broken seat mounts
Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 79
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From: Pearland Texas
broken seat mounts
I think the PO must have been a fat girl because the two inner seat mounts for the drivers side were broken out.
I don't know if this is a common occurance, but here is the way I plan to repair the damage.
I cleaned the damaged area, made a template, and fabricated two 18 gauge plates to suck the sagging floor piece back in place.
When I do the repair, I'll lay in some heavy mat, resin, and bolt down the repair plates to squeeze the resin out and make the repair solid.
These pictures show the progress to date.
If you're still interested after this, I'll post progress pictures as I go on with the repair.
Skip in Houston
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette045.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette044.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette043.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette057.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette059.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette058.jpg
I don't know if this is a common occurance, but here is the way I plan to repair the damage.
I cleaned the damaged area, made a template, and fabricated two 18 gauge plates to suck the sagging floor piece back in place.
When I do the repair, I'll lay in some heavy mat, resin, and bolt down the repair plates to squeeze the resin out and make the repair solid.
These pictures show the progress to date.
If you're still interested after this, I'll post progress pictures as I go on with the repair.
Skip in Houston
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette045.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette044.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette043.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette057.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette059.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette058.jpg
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I don't know that 18 ga. mild steel plates will be strong enough to hold the seat in place during an impact crash (God forbid). And I would think you would want those stiffening plates underneath the floor pan to spread the load out, rather than above the floor pan. The seat rails and the rail mounts are hardened steel and the stock bolts are grade 8's. The supporting structure for that seat needs to be of similar strength. Others have probably made successful repairs and will chime in.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
I like your approach. Nice and clean. Did you know that you can do the same type of reinforcement to the rear bumpers. The bumpers are just bolted to glass and similar plates as you have made for the seats works to repair old damaged areas uncovered or discovered during repaints.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,891
Likes: 2
From: Baltimore MD
I don't know that 18 ga. mild steel plates will be strong enough to hold the seat in place during an impact crash (God forbid). And I would think you would want those stiffening plates underneath the floor pan to spread the load out, rather than above the floor pan. The seat rails and the rail mounts are hardened steel and the stock bolts are grade 8's. The supporting structure for that seat needs to be of similar strength. Others have probably made successful repairs and will chime in.
I have agree, great idea, but I think you went way to thin on the grade of steel you used.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,695
Likes: 65
From: Kissimmee fl
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If the original nut plates are still in place under the floorboard and are not rusted out, you should be just fine. 
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Pearland Texas
Actually, the metal plates are left over replacement floor pan material (scrap) and is pretty heavy. After all, the original floor is about 3/16" fiberglass with a little dinky threaded plate under the fiberglass.
The problem was, the floor was caved in toward the bottom of the car and I needed to bring it back up level. That's why the plates are made the way they are.
The bolt and the screws pull the caved in portion back up.
I'm also using 3 layers of random weave matt under the plates and I've stop drilled the cracks and filled them in too.
It's raining so I won't do the resin/ glass until things warm up a little bit, but I'll post some more pictures so you guys that are a little concerned about the strength should be more reassured.
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I might go ahead and put a bottom plate on later if it needs it.
I appreciate the hints, tips and kind words.
Skip in Houston
The problem was, the floor was caved in toward the bottom of the car and I needed to bring it back up level. That's why the plates are made the way they are.
The bolt and the screws pull the caved in portion back up.
I'm also using 3 layers of random weave matt under the plates and I've stop drilled the cracks and filled them in too.
It's raining so I won't do the resin/ glass until things warm up a little bit, but I'll post some more pictures so you guys that are a little concerned about the strength should be more reassured.
Anyway, thanks for the comments. I might go ahead and put a bottom plate on later if it needs it.
I appreciate the hints, tips and kind words.
Skip in Houston
Thread Starter
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
From: Pearland Texas
Here is the finished product. 3 layers of fiberglass matt under the repair plate. It sucked up really nice, the floor is now flat, and very solid.
I got to wondering why a floor would fail like this and after some searching I found the reason for the damage; but that's another story.
I'm not saying you have to do a repair this way, but if the nut plates are intact there is no reason not to.
Thanks for looking guys.
Skip in Houston
The three layers of matt under the plate
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette060.jpg
I coated the hold down bolt with a heavy coating of Never-seize so it wouldn't get bonded to the repair. This way I can remove the bolt for the seat bolt.
Matt is soaked with resin, the plate is bolted down and excess resin is mopped up with toilett paper
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette063.jpg
After everything sets up I sprayed the repair with some paint to keep the rust out.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette065.jpg
I got to wondering why a floor would fail like this and after some searching I found the reason for the damage; but that's another story.
I'm not saying you have to do a repair this way, but if the nut plates are intact there is no reason not to.
Thanks for looking guys.
Skip in Houston
The three layers of matt under the plate
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette060.jpg
I coated the hold down bolt with a heavy coating of Never-seize so it wouldn't get bonded to the repair. This way I can remove the bolt for the seat bolt.
Matt is soaked with resin, the plate is bolted down and excess resin is mopped up with toilett paper
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette063.jpg
After everything sets up I sprayed the repair with some paint to keep the rust out.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...n/vette065.jpg
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Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Crossville TN
The topside looks good. But the overall strength of the repair is dependent on the strength underneath. If the plate under the floor is intact, and the floor pan is not damaged, you should be OK. I thought you indicated that the floor pan was broken underneath. If so, I'm still concerned with what will happen in a panic stop or a front impact. The whole floor section along with your repiar could pull out.
I really hope I'm being a little paranoid about this, but if the damaged floor area extends outside of the strengthening plate under the floor, that plate will serve no purpose whatsoever. {If I didn't care about your safety, I wouldn't have even bothered with this response.}
I really hope I'm being a little paranoid about this, but if the damaged floor area extends outside of the strengthening plate under the floor, that plate will serve no purpose whatsoever. {If I didn't care about your safety, I wouldn't have even bothered with this response.}
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 16,100
Likes: 17
I broke my drivers seat (sliding rail) in half autocrossing...when we pulled seat apart,the bottom seat frame was tweaked such,that seat springs had sagged...just straightened lower seat frame and added gussets...and welded rail....no damage to seat mounting at floor..
Rich
Rich