Hi there,

Searched for answers on this...

Just finished welding in my floor based upon the lightweight tunnel. Started off nice and flat but no more.

I have tried heating the high spots to cherry red, all that has done is made it worse so this method of shrinking has failed.

My only thoughts now are wacking some creases across the floor to shrink it a bit. Anyone done this ?

Regards Mark

I had exactly the same trouble, tried all sorts, the final solution for me was to cut the steel floor out, dress the chassis rails back smooth, and rivet in a aluminium floor.

If nothing else, it makes the chassis lighter.

Probably not want you want to here, but I’m glad that I cut mine out, even though in took a day with a 9 inch angle grinder, loads of noise & dust.

The Baron
I

I welded mine - and got the warps. Eventually I got rid of the 'bongs' when I glued the rubber mat down.

I was bothered when I first did the job - now I don't care!

David

Mines the same, im thinking of placing a couple of small angle iron stips or evan thick ish flats horizontally across the worst bits.

If you,ve all suffered then I,m in good company

I was heading for an Ali floor until the post last week where it was highlighted that a steel floor was required to race (incase I get the urge).

My current plan is to get a bit of angle, tack it in place then beat the metal into the V then remove. This should in theory stretch the floor and add stiffness without adding weight.

The warpage problem is only where the seats will sit so is not really noticable unless you look under the car. I just want to achieve the best finish I can.

Regards Mark

thats sounds like an interesting idea, i think i might try adding a few swage lines before welding more stuff onto it

If you tack two flat strips, say 12mm apart, to one piece of heavy angle.....

Tack a length of 6mm dia rod to another piece of angle...

Match drill the two together, at the ends, so the rod lines up with the gap in the strips.


Drill two matching holes in the floor, and bolt the angles, one either side of the floor, and do up the bolts.
It should form a swage.

Fill up the holes in the floor, or leave as drain holes.

Hope you followed that.


Maybe ?????


Paul G

[Edited on 19/3/06 by 907]

Sounds a much better way than the hammering I had planned. I was concerned about only locally loading the floor and ending up with something worse.

I,ll try this next weekend and see what happens.

Cheers Mark

Sounds a much better way than the hammering I had planned. I was concerned about only locally loading the floor and ending up with something worse.

I,ll try this next weekend and see what happens.

Cheers Mark

so what is better? riveting or welding the floor to the chassis?
is a riveted floor as strong as a welded one? i just fear the moment when the floor just drops down while driving!!!

i would prefer riveting the floor. but if welding is safer.... say no more

bonded and rivetted floor is no more likely to drop out than a welded one, don't worry about it.

Hi mark you mentiond steel floor so you can race. you only need a steel floor for locost racing am i right in thinking you got a bec in witch case use a riveted ali floor as the regs for rgb dont require steel floor.

cheers matt

You should be able to shrink it if you heat with a propane torch to orange and and cool quickly with a damp rag. Do this in the places that are bulging and you should be able to plll it tight again.
Dale

I have two 25mm tube running the length of driver and passenger floor sections welded in. Placed in the middle of each section it stiffens it and takes bumps out. They are tapered at each end and blanked with plate.
Alex

Failed miserably to flatten the floor so cut the bugger out, did not take that long so a nice sheet of Ali is to replace it.

Not all was lost, I salvaged the TX tunnel !

A steel floor will always ping once welded on unless extra ribs are either formed in the sheet like that on production cars or extra tubes added here there and everywhere to support it......or use heavier guage.

So ali floor everytime or rivet the steel one on if you are going Locost racing.

To stop the warping of the metal you have to use heat paste, very effective and weld a tiny bit in one place then a tiny bit in another, then another place and so on moving along the join then back to next to the first place you welded. This however doesn't produce a "nice looking" weld but can be done neatly if practiced, but it will stop the metal warping, its how new panels are fitted to cars after accidents, ie new quarters/sills etc.

Hope that helps

Mark

Won't that heat paste contaminate the weld?

Another advantage with stainless!

Quench each stitch with ice cold water

Paul G

quote:

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Originally posted by Broadside Motorsport
To stop the warping of the metal you have to use heat paste, very effective and weld a tiny bit in one place then a tiny bit in another, then another place and so on moving along the join then back to next to the first place you welded. This however doesn't produce a "nice looking" weld but can be done neatly if practiced, but it will stop the metal warping, its how new panels are fitted to cars after accidents, ie new quarters/sills etc.

Hope that helps

Mark

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If I remember I'll get the name of it off the container when I go into work tomorrow. It won't contaminate the weld as you place it a few cm from where you are welding. It comes with instructions anyway but works well, will even stop a roof skin warping whan fitting a full quarter to a car!

Why would a roof skin warp when you fit a quarter panel?

Frost sell this , it sounds like what you mean. I find that when the floor bongs it just needs a few stomps with my riggers on to stop it