DorsetStrider
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 07:46 PM |
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Cockpit Flooring
Hiya all.
I would like some opinions on my best course of action. I'm looking at how best to secure the cockpit floor. My options as I see them are
thus...
1) Weld it. (Pro's: can do it reasonably quickly and easily. Con's: Risk of heat distortion and BONG! something I'd really like to
avoid.)
2) Rivets through chassis rails. (Pro's: easy. Con's: would have to buy tooling and rivets. Possibly compromise the integrity of the
chassis due to holes in the chassis. Swarf in chassis)
3) Rivets through flat steel brackets welded to chassis. (Pro's: maintain the integrity of the chassis. Con's: buying toolng and rivets.)
4) Rivnuts through chassis rails. (Pro's: no harder than rivets, having tools and rivnuts already, flooring can be removed if need be.
Con's Swarf in chassis rails, possible integrity issues as per rivets.)
5) Rivnuts through flat steel brackets welded to the chassis. (Pro's: no Swarf in chassis rails, flooring can be removed, nothing to purchase.
Con's: This is the most time consuming option.)
Would Mr IVA hve any issues with option 4 and 5? What are your opinions?
Thanks in advance as all opinions/guidance is, as always, very gratefully recieved.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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interestedparty
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 07:50 PM |
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Buy a rivet gun, then bond and rivet the panels to the chassis rails. Rivnuts would be crazy, you would need so many cheaper and quicker to buy a
rivet gun and do it the way everybody else does
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
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big_wasa
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 07:50 PM |
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I vote number 2
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austin man
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 07:54 PM |
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go for alluminium you will regret steel then it limits you to rivets and sealant
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 08:02 PM |
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Option 2 
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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StrikerChris
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 08:03 PM |
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Can't believe you have a rivnut tool before a rivet gun!id avoid rivnuts in the chassis myself due to the size of hole you need to drill
compared to rivets,and rivets are pennies compared to nuts.mines held in on tags welded to chassis tho.
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Hellfire
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 08:08 PM |
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Can't see any possible reason why you'd want to remove the floor at any point in the future, so I guess that would rule out rivnuts
altogether. Number 2 would be the most sensible and practical option (especially when bonded as well with PU adhesive.)
Phil
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eddie99
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 08:12 PM |
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As above, have an ally floor and bond and rivet it! Can get a cheap riveter or maybe even borrow one and rivets cost nothing. Also you'll find
riveting the floor hard work, rivnutting would be so much harder!
http://www.elitemotorsporteng.co.uk/
Twitter: @Elitemotoreng
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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PeterV
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 08:29 PM |
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For speed TEK screws and a really good quality bonding. The former makes tha later real easy. GRP floor panels just adds the icing.
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LBMEFM
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 09:27 PM |
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Option 2
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Canada EH!
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 09:35 PM |
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Or 6) Drill the holes in the steel floor and plug weld it to the chassis ( like spot welding), no more tools to buy and not much chance of distortion
if you weld the panel like torqueing a cylinder head.
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RazMan
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| posted on 12/11/10 at 10:43 PM |
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Another vote for rivets & PU adhesive - maximum strength for minimal cost.
However, honeycomb (like the F1 cars) bonded to the rails would be lighter and stronger 
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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alexg1965
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 07:09 AM |
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Option 6 - Borrow my rivet gun. I've also got loads of 4mm rivets and 4.2mm drill bits. I'm in Verwood so not too far from you. Send me a
U2U if you're interested.
Cheers Alex
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snapper
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 07:12 AM |
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quote:
GRP floor panels just adds the icing.
Worries me on a road car, something bounces up at speed under your ar5e , ooh don't bare thinking about, Ally's soft enough as it is.
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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mark chandler
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 09:38 AM |
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I did (1) originally, and cut it out to replace with (2) a few hours later on.
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 12:47 PM |
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The thinking behind hoptions 4 and 5 is thus.
It would potentially make working on the pedal box/under dash area easier down the road if the floor could be removed. Also I could replace the steel
floor (definately don't have the money for ali at the moment) with ali or even CF down the road if I wanted. I have all the tools and rivnuts
already and having done a rivnuts with the make ends meet tool I found it easier to use than a rivet gun. Also if the floor was removeable it might
(MIGHT) make seat changed easier down the road as well.
I was planning on using a silcon adhesive as well as the rivnuts.
However it would appear the general concensus is for option 2.
[Edited on 13/11/10 by DorsetStrider]
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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RK
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 01:05 PM |
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Option 2 with sikaflex, as it is the most commonly done. For reasons. Tried and true is going to be better in the long run. It's never easy
building these things, and if you can make it simpler and less stressful, you'll enjoy it more!
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PeterV
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 07:51 PM |
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quote:
Worries me on a road car, something bounces up at speed under your ar5e , ooh don't bare thinking about, Ally's soft enough as it
is.
Good GRP is faily bullet proof, quite and light. If it's not then there is a lot of bodywork out there that should be in tatters. I have a pet
hate of the noise of tin when water etc hits the floor. Also anti resonating bits of thin metal can be a pain. But thats all just personal prefrences.
Has been used for years so it can't be all bad
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interestedparty
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| posted on 13/11/10 at 09:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DorsetStrider
It would potentially make working on the pedal box/under dash area easier down the road if the floor could be removed. Also I could replace the steel
floor (definately don't have the money for ali at the moment) with ali or even CF down the road if I wanted.
I bet I could drill out a bunch of rivets faster than you could undo the same number of rivnutted bolts.
As some day it may happen that a victim must be found,
I've got a little list-- I've got a little list
Of society offenders who might well be underground,
And who never would be missed-- who never would be missed!
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DorsetStrider
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| posted on 14/11/10 at 12:00 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by interestedparty
quote:
Originally posted by DorsetStrider
It would potentially make working on the pedal box/under dash area easier down the road if the floor could be removed. Also I could replace the steel
floor (definately don't have the money for ali at the moment) with ali or even CF down the road if I wanted.
I bet I could drill out a bunch of rivets faster than you could undo the same number of rivnutted bolts.
You possibly could... but then you have even more swarf rattling around the inside of the chassis rails.
Who the f**K tightened this up!
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James
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| posted on 14/11/10 at 12:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by DorsetStrider
You possibly could... but then you have even more swarf rattling around the inside of the chassis rails.
Seriously mate, you will *not* hear any swarf whilst you drive this open top car!
I worried about it when building mine... realised how stupid I was being once I'd done a couple of miles! You're lucky not to go deaf
driving one! You have to shout to your passengers to be heard. You will not be hearing a sprinkling of ali inside the steel!
I did my floor of 1.2mm steel. I ran a couple of swage lines down each piece to stop the 'pop'.
This kinda worked.... but a painted floor sure doesn't and the paint has quickly rubbed away where my heels rub near the pedals and the steel is
now rusty.
If doing it again. I would weld thin tabs/strip down the inside of the lower chassis rails and then sit a piece of ali chequerplate inside each
footwell, then rivet to the strips.
I'd probably also bash a shallow 'sump' in the bottom the ali with a small hole in it to let water collect in and drain out!
HTH,
James
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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