Chassis rust

Been under with a angle grinder wire wheel, priming and painting only the steel, last 3 days. Notice the frame is rusting from the inside in a couple locations. Is there supposed to be drain holes at the low points? LWB

I can't believe the amount of dirt under their even after a couple good rounds with the power washer.

I wouldn't start drilling any ad hoc holes in the chassis, just another starting point for rust. There are drain holes in the rear cross member, and some (I think) elsewhere around the main chassis. Basically the landy chassis is poorly designed in that it's a dirt trap, especially the recess in the rear cross member. Crude, dirt and dust get right into ever nook and cranny ...and it takes a lot of power cleaning to flush it out. Best treatment is black waxoyl with the applicator that can get into all those tight spaces. If there was one area on a series landy that could transform its longevity is a re-designed chassis, still on the same principles but one that is accessible and stays relatively crude free. I've been doing the same work this summer and its mazing how much ****e is stuck to the chassis, even just with normal road use. Heavy off road use requires serious chassis TLC, as well as the brakes and suspension.

What do you recommend for the fix? I was looking at it again, looks like the whole bottom strip needs to be replaced in the low sections on both sides (from gearbox mount to aft/rear), there is a couple other spots I never noticed too. All from the inside, the outside of the steel is smooth. There are some holes rotted through just above the weld on the side part of the frame. My brother in law is a good welder, and he said he can put more steel on it. I was thinking about cutting out the bottom, grinding what I can reach on the sides and welding some new steel in. I am almost clueless about welding, he said not arch welding but use gas. I am guessing the parts book will tell me how thick of steel the original is.

If I had the time, I would have stripped everything off and galvanize every steel bit. lol

If you have the funds then a galvanised chassis would be a long term solution...I'd probably just patch it up, especially seeing as your brother in law is a welder. If it gets to a stage beyond salvageable do a full rebuild onto a new chassis?

If it's that bad it'll not pass an MOT. I'm not an expert on welding but I do know it should be gas welded. Not sure on the thickness gauge of the steel but that's well known in the forum, I do not recall the parts book giving any guidance. If its pretty big sections affected that's right bugger of a job, but if you can get help from someone who knows what they're doing it can produce a good fix. The alternative I'd be looking at the replacement cost of the chassis either in whole, half or third sections which are offered by various people in the UK. TBH, the latter would be a better fix than ad hoc welding. I got the rear section done a couple of years ago, good as new (for now!).

After searching its 2.5mm, and most use 3mm plate. Thanks John, I think replacement chassis is the way to go in a few years. Its in SE Asia, but I plan to ship it to the U.S. next year in a 20ft shipping container, thats part of the reason I have been cleaning under there, to get rid of the "foreign soil". Sure is a money pit. sigh

I know of a couple places that I can possibly get a new chassis from in the States. They probably source from from the U.K. I think it would be non stop patching otherwise.