New Floor install tips....

I am about to weld in all new floors to my 73, and wondered if there was anyone who had done and had any tips?

So far I have stripped out the old floors, ground away all the spot welds, took advantage of the open space to clean up and paint the frame with POR15, painted the center of the floor supports even though they are galvanized.

I bought the replacement floor kit from WildHorses, you can see the pieces test fitted in the pictures on my website, link below.

I am planning on welding in the front half, then tackling the back half, I bought a replacement rear floor as well but figure that I should get some of the floor back in before I cut any more out.

I am planning on having the new floor just install on top of the edges by the doors, don't see an easy way to get the floor under them without a big effort.



more pictures of progress so far are at

www.addictionmotorsports.com/bronco.htm

follow the floor repair link.

Planning on doing this over the long weekend.

thanks

Jim

I did it, but not to the extent you are doing it. They are pretty simple and straight forward welds, just get all the seams so that water doesn't get back in to them and rust them out again. No big tricks because they are all flat panels, which makes working on an EB a whole lot easier than other folks who restore cars.

I replaced both floorboards a few months ago. I drilled out small holes to make spot welds and welded from the top to weld to all the supports. I hate welding over my head so I tried to do this from the top as much as possible. It helps if you hit one spot and then skip to a different area when welding. If you do one after the next in the row they will pop when the welds cool. At least thats what happened to me using a mig.

You might want to consider using body epoxy instead of welds. A lot of body panel work these days are being done with epoxy. If holds just a s well or better than a weld and doesn't create a spot that will start rusting. Weld spots are often the location of galvanic rusting even if the seams are sealed. The epoxy can also be used to seal the seams. There are write ups on doing entire body panels that way.

Good luck on your project, just food for thought.

>-

Addiction....

How did the floor turn out?

Seabronc said:

You might want to consider using body epoxy instead of welds. A lot of body panel work these days are being done with epoxy. If holds just a s well or better than a weld and doesn't create a spot that will start rusting. Weld spots are often the location of galvanic rusting even if the seams are sealed. The epoxy can also be used to seal the seams. There are write ups on doing entire body panels that way.
Good luck on your project, just food for thought.

>-

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Outstanding Chief, more power to ya. I only say this because I've twice replaced an entire 78/79 floorpan and I won't *ever* touch a job like it again. The first time I fabricated the entire thing from scratch and installed it with about 2000 pop rivets (and whomever owns that truck today has my most sincere apologies. They can mail me flaming bags of dog$hit and it's ok, I deserve it for what I did to that truck) The SECOND truck I did with properly purchased floorpans and a stickwelder. Truth be told it didn't come out much better but after I used a MIG to patch all the holes I blew in the thing it wasn't so bad, but still, I won't ever do another one. That's the kind of job I'm willing to PAY someone for. I'm just not willing to embarass myself like I used to. I have children now so there's a certain image to maintain). Welders are great for all sorts of projects and you just can't beat having one when you're on the trail but *anything* you can do to avoid using one is a good thing.

After spending a good 100+ (and that's PLUS as in a good deal MORE than 100 hours) sitting in the tub with a stick & then a MIG I have nothing but respect for anyone willing to tackle the same job but I would *strongly* (and when I say that I'm jumping up & down) suggest you listen to SeaBronc and ck out the whole adhesive angle. If it had been available back then I probably wouldn't be as emotionally scarred and scared of welders as I am. Take a good look at it. Just my $0.02 and the advise is only worth what you paid for it, beyond that anyone who knows anything will tell you I'm just mad & angry about f*cking up several perfectly good trucks along the path to learning what you should & *shouldn't* do.

addiction said:

I am about to weld in all new floors to my 73, and wondered if there was anyone who had done and had any tips?
So far I have stripped out the old floors, ground away all the spot welds, took advantage of the open space to clean up and paint the frame with POR15, painted the center of the floor supports even though they are galvanized.

I bought the replacement floor kit from WildHorses, you can see the pieces test fitted in the pictures on my website, link below.

I am planning on welding in the front half, then tackling the back half, I bought a replacement rear floor as well but figure that I should get some of the floor back in before I cut any more out.

I am planning on having the new floor just install on top of the edges by the doors, don't see an easy way to get the floor under them without a big effort.

View attachment 5059

more pictures of progress so far are at

www.addictionmotorsports.com/bronco.htm

follow the floor repair link.

Planning on doing this over the long weekend.

thanks

Jim

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