Daddylonglegs
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:14 AM |
|
|
Floor Pan
Morning all 
I would appreciate your feelings on fitting the floor pan.
As I'm not going for sub-4 secs times (I am running a Pinto after all ) I'm going to fit a steel floor (16swg will suffice I believe?).
My question is, do I cover in the tunnel as well or not?
I guess it would be easier for servicing if I didn't.
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
|
|
|
|
|
cd.thomson
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:19 AM |
|
|
Hi JB,
The kit provided by dax doesnt cover the tunnel, so I'm not going to.
A lot of people do fit a plate over it as well though  so its up to you I suppose!
Craig
|
|
|
Mr Whippy
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:37 AM |
|
|
I'd just plate the whole bottom including the underside of the tunnel and leave the top and side tunnel panels removable to access the pipes and
propshaft
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
|
|
|
omega0684
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:45 AM |
|
|
why are you fitting a steel floor? how heavy do you want the car to be, if you are running a pinto, aka THE BOAT ANCHOR! you need to save weight in as
many other areas as possible. just use 2 ali sheets for the floor with 1/8 rivets every 2 inches and adhesive (wurth) to hold them on, as already
mentions DAX's dont cover the tunnel part and for good reason, im running a pinto and this is what ive done, and the floor hasn't fell out
yet! 
[Edited on 4/3/09 by omega0684]
|
|
|
Daddylonglegs
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:52 AM |
|
|
omega0684,
What thickness would you recommend? I am going to use RHS cross members to support the seats.
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
|
|
|
omega0684
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 10:15 AM |
|
|
IIRC mine was 2 or 3 mm, i rivetted all around the edge and then put 3 rivets across each seat member
|
|
|
Antnicuk
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 10:46 AM |
|
|
as above, use Aluminium plate, its not that much more expensive, its so much easier to work with, ie, cut and drill and it wont need painting and wont
go rusty. no matter how much you paint a steel plate floor it will go rusty.
its also half the weight.
i think the reason people dont cover the g/box tunnel is to help keep the box cool.
600 BHP per ton, Stylus Brought back from the dead! Turbo Rotary Powered!
|
|
|
big_wasa
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 04:50 PM |
|
|
If your buying a full sheet you may aswell use it
Mine is 16swg steel I still bonded and rivetted.
 
|
|
|
mr henderson
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 07:01 PM |
|
|
It's worth remembering that aluminium is lighter than steel
but
steel is stronger than aluminium, and can be welded as well
Also there are no galvanic corrosion issue when joining steel to steel
John
|
|
|
Daddylonglegs
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 08:45 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
If your buying a full sheet you may aswell use it
Mine is 16swg steel I still bonded and rivetted.
Fair Play
Is it better to bond and rivet than weld or just a matter of preference? (nice job BTW )
JB
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
|
|
|
mr henderson
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:14 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Daddylonglegs
quote:
Originally posted by big_wasa
If your buying a full sheet you may aswell use it
Mine is 16swg steel I still bonded and rivetted.
Fair Play
Is it better to bond and rivet than weld or just a matter of preference? (nice job BTW )
JB
Can't weld aluminium to steel, so it HAS to be riveted. No, it isn't better than welding.
John
|
|
|
907
|
| posted on 4/3/09 at 09:27 PM |
|
|
I used 16swg, welded in, but if I were to do another I would use 18swg (or 1.2mm).
I would then put some cross folds in it to stop the bong.
The top of my tunnel has a bits and bobs tray in it which is removable with four screws
to access the prop and hand brake so the floor covers the tunnel as well.
Cheers
Paul G
|
|
|
Daddylonglegs
|
| posted on 5/3/09 at 08:33 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
Can't weld aluminium to steel, so it HAS to be riveted. No, it isn't better than welding.
John
John,
I know you can't weld aluminium to steel, but he said he rivetted and sealed his STEEL floor pan so I was asking which method was best for that.
John
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
|
|
|
mr henderson
|
| posted on 5/3/09 at 09:06 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Daddylonglegs
quote:
Originally posted by mr henderson
Can't weld aluminium to steel, so it HAS to be riveted. No, it isn't better than welding.
John
John,
I know you can't weld aluminium to steel, but he said he rivetted and sealed his STEEL floor pan so I was asking which method was best for that.
John
You're not wrong, he did indeed say that..
I'm going to guess (as we have to without more info) that welding was still some kind of problem for him as it's difficult to imagine
someone drilling, rivetting and bonding if there was a mig welder handy (IMHO)
John
|
|
|
procomp
|
| posted on 5/3/09 at 09:32 AM |
|
|
Hi
The reason that you still rivet a STEEL floor on is because you will never get to protect in between the two areas when welding the sheet on. It is
well known that the chassis with welded steel floors have the base of the chassis tubes rotting out after a few years. This is exactly why the 750mc
recommend riveting the steel floors to the locost race cars. Especially after what was seen on some of the early cars.
If you are going to weld the floor on the ideal way is to cut the sheet so it sits inside the chassis so there is no overlap of the floor sheet and
the chassis tube. This then requires the whole of the sheet to be seemed. Not really a good idea as it distorts the chassis quite badly.
Cheers Matt
|
|
|
Daddylonglegs
|
| posted on 5/3/09 at 09:59 AM |
|
|
Sounds pretty reasonable to me Matt
BTW, know where I can get hold of some clico's cheap
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
|
|
|
big_wasa
|
| posted on 7/3/09 at 12:30 AM |
|
|
Yep, having read a few posts thats the way I went.
Welding was no problem as I welded the rest of the thing.
Its very hard to weld it in with out some distortion and the thing going boing, which I didnt want.
I could have gone with alloy but just could not get my head around the fact my arse was 2" from the tarmac on a piece of coke can 
|
|
|
MikeR
|
| posted on 7/3/09 at 12:51 AM |
|
|
Welded mine. Going to paint and put a run of silicon sealer around it as well to make sure it doesn't get water into any gaps.
|
|
|
Mark Allanson
|
| posted on 7/3/09 at 08:45 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
Welded mine. Going to paint and put a run of silicon sealer around it as well to make sure it doesn't get water into any gaps.
Don't use silicone, you cannot paint over it, use seam sealer instead. Prime it up, seal seal and then top coat.
I used 18g welded on, I have run over some pretty heavy road debris in the last 4 years with no ill effects
If you can keep you head, whilst all others around you are losing theirs, you are not fully aware of the situation
|
|
|
MikeR
|
| posted on 7/3/09 at 09:07 AM |
|
|
I did lots of calculations about steel vs ali for weight and penetration resistance. Look it up, will probably be about 5 years ago.
Its also weight VERY low down so helps performance (my excuse, i'm sticking to it).
|
|
|
stevegough
|
 posted on 13/3/09 at 09:24 AM |
|
|
Fitting the floor pan
Coming back to fitting the floor pan and covering the tunnel - just suppose you have to replace the propshaft after a while! you will have quite a
job on getting it out from above - may even be impossible without removal of the engine + gearbox. I am cheating, my chassis is already built for me
- floor pan included - but as with all 'profesional' built chassis, the underside of the tunnel is clear.
Regards.
|
|
|
