Floor Pan/Body Mount Replacement Issue

[chris-nc]

So a previous owner replaced the floor pans in my '66, but the new pans aren't recessed where the body mount bolt would be, and the PO installed them over the top of the bolt, trapping it in the support underneath. %)

I'm getting ready to replace the body mount bushings and trying to figure out how best to handle this. I'd rather not drill into the floor pan. My thoughts are to cut a square with my Dremel in the side of the support (aligned with the bolt) where I have the red box in the pics and then either cut the bolt just above the worn out bushing or with a saws-all maybe even cut inside of where I make the slot. Then fish out the head. This should allow me to install the new bolt from the bottom going up, and have the locknut inside the support. I'm not too worried about it loosening and the bolt falling out with the new nylon locking nut being on top. This would also allow me to not have to drill into the floor pan. My only concern is would this weaken that area of the support too much, and would I be taking a chance of having that body mount cave in? Obviously, I would cut as little as possible.

Any thoughts?

 

[Rustytruck]

drill into the floor pan. then get a long bolt top washer and a socket and tighten the socket into the floor pan to create the dimple. the body bushing below should support the pan while you dimple it just need a very long bolt to go through the whole stack down to the bottom bolt below the mount.

 

[NicksTrix]

put new body bushings in it while you are doing this. looks like they are way past due. hard to get panels lined up when foundation is all over.

 

[chris-nc]

put new body bushings in it while you are doing this. looks like they are way past due. hard to get panels lined up when foundation is all over.

Right, that's reason I'm doing this is to put new bushings in, so I can correct my extremely misaligned doors. Unfortunately, the work the previous owner did wasn't great and while they fixed a lot of rust, they didn't do it properly so I'm trying to basically work around it now. I found that the passenger front bushing isn't even a bushing, but a block of wood. %)

 

[markatherton]

bolts

measure twice..cut once