Symptoms
Soft floors, rot in the rear bed corners, wheel wells and rockers, and a tailgate rusting around its seal and hardware.
The fix, step by step
- Cut back to clean metal and weld in replacement panels.
- Jeep-CJ.com warns that patching over rust only creates more rust.
- Replace the body-mount bushings and tailgate seal while the truck is apart, then seam-seal and paint.
- If the tub is too far gone, Omix makes a complete steel tub kit for 1981–86 Scramblers.
Tools & part numbers
- Cut-off wheel
- MIG welder
- clamps
- seam sealer
Where to buy the parts
Key Parts half floor pan, 1976–95 CJ-7/CJ-8/YJQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
OMIX 12001.18 steel body tub kit, 1981–86 CJ-8 ScramblerQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Crown 5454025K tailgate kit, 1976–86 CJ-7/CJ-8Quadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Crown J5457112 tailgate seal, 1976–86 CJ-7/CJ-8Quadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.