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Floor Replacement


Go to solution Solved by Los_Control,

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Posted

Good morning 

 

I have purchased replacement floor pans for my 51’ Dodge. The floors had been replaced/ patched before. Can anyone post some pictures of your front cab mounts (original). I don’t have enough of the original metal to know how they should be. 

  • Solution
Posted

Not a great picture.... You can get the general idea.  Basically just a flat plate .... maybe 16 gauge? Has the ends folded over to ad rigidity. And welded to the floor pan.

I figure you can get the measurements of where to put it from your truck ...... If you need measurements let me know.

 

 

IMG_20231203_165011_20CS.jpg.beb744e50f1e2105516174e31a8d75f4.jpg

 

 

 

 

IMG_20231203_165030.jpg.edf980eabf647d3717d514b2314c0513.jpg

 

 

 

  • 2 months later...
Posted

Thank you! This is my first time doing a floor replacement but the truck has had many. I think I’m 1/8th” out of level side to side. Trying to decide if I should cut my welds from the pillar to the floor and try to fix it. 

Posted

My first time also. I think what matters is your end goal for the truck .... Will it be a 100 point show vehicle? .... I doubt it since it is your first floor replacement.

 

This is also my first floor replacement .... my goal is for it to be rust free, painted and I want to drive the wheels off of it. .... Use it as a work truck scratching up the paint in the bed and not care about it. ...... So what is your goals?

 

I made a first time mistake installing my floor.

IMG_20240224_165918.jpg.110a06e127e24b0edbcef9d25b0d03c9.jpg

 

You can see where I cut out the floor pan, the upper level relaxed and bowed. I did not catch it and welded the pan in this way.

Now with the seat base in, you can really see the bow. .... sits flush on the ends, big gap in the middle.   .... Next time I promise to do better.

I'm not going to beat myself up over it and use it as it is.

First I will see how close I can get it using bolts and sucking it down tight .... then I will use washers or shims to be sure it is tight ..... I have 16 grade 5 bolts going into the seat base & floor and will use the base for my seat belt attachment point. I will trust my life on it and it will be fine. .... The base is still straight across the top, will never feel it in your butt.

The floor has a small wow to it .... will never feel it in your feet ..... nobody needs to look at it ...... So it just depends on what you want to do.

 

I like to watch a clown on Youtube weld in body panels,  Just amazing to me how he can take a car apart and fix it using basic tools most of us have in our garage.

His last car was a 1967 camaro .....  Was fun too watch how much rust he found as he dug into it deeper .... within 6-8 weeks he had  replaced every panel on that car.

He was really good at pointing out the differences between the factory sheet metal and the modern replacement panels.

Point was, the original metal was not great as if there was no real quality control on the assembly line .... there were original panels way out of specs when you measured them. ..... We all knew body panel fitment was never good in the 30, 40's, 50's .... he proved not much better in the 60's.

 

So when you say one side is 1/8" out ..... fix it if you need to, just your choice. ..... These old cars were never that exact in the first place.

 

My example is a flat out mistake on my part .... I'm comfortable living with it and promise to do better next time.

 

Posted
7 minutes ago, RobRobitaille said:

My seat in that area is different. It was spot welded to that edge 

I understand that totally.

I did cut the brazing out and removed my seat base ..... I did not have a lower seat to put back in it.

Now my seat base is heavily modified, flipped upside down & backwards ... Has several supports welded into it for bucket seats and seat belts ...... I doubt anyone has a seat like mine. ..... But it started out as a original 48-50 pilothouse seat base.

 

It still is flat and straight across the top & bottom, is the floor that changed in my case.

Posted

More than likely, Dodge transitioned to spot welding sheet metal seams because once the welder is dialed in, spot welding goes very fast and makes for a strong sheet metal weld joint.  So as long as your repair welds are of good quality and not of excessive length to cause warping, then the new weld joint should be OK :cool:

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