I have just bolted my seats in to my Velocity and discovered that the floor flexes when I get in the car. Should I brace the floor or just ignore it?

Flexing isn't good so if you can reduce it somehow it is a good idea. Are the seats mounted anywhere else other than the base?

I've got the same problem on the Viento even though I bolted strengthening steel flatstock strips to the underside of the floor and then bolted the seats through those (IMO the steel floor is too thin to be the only mating surface for the seats)

What I think has happened is that when the steel panels were welded to the chassis, the stresses have put a slight bow in the floor. When I go over speed humps or particularly bumpy roads, I sometimes get a clonking as the floor springs down and then up. Structurally its ok, but can get irritating. I plan during the winter to see if I can link the stressed part of the floor to the chassis to stop this happening.
It sounds to me like you have the same problem.

Before you finish putting the seats in I would definately fix some reinforcement to stop that annoying 'pinging' of the floor and also have something more substantial to fix the seats to.

Good luck

Dave.

my viento does the same just getting in and out of it!!

My viento got some extra tubing due to the torque of the chevy. One of the places was diagonally across the floor. No flex. However, the tradeoff is a higher seating position. It could have gone across the underside and achieved the same effect though and not compromised the seating height.

I bought a pair of Westy racing seats and associated mounting frames - bolted the frames straight through the floor with big washers, etc - floor still flex's a bit when getting in and out but nothing I'm (or the SVA inspector) am bothered about....

Used a length of flat steel on top and underneath the seats on my Luego Locost . Don't have any flexing at all .

I welded a couple of bits of 25x12mm box across the floor to make it more rigid. It worked well. 25x25mm makes the seats a little higher.
Loosing those few mm makes a lot of difference.



Seat Strenghtening bars 12x25m

I thought about welding strips across the underside of the car but I have the ali sides on and it would wreck them so I have made some supports with angle iron but have yet to test them.

mine did exactly the same!

I welded two lengths of T shaped mild steel to each side and the floor is really solid now. I was going to re-powder coat the chassis anyway because the factory thickness is somewhat thin.....

I think what you mean is "crap" or at least mine is

chassis now hot zinc sprayed and re-powder coated....company I used sprays material going to the north sea so should last a few years!

I still believe that you should sandblast the chassis before powder coating or putting any coating or paint on it. It needs a well prepared surface for anything to stick to it. This is not about Luego... its any steel.

ie the old adage... its the preparation that makes the final finish what it is.

The bits on my chassis, where the surface has been ground with an angle grinder around some of the edges, and welds, the powder coating is solid, other places it just peels.. Its poor preparation, thats doing it.

SAND BLAST anything before coating it. Then it will stick to the metal.

Yes, my powdercoat is looking a bit dodgy in places too - in fact it was looking rough around the rollbar mounts before it was finished! Almost as if there was angle grinder residue on the metal before it was coated....
Anyway, back to the thread - my floor also flexed when i had the seat on a runner but when i mounted the seat directly to the floor it sorted it out. The seat is effectively acting as a stiffener. And yes, it is the heat from the welding of the floor panel that has induced the warp. Dammit. Wish i had an ally one...

Rich.

I bolted the seat through a 15mm sheet of wood to spread the load - then bolted the wood to the corners of the floor with body washers - worked a treat - lifted seat a little higher but dont really notice.

Thats why I got my chassis unpainted. I got it prepped properly and had it sprayed with 2 pack rather than powder coat.

Powder coat is ace, if done properly - but I knew the drill would slip, i'd mess things up - so opted for 2 pack - which is so easy to touch up

My floor also flexes - just eat lots of hamburgers like I did and it will be fine