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I am replacing my floor pans with some OEM style pans from wildhorses. I would like to butt weld for a clean original look. Has anyone used this method or are most people lapping it over existing sheet metal and using spot welds and seam sealer?
I plug welded all of mine in place, but I removed the complete floor pans front to back and cleaned up the support braces underneath and then plug welded the pans to the braces. The floors were set up for some overlapping when installing them, so not quite sure which areas you are referencing for butt or lap.
I will spot/plug weld on the rocker and floor supports but am unsure whether to lap over the metal on the tunnel and where the sheet metal goes up on the seat platforms as well as toward the firewall. My rust wasn't bad so my wild horse pans go toward the firewall about 6 inches.
I would lap them by about 1/2 inch. Spot weld every inch then go back and continuous weld the whole pan in. just spot welds only will let moisture in under your carpet. There's no surefire way to cut out the old floor pan and the new panels to fit so close as to make a good joint for butt welding. Clean up your welds with a flapdisc and seal the lap from underneath with non hardening seam sealer.
Might be hard to see but this is how I laid them out before plug welding them. I overlapped the onto the tunnel. It would be awfully time consuming and difficult to butt weld. I will be using a bunch of seam sealer......
At the tunnel, rear rise and firewall I butt welded mine to look more fiinshed and original. Think about why the truck rusted in the first place, usually where 2 seams overlapped. No matter how you prep or treat, eventually moisture will collect.
on my next project i'm planning to use 3m panel adhesive on all the spots i overlap. the plan is to use self tapping screws to hold them in place and then spotweld the holes shut after the panel adhesive cures. the panel adhesive should help keep moisture out.
The correct way is to spot weld them in. Prime then use seam sealer. The seam sealer they used 40+ years ago isn't todays seam sealer. The seam sealer we use today is 100 times better. It doesn't crack and shrink like the OEM sealer.
Mavereq, you can use panel adhesive and the small self tapping screws but I wouldn't weld the holes up. If you use small screws just seam seal over them. If you weld them the adhesive will release.
The correct way is to spot weld them in. Prime then use seam sealer. The seam sealer they used 40+ years ago isn't todays seam sealer. The seam sealer we use today is 100 times better. It doesn't crack and shrink like the OEM sealer.
Mavereq, you can use panel adhesive and the small self tapping screws but I wouldn't weld the holes up. If you use small screws just seam seal over them. If you weld them the adhesive will release.
The correct way is to spot weld them in. Prime then use seam sealer. The seam sealer they used 40+ years ago isn't todays seam sealer. The seam sealer we use today is 100 times better. It doesn't crack and shrink like the OEM sealer.
Mavereq, you can use panel adhesive and the small self tapping screws but I wouldn't weld the holes up. If you use small screws just seam seal over them. If you weld them the adhesive will release.
It adhere's to factory seam sealers in the beds of pickups. I would of coarse wait till it fully cured and might even prime it. Sand it and spray away.