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PostPosted: June 17, 2018, 4:00 pm 
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Joined: May 24, 2016, 7:38 pm
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I have talked to friends who are mechanical engineers (2) Asked them the best way to attached the floor to the chassis.

Got two identical replies:

One; yes welding will make the chassis stiffer thus improving handling of the car with a powerful engine.
Full perimeter welding and space welding on the inside tubes to floor 4 to 6 " space.

Two; Yes the use of rivets (structural rivets) combine with structural adhesive will make the chassis stiff and safe.
For a production of chassis this would be the best way to go due to the amount of time saved.

Also rivets should be space about 2 to 3" or bit more when using structural adhesive combine with rivets.

I have not decided which way I will use on my build.


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PostPosted: June 17, 2018, 9:13 pm 
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Welding is a whole lot cheaper than rivets. And some of those adhesives have a stout price tag, too.

On the flip side, a welded floor means you have a thin gap on one side that can collect water and rust.


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PostPosted: June 17, 2018, 9:31 pm 
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Location: ontario
[quote=

I have not decided which way I will use on my build.[/quote]


On both my builds I have made a sheet steel floor and welded the perimeter. Welds about every 2 inches. I believe that this is the most effective (time. cost, strength)way to deal with the floor. :)


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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 7:25 am 
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TRX wrote:
Welding is a whole lot cheaper than rivets. And some of those adhesives have a stout price tag, too.

On the flip side, a welded floor means you have a thin gap on one side that can collect water and rust.


Not if you brush a rubberised automotive under carriage protective layer strategically. It is a rather thick sticky product designed to seal seems. This is what I have done under my first seven, ten years later I am yet to see any rust or water penetration :)


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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 9:57 am 
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@phil

Did you apply it between the floor and the side rails when joining them, or put it on top of the floor/rail join after they were riveted?

I'm actually thinking about coating the join after welding, which is the way I've decided to go myself. I've thought of pick-up bed coatings, etc., but I'm completely open as those products tend to be expensive and are usually a hard plastic.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 11:14 am 
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My car was continuously welded on the outside edges and stitch welded on the inner edge and cross ties. I then caulked the inner seams using regular paintable house caulk and painted the frame with Rustoleum. I never looked back.


Oh, BTW, caulk all the upper edges where the side panels meet the frame members too. Stones find their way into everything. Once a stone gets in there, it is virtually impossible to get out and can telegraph itself to the outside surface, showing an outward dimple over time.

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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 3:12 pm 
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[quote="Lonnie-S"]@phil

Did you apply it between the floor and the side rails when joining them, or put it on top of the floor/rail join after they were riveted?

/quote]


I welded the floor and since my walls are also sheet steel, I welded the walls too.
I brushed the floor seams with a product called Dominion sure seal LTD 500001. It is a grey rubber based product quite pasty which leaves a strong film over the seams. I did not treat the tubes , just the seams. I believe that Eastwood describes how to use a similar product in a video and does not suggest that the metal underneath should be treated :)


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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 5:44 pm 
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TRX wrote:
On the flip side, a welded floor means you have a thin gap on one side that can collect water and rust.
Only if you do thing the easy way and use a single piece floor. :wink:

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PostPosted: June 18, 2018, 6:23 pm 
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I have used steel, a 1 piece floor, had nightmares about sealing the floor. Anxiety attacks, cold sweats, nerves.
I used 25 year paintable caulking after stitch welding the floor, seal it up water tight I said to myself.

Then after driving the 7 a while, I drilled 1/2" holes through the water tight floor to drain the water out when you get caught in the rain when you are cruisin' :cheers:

On my 3rd 7 build I didn't worry about sealing the floor, don't know why...............

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PostPosted: June 19, 2018, 7:55 am 
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The Slotus has a full belly pan. "Flat floor for aero!"... Yeah, right...

We used some kind of caulk/adhesive from sLowe's, seems like it was a LocTite product and then about 12 gajillion aircraft-type "Cherry" rivets.
Attachment:
10 19 11 Th Spooge-Meister.jpg
You can see Earl applying the spooge and a pile of rivets and the pneumatic rivet gun in the background.

Soon afterwards, I realized that anything spilled inside the car, like antifreeze or gasoline or wash water couldn't get out! I went around drilling drain holes in strategic places. But for sure the frame rail/floor intersection is sealed up and shouldn't rust, at least not any faster than the owner does... :mrgreen:

YMMV, all IMHO, my .03 (inflation)... Etc, etc.
:cheers:
JDK


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PostPosted: June 19, 2018, 2:26 pm 
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My plan is to get several floor pan drain plugs from assorted cars at my local wrecker & put them in. If the car, for some reason, ever got left out in the rain, I don't want to start my own "car pool" :roll:

Because I have several cross-brace tubes in the frame (across the floor area), I'm going to need about 8 of those plugs so I can drain all of the individual areas.

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PostPosted: June 19, 2018, 11:12 pm 
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I just drilled a ~3/16" hole in the right rear corner of each section of the floor. I figure if I get caught in the rain I can just jack the LF corner, or park on a piece of wood to drain. If it's a dry-weather car, why bother with plugs? Don't have to worry about exhaust fumes coming through...... :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: June 19, 2018, 11:41 pm 
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Rain? Where do you get that stuff? We have no rain here. Sunshine - yes. Fog - yes. Rain - no.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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PostPosted: June 20, 2018, 1:40 am 
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Lonnie-S wrote:
Rain? Where do you get that stuff? We have no rain here. Sunshine - yes.


We have to come visit you guys, next thing you'll say is that you don't get any snow either :D

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"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle


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PostPosted: June 20, 2018, 11:35 am 
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horchoha wrote:
We have to come visit you guys, next thing you'll say is that you don't get any snow either :D


For sure come visit. We actually don't have snow here either, but we can see it from here during some parts of the year on Mt. Palomar and Mt. Baldy. It's the best kind of snow to have. You go up for a day, have fun, and leave it behind for someone else to shovel.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


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