Floor patch weld question?

cj112674 · 12-30-09, 07:36 AM

I got the front pass. side pan cut almost to size last night and I'm trying to fit it tighter now. Do you guys spot weld your patches or butt, or even stitch (without warping)? I'm having issues getting it to fit tight against the old floor to spot it in so I'm thinking I'm going to have to use a floor jack for some minor up pressure to get a tight fit. Should I trim the piece to fit exaclty in the cut out and just weld it solid, would be kinda hard to hold it in place and weld it at the same time. It's mostly the pass. side floor section under your feet to the mid section or so under the seat. 40x30 or so.

The Chief · 12-30-09, 09:22 AM

its a structural member so it needs seam welding. Work in small areas at a time to eliminate the warping. Last floor i did i tacked in place and then worked around beading about 1-2" at a time moving around the panel leaving a gap until all was welded.

Check the welding videos mike posted up he shows the technique of weld skip weld

cj112674 · 12-31-09, 06:50 AM

ya, im a pretty good welder with a full pack of bubble yum, so we'll see... no..lol..that's what i figured was a full bead all around, just need an extra set of hands to help hold it in place to get a few tacks on it.

starchief1959 · 12-31-09, 06:57 AM

Welding magnets are your friend.

Chuck · 01-03-10, 05:39 PM

I'm a butt weld kinda guy!

starchief1959 · 01-04-10, 06:31 AM

I picked up some butt weld clamps this weekend at Harbor Freight for $5 (set of 8). That's what I'm going to use on my floor pans.

Chuck · 01-04-10, 06:56 AM

Those are pretty sweet for the price.

starchief1959 · 01-04-10, 07:05 AM

I figured for that price and what they are it was a great deal. Even if they are Harbor Freight. Nothing to go wrong with them.

poncho1961 · 01-04-10, 08:55 AM

I've got a set of those. A mess o welding clamps and magnets from there also. The clamps are actually as nice as the vise grip brand that I have and about 1/4 the price. Can't have too many clamps.

Chuck · 01-04-10, 01:18 PM

whats real nice about stuff like that from Harbor Frieght is that if you do destroy them in out like 5 bucks.

Mr. HARDCORE · 01-04-10, 09:55 PM

Welding clamps and magnets? What a bunch of girls.

You guys probably use gloves and wear a helmet too.

Mr. HARDCORE · 01-05-10, 05:40 PM

LOL! you guys are just no fun anymore.

I used to get at least someone riled with shit like that. Now? No one falls for it.

mikeb · 01-06-10, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.X.

You guys probably use gloves and wear a helmet too.

While I do like the tan I get not wearing gloves and a helmet, setting my hair on fire is starting to get old

starchief1959 · 01-06-10, 02:50 PM

That's what I was doing. Had sto start wearing a hat.

poncho1961 · 01-08-10, 02:11 PM

The clamps are for my nipples, not welding. Jeeesh, some people just don't get it.

Chuck · 01-09-10, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.X.

LOL! you guys are just no fun anymore.

I used to get at least someone riled with shit like that. Now? No one falls for it.

Kinda like radiation exposure we are used to you.

Mr. HARDCORE · 01-09-10, 12:20 PM

LOL! Anyway, back the the seriousness of this thread....

Overlapped panels are no stronger than a regular butt weld, unless they are welded at both the top and bottom seams. This is usually not possible on most cars, but may be on the floor pans. A butt weld is a cleaner looking repair, and is more than strong enough for your floor pans. Warpage on the floor pans is not a big deal, so you can lengthen your welds to about 1/2-1 inch, then space them about 4 inches apart. Then go back and fill them in as it cools. I would spot the panel in place first every 6 inches or so, then increase the lengths of my welds as I progress, until the entire seam is welded up. Your floor pans will then be solid as new. You'll then want to clean the welds and apply something to protect them from rust as soon as they cool down. Do this on the top and the bottom to prevent future rust outs. You can use paint or POR or Bedliner or whatever you want. Personally, I would just prime them for now until I have everything ready for paint. It's important to keep the flash rust off, so a spraybomb can of auto primer would do the trick. Make sure you coat the inside of the pans just like the outside with whatever you are going to coat them with. the reason for this is that most floor pans rust from the inside out, due to leaks from the glass or wet carpet and padding. So it's important to seal the inside just as much as the outside. The outside will get air, and dry out quicker. The inside will be wet for longer periods, so coat them good. Rubberized undercoating works too. I like the bedliner coating on floor pans, though.