Sinking Creek 4WD Association

Just wondering if anyone out there has any good experience welding sheet metal into a floorboard. I am going to be working on my PU this Saturday and the main goal is to put some new sheet metal into the floor board. If anyone is interested in giving me pointers or just wants to come check out what I am building let me know.
e-mail fizboy@vt.edu

Are you replacing the whole thing or just patching a hole. If you're just patching, depending on it's size, you can just use self tappers and seam sealer

Just spot weld. Work your way around. Don't weld too much in one spot.

Something like this
http://www.musclecarrestorations.com/ar ... metal.html

Definitely spot weld. If you want to do a full weld dont do any more than 1" beads and work from opposite spots.

Do you have a replacement floor or are you patching it?

-The little 110 mig units are handy for this (about all they're good for actually)

-Use gas shielded rather than flux cored. If you don't have a mig setup, I am sure somebody in the club has a little 110 unit.

-Get a good fit up.

-Make sure everything is as clean as possible before welding.

If you have good clean surface and good fit up, the welding part is actually really easy.

I like to use weld through primer. It is good for areas that will be non accessible after welding and will prevent rust (overlap in panels, etc.)

you can buy that weldthru at carquest.


andrew, i have heard that before about gas shielded/flux but never a reason. Do you know what the main reason not to use flux core on sheet metal panels is?

Flux cored will work it's just messier. To do it right, you'll have to clean between spot welding. Gas shielded is just tidier and little easier for thin stuff. Flux cored penetrates more, which is actually a problem in this case as floor pans are what... 20 gauge or so?

You can use flux cored, but 110 mig machines are easy to come by so if you can get your hands on one...

EDIT: I should add that if you're doing this outdoors, you might be better off with flux cored, as gas shielding is easily blown away while welding.

i got one of those licoln flux core(125 i think) from lowes and it does a pretty good job. it was enough for me to tidy up the back of this old f100




How did it go today? did you get the floor done?

Yeah the floor is done. I ended up using flux core because I couldn't get the mig to work as well. It aint pretty but it is in. That is all that matters. Wish some one out there in after market world would make a floor pan that you can buy and drop in and weld for us Toyota nuts. I will get pics up hopefully this weekend. Almost done painting the cab as well. Checking today to see how much $$ it will cost me to get my front window installed. Thanks for all the suggestions.

i feel your pain man. if you saw my bronco floor you would be glad you only have a reg cab truck! glad you got it done.