floor channeland pan help

[m_m70]

So I finally got around to floor pans...….obviously much needed and had screwed and glued patches on both sides. Got the DS removed and cut out today.

Looks good underneath with the exception the floor channel has a "raised bubble" in it where the body mount bushing is that hits the dimple in the floor pan. The channel is straight on both sides...….just raised where that bushing is.
Anyone see anything like this before? Suggestions??

Thanks!

 

[suckerpunched]

Channel looks good. I can't see the bubble you describe but I believe it should be flat. I would straighten it and reuse it.

 

[m_m70]

Thanks! Yeah, hard to see in the pic but the sides where the floor pan will get spot welded to are flat...……..so that's a good thing. Can't get the pan to sit flat though with the rise in the center of the channel hitting the dimple in the floor pan.

Will try to rig a press or c-clamp with large socket to push that area around the bushing down with the body mount bushing out.

 

[suckerpunched]

I know the channel is a fairly heavy gauge steel. If you could support it from the bottom with a piece of pipe or something with a round hole just larger than the dimple and smack it with a hammer until the new floor pan fits, you will be good. Also, it is a common practice to end up with a shim or two between the body and the rubber body mount to get good body panel alignment. Mine has a 1/4" shim under 1 body mount. but mine was wrecked hard enough that it partially tore the body loose from the frame. hard to say what was off or if it was ever all that good from the factory to begin with.

 

[suckerpunched]

also, if you have not replaced the mounts, now would be a good time for that.

 

[o2bnmud]

If you're talking about that raised "bung" right around the body mount hole, that's factory and it's a support for the floor pan so that it can be tightened down without ripping through the floor plan.

 

[m_m70]

Thanks!
I know the "bung" is stock but the wide flat area (inner channel) of the support around it was raised a bit...…..maybe an 1/8 inch or so.

supported it underneath and flattened with a BFH. New pan sits flat now and channel is straight.

Mounts only have a couple thousand miles so were good there.

 

[broncochevy]

Look over that channel real well and be sure it isn’t slightly bent. Almost every Bronco I’ve looked at was bent to some degree. Common stress point in the body

 

[m_m70]

Thanks James,
I put a straight edge across the sides and they are flat. Was able to pound the raised area inside the channel down flat so the pan sits flat again.

Will be interesting to see how the passenger side looks this weekend when I remove the passenger side..…… Funny how bad the floors can look and how good the support is.