn!!! Looks like it is time for a tube frame truggy lay out huh? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hey Barak,
I am in Victoria, BC on the Island too. My 88 Troop has a bit of lower body rust, but the frame is in good shape. I can't believe how nasty yours is. It must have spent some time somewhere close to the ocean (Tofino) or where there is lots of road salt used. I will definitely check my frame over again.
Where are you on the island?
My 88 has been reserected lately. Rebuilt motor as the head needed to be done; Did bottom end too. AMC head installed. New heater core, still an IFS but new seals, bushings, ball joints, tie rods all around.
Cya, Grant.

That won't be necessary... I could take my contacts out and stand 30' away from my computer screen and still tell that your frame is FUBAR'd <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> My frame is pretty rusty from all of the road salt they dump during the winter. This post is good inspiration to give it a quality once-over. Kinda scared what I might find, now <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Holy Cow, I am surprised the whole thing didn't collapse on you with a good bump!

You're very lucky to have avoided a serious accident.

It looks like you rinsed off the road salt every couple of days by driving it in the ocean.

As I have been laying under the Trooper installing the Teralows, I have been looking at all the rust. Bad as it looks, it is nothing like that!

There are definitely some areas that look ready to fold up on you...

Well , I can honestly say this frame wasn't ruined by road salt , as I have had many vehicles and never anything this bad <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> The problem was the guy that had it before used it almost every day to drive about 30 miles on a muddy road , and never flushed the frame.The inside of the frame had about a hundred pounds of mud , caked in there so hard it was like rock.And with that mud just sitting in there , it rotted the frame from the inside out , so you would never know untill it started to show.

Yes , the frame did snap on a bump , both sides of the driver side leaf spring , there was nothing left to hold it on <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> It was basicaly being held there by the body , and before I took the body off , the driver side sat about 3-4 inches lower than the passenger side.

Hey moondawg , if your ever down this way let me know.I am hoping to have my truck all done in the near future so I can go out and play.