Is this repairable?

[Robad]

Ok, I need some help. Is this rust repairable? I would like to just patch it up for this season and replace the entire floor later but can I patch this and make it work? What gauge sheet metal? Also, has anyone replaced the front body mount before?

 

[Robad]

More pics here http://www.landcruiser.netfirms.com/interior/index2.htm

 

[FLYINGLOW]

Ok, I need some help. Is this rust repairable? I would like to just patch it up for this season and replace the entire floor later but can I patch this and make it work? What gauge sheet metal? Also, has anyone replaced the front body mount before?

Repairable? Yes, anything is.
You could just cover it with some 18 Gauge sheetmetal (which is original) for the summer, but I would worry about that body mount more than anything. The stock steering doesn't line up so good when the body sags down. What are your welding skills and equipment like? You could get a new body mount channel bent up at a fab shop if you take the old one in, but you still need something to attach it to. You will have to repair around that channel that comes down at the front of the door opening.

 

[spotcruiser]

You really need to do something about that, structurally. Remember, the seat frames are bolted to that floor. You don't want the seats to come loose during a wreck or roll.

It's repairable and I think you want to do it sooner, rather than later.

Just my opinion.
Todd Bull.

 

[clemson55]

I replaced 2/3 of the floor in my 55 and the two front body mounts. Just takes a little time and fabrication skill. If you have a decent welder you can do it. I'd recommend going thicker on the sheet metal though. Just a little extra strength and if it does get rust on it yrs from now it will take longer to eat away. Besides if your gonna replace the floor you might as well make it better.

 

[ToyotaDyna]

Hi Robad,

It does not look to bad. If you want you could cut out a good floor from a LandCruiser in a scrap yard and weld it into yours after you cut yours out. That way you will will still have the strengthening patterns.

Good luck,
ToyotaDyna

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[redrustbucket]

Cut it out and weld in some new sheet metal. Not bad if you've got a MIG and a grinder. If you need a quick fix I'd glass over it till you can replace it. Check out " Halo's new ride " in this forum for some ideas.

 

[redrustbucket]

Nice work by the way clemson-

 

[Dave E]

If I'm not mistaken, CCOT sells a replacement peice with the ridges in it. I think it was about $150. And its brand new. No rust.


Dave

 

[65swb45]

If you're not going to go resto, or looking for resale value, do yourself a favor and forget about the stock ribs. Get some heavy guage flat steel and weld it in. I definitely concur on the seat issue being paramount.

 

[Robad]

Thanks for the info, First: This will never be restored to factory specs. It's way past that already. Second: I agree that I have to fix the body mounts first.

Clemson55: what did you fab up your mounts with. I've got decent welding skills and will be buying a small mig welder soon. I'd like to be able to do most of the work myself because I'm on a pretty tight budget.

I've seen the CCOT panels but since the inside of the rocker pannel is shot also I was thinking of welding in a bent up sheet of 16ga sheet. The floor that's left seems pretty solid so I hate to cut out "good steel".

I really don't need a transmission hump as big as the factory one. Has anyone ever used a flat sheet to cover the hole? If so what kind of support dies it need.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[clemson55]

My body mount was basically all rusted away the bolt was still pretty decent and the rubber piece was good. So I just cut everything else away. Then used the pieces as templates and cut out new pieces that attach to the body and the frame. Then made my own support plate for the top in 2 pieces so I could fit it around the bolt. I used the some sheet steel I forget the gauge at the momnt. Its like 3/16 maybe.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I replaced my front cowl and floorboards. The drivers side frame mount was distroyed when my FJ40 was totaled and the cowl I got from Cruiserparts mount was rusted out so I cut the pasenger mount off my old cowl, cut it down to the lenth of the drivers side mount and rebent the flanges in a vise to match the floor angle. Looks factory. I saw that someone makes a mount rail replacement...Can't seem to find it now. I used the CCOT floor boards and I would suggest installing then with the tub off.

 

[cruiserjones]

Diamond Plate..

Diamond plate is stronger than just plain flat 16 guage. You'll need to cut out the floor anyway, giving plenty of room to repair the mount. I used .120 2" square tube and cut it down to the profile of the original mount, works very well, will need to be welded to the floor, that's where the structural strength comes from. You can turn the diamond side down/out if you want it smooth inside. I figure that takes the place of the ribbing for strength. Do this right, in case of accident! You can get a full sheet of 1/8" damond plate for under 60 bucks!

 

[Robad]

Cut it with what?

OK, I was thinking about using diamond plate too. But what do I cut it with since I don't have access to a plasma cutter? I was also thinking about using 2" square tubing to replace the body mount but does it have to be the same profile as the original? Why can't I just use the square tubing as is? ie.. not tapered on one end.

 

[fj40mayo]

OK, I was thinking about using diamond plate too. But what do I cut it with since I don't have access to a plasma cutter?

Use a cut-off wheel on a grinder.

 

[Rice]

If you want strength, cheap, and don't care about original you may wish to try a cut-out from a pickup bed. Very strong. The WORST part about flat sheet steel is its tendency to vibrate and rattle while driving.

 

[clemson55]

4 1/2" angle grinder with a cut off wheel will do the job. Its all I used for all the floor replacement I did.

 

[Robad]

Thanks for the advice everyone keep 'em coming.

Rice,
I thought about using a truck bed also but what do I do about the channels that run perpendicular to the bed. Can they be cut off and still retain the structural integrity of the bed?

Rob

 

[Sculpin74]

I have a 74 Fj40...
The tub was rusted to the point of collapse and I replaced all bodymounts, full floor, rockers, quarters and wheeltubs.
For the bodymounts I used 2" square 1/8th wall. Looking back I would have been better off to use 2x4 tube for the mid-mount crossmember, (under the rear bolts of the front seats) but it worked perfectly for the other locations.

Level the frame carefully. Your building off it.
Use the doors and roof to help insure alignment...install and remove as required for checking.

I replaced the mid-mount crossmember first, leveling and squaring it to the vertical door post. It was bolted to the frame solidly (Using a hockey puck as a spacer on either side...as did all mount locations for consistency during construction) before any body welding took place. Then it was tacked to the door posts.

Then the rear crossmember (under the tailgate) was replaced, along with both vertical beams up to the roof mounting rail. Aligned, bolted solidly and then tacked to the roof mounting rails.

Now the front mounts can be addressed. Due to the trans being in the way, two separate mounts must be attached, one to each frame brace. To make alignment easy I added an extra body mount location in from the stock one on either side...bolted the new tube to the frame mount bracket in TWO locations on each side (4 total instead of two stock!) and then extended the rusted front cowl door post down to meet it, and tacked it into place.

For extra strength I then ran a simple piece of 1 1/2" angle iron from the front mount on either side, right back to the mid-crossmember. It attaches to the inner area of the front mount and runs back along the side of the trans to the bottom of the mid-mount tube, almost in the middle of the vehicle from side to side.

The angle iron also gives a good attachment to the second mount crossmembers, also individual to each side. (These were mounted after the outer body was reskinned however.)

I had been careful to align the body before the mounts were attached and now the doors and roof were remounted for the final test to confirm alignment...all was good...so then the new mounts were welded solid.

Removed the roof etc, and fabbed new flat quarters, new rocker outers (careful welding those...I got some warpage that pulled the cowl out of alignment...took some head scratching to fix it. Weld a tube across the door opening before welding to minimise problems) and welded all solid. Built new wheelwells and aligned them properly, welded them solid. Added the missing rear floor crossmembers and welded...added the front floor center bodymounts (to the rockers and the angle iron...) Welded that stuff up.

Fabbed the flat floor sections and installed them...along with new inner rockers.
The bodymount bolt holes were drilled out with a hole saw from the top and the bolts were installed inside the tube, with rubber plugs installed into the floor.
Thats it...simple!

BTW...I used 14G metal for all tub body panels and floor! Heavy...yeah. Solid and rust free? HELL yeah!!!

If I were doing it again the only thing I'd do different is use 2x4 tube for the mid-crossmember.