I've got some nice ali tread plate to use as my floor. I'm going to bond it with polyurethane adhesive and rivet as is the norm.
The plate is 2mm thick with treads standing perhaps another 2mm proud of the surface. Do I glue and rivet this straight on the same as a flat ali
floor (and use enough adhesive to fill up the gap)? Or do I need to grind off the treads along the lines of the chassis tubes so that there is a flush
mating surface between the floor and the tubes?
Grinding off the treads would be quite a lot of ballache so I'm hoping I can stick it straight on... just not sure if that will give me a strong
enough bond.
TIA
Adam
what is it patterned on both sides?
It is a ballache, ive done it, i found 9" grinder with slitting disc best tool for the job, most other things just clog up or melt the alloy. It is obviously the best way to do it, but whether its necessary or not, i wouldnt like to say. I suppose you could shear rivets if there was a gap, but does the chassis really flex that much??
As you say it will be a big job grinding it just sikaflex /tiger sealer / and rivets then put a beed around the inside to finish off
Jacko
Personally I would grind the mating surface flat to make sure of a good contact area - otherwise you might find that the panel distorts due to the differing gaps when you nip up the rivets
if you're bothered about the structural rigidity, why are you using chequer plate?
just get plenty of sika on so you don't get any water ingress.
tom
Cut off enough to fit in the footwell and sell on the rest.Buy a noce smoothe piece for the floor save a load of bother. Fit the pieces into the footwell on top.
The floor adds significant stiffness to the chassis. I would imagine if you don't grind the treads off and have a thick layer of PU a lot of this
benefit will be lost.
Someone once told me the diamond discs for grinding stone are good on ali, no experience myslef though so might be bull!
Just mark where the chassis will touch and hammer it flat. The sikaflex will then touch 100%
Grinding will remove metal and weaken it off.
quote:
Originally posted by indykid
if you're bothered about the structural rigidity, why are you using chequer plate?
I think that he means that the raised patterns make it impossible (without modification) to be securely fastened. Because of that, much of its
strength will be lost.
I agree it's structurally better to use regular aluminum for the floor, reserving smaller pieces of the tread plate for where you want it pretty.
A flap disk will remove the treads quickly and more neatly than a grinding disc (and without risk of a disc exploding due to aluminium contamination - rare but nasty).
As Ian said, never use grinding discs on soft metals (ali, copper etc), they can explode, with dire consequences.
Flap wheels or power files.
OK thanks everyone for confirming my thoughts... I've already ordered a stock of flap discs so will get these on to the job.
quote:
Originally posted by kb58
I think that he means that the raised patterns make it impossible (without modification) to be securely fastened. Because of that, much of its strength will be lost.
daft question - couldn't you silkaflex the panels on and then drill / rivet where the tops of the checker plate touch the chassis?
Surely that is identical to normal riveting ali as you're bonding a touching bit with the chassis + you've got the silkaflex helping hold it
on & the added strength of the pattern in the ali plate?
Or have i missed something damned obvious like usual?
No you haven't missed anything obvious, it's complexed, hard to explain and the few how know anything on the subject usually stay away from threads like this, because the facts are so uncomfortable you rather not hear them. If you want something that works structurally, welded in a steel floor.
quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
daft question - couldn't you silkaflex the panels on and then drill / rivet where the tops of the checker plate touch the chassis?
Surely that is identical to normal riveting ali as you're bonding a touching bit with the chassis + you've got the silkaflex helping hold it on & the added strength of the pattern in the ali plate?
Or have i missed something damned obvious like usual?
I can't believe you'd go to so much trouble, when theres so little difference in price.
By the time youve worn out your drill and 10 flapwheels you may as well have saved 1/2 a days work, no?
ReMan, I don't follow... difference in price between what and what?
quote:
Originally posted by AdamR
ReMan, I don't follow... difference in price between what and what?
Aha. Well I got the sheet of treadplate for next to nothing off of ebay some time ago. Therefore it would get significantly more expensive if I went
and bought a plain sheet for the job.
Plus I want the treadplate effect and I don't like the idea of using two bits of metal where one will do.
Plus an hour in the garage wearing out my tools is my idea of fun. 
Good for you Adam!
Another couple of points about thread plate is, when the nice shiny surface wears off it looks crap and is hard to clean or shine up again, also it is
very hard to get a neat seal around the inside of the car.
Believe me I have had to try to clean sealer off thread plate in cold rooms and it's not pretty.
Stick to the plain sheet and put a bit of the thread plate in at you feet if you like the look!!
Tend to agree with using a flat Ali sheet, then a small section of you plate where you want it..
The plate you have is so pricey I would sell what you don't need should more than cover the cost of the new sheet...
Dan
Holy Thread resurrections!!!
A little bit late to the party here.
I have Diamond tread plate abot 2.4 mm thick or something, I got it for next to nothing also and was thinking on installing it with the anti slip
facing the tarmac (Nonsense??) Maybe that way you donŽt have to bother grinding the treads where they meet the Chassis tubes. But I have just
remembered that prior to my 4 year building hiatus I got them drilled all round.
chances aare that the zillion rivet holes will not match if I flip the tread plate nor tue angles on the front part of my floor planks - i have one
for driver and one for passenger.
So it looks that I will be using 4-1/3 Laminated discs to grind the diamonds and carry on with original plan.
Eventually IŽll post Tipe of disk, Grit, and performance, this for future reference to "Novice" builders...
I am back to building, and will be posting more often again...
Hail all Locostbuilders.
AA