The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Easy Floor Panel Installation Question

I have what should be a quick easy question. How is everyone tying in the aft end of a floor panel with the flange of the seat riser? Do people just overlay the floor panel and bead weld the new seam? If so what haapens where the floor panel steps down off the seat riser flange? I have seen one person cut the original floor from underneath the seat riser flange and install the new floor under the flange. It looked completely original but I'm not confident I could cut the original floor and not cut through the seat riser flange.

Thanks!

It looks like you've already cut back the original floor to at least the edge of the seat riser flange. If that's the case, I'd cut it back a little more to the middle of the flange and butt the new floor up to it and weld the new to the old using the riser flange as a backer for the weld. I just did my passenger side and left the battery compartment in place. I had enough original floor to be able to butt weld just forward of the seat riser toward the tranny opening. I also left the rear portion of the tranny opening in place, butt welding at the corner of the opening.
Here's a pic of mine from the inside.
[on edit] It looks like your cab is still on the frame, so welding from the bottom probably won't work. And I didn't notice originally that you have the new panel laid on top of the existing floor.
You might consider leaving the battery box in place like I did if it's solid enough so that you won't need to weld from underneath.
BTW, please clean out the junk from inside the seat riser. You don't want to burn it down.

Dongray - I would recommend two options depending on how much work you want to do:

1. Cut the existing floor just forward of the seat riser flange. Cut new floor panel to butt up to the cut existing floor and spot/butt weld the seam.

2. Drill out spot welds securing the forward edge of the seat riser flange to the floor. This will allow you to separate the seat riser and floor enough to cut the existing floor from below without cutting into the seat riser flange. Spot/butt weld the new to existing floor panel seam under the seat riser. Plug weld seat riser flange to floor panel.

I hope this helps? Others may have different methods, but that's how I would do it. Take your time and space out your spot welds so as to not warp the panels. Good luck!!

Klhansen,
I wasn't thinking of cutting in front of the seat riser flange because of the minimal space were it is by the battery compartment. I will see how bad the floor is in that area and may consider the approach you suggested. The cab isn't bolted to the frame so I can easily move it the hardest part is keeping the junk out from the seat as the picture shows. No sooner I clean it and its back in there.
Thanks for your input!

Clarsen3100,

Thanks for the input! Number 1 seems the simplest way to go but I don't think there is much room around the battery but I will have to take a look.
Method 2 must be how how the other person pulled it off. It was really clean but I keep asking myself is it really worth the extra work for something that will never be seen? Im really just wanting a solid old truck and need to consider if its worth it. That being said it would be a challenge and I do like challenges!

LOL I hear you on the migrating junk. Dang stuff seems to have legs.

The idea is to only cut back till you get to solid metal. There's no need to use the whole patch panel. If the battery box is rusted away at the front, you could still leave the back section in and make a joint or joints somewhere forward of that. I opted to leave the whole battery box intact, even though it meant welding a butt joint all the way around the perimeter on two sides.

My seat riser flange is rusted away on the driver's side nearly to the bead on the riser, so I'll make the joints under the seat, adding metal to the floor patch panel as necessary. I already have the new flange for the seat riser fabbed up, and will weld that in place after the floor is patched.