Need Advice Welding Around the Rear Seat Holder (2 Viewers)

[zakthor]

Hi.

I got t-boned by a lexus suv and sort of drove over its hood with my back wheels. Dented the rocker and the doors.

Got a rocker from wolf-metal, its nice. Was looking close and thought I saw some rust on one end. I tinked at it with my hammer and it was pretty rusty towards the rear... and so was the other side. The seams where the floor intersects the wheelwell are open.

I cut away the rust and got the area media blasted, then hit it with epoxy primer so its stable. But then Im up looking at how I'm going to fix those seams and I was sounding all over with my hammer and theres a thick steel plate in the wheelwell that felt soft under the rubber undercoating. I bang away, strip off the undercoating and I've got a pair of 6" holes through the wheelwell. I guess the rubber undercoating blocked the plates from draining so they dissolved.

I can fix all that but... I'm really worried how I'm going to position the seat pivot clamps. The clamps are in good shape but they are only connected to 'dead' metal. Thinking I could measure and hope? Should I tack them to the panel right behind them?

Any advice? I've got a sawzal blade for metal and I've cut a lot of the bad away. The good metal is super good so this will be sort of nice to weld, except for the fumes from all the tar/paint and undercoating.

I know enough now to not start until I have a plan to the finish.

I figure when the inside layer is done I show weld on a new giant thick inside the wheelwell plate where the old one was since I guess they didn't put it there for no reason.

 

[Gimme a 60]

Just did this repair.

This video was created by @jzilla and has everything you need to know.


Not sure if this applies to your situation, but I drilled out any surviving spot welds for the seat stiffener/seat mount, and used the spot weld holes to guide the piece in place and clamp it down.

 

[bcolvin]

Just did this repair.

This video was created by @jzilla and has everything you need to know.


Not sure if this applies to your situation, but I drilled out any surviving spot welds for the seat stiffener/seat mount, and used the spot weld holes to guide the piece in place and clamp it down.

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Thanks for those images. I’m going to be doing this soon also. Did you say there was a video? Maybe I missed it but that’d be great. Thanks

 

[kirvesmies]

@Gimme a 60 , good call young man. I was going to post up verbally what you did pictorally
@bcolvin , if gimme's idea doesn't work, make up a jig to hold it in place. Bolt it to the seatbelt mount point n to the 2 bolts on the compromised bracket before you cut it out. Cut the portion that is covered by the jig before you mount it. Then fasten jig n then carve it loose. Best of fabbin' to ya

 

[zakthor]

So... is there a place to get that plate? That plate looks stock. I was going to use a thick plate. Also that rear seat pivot cradle... is that new? Does someone make these or did you fab it? Looks great. What are the bolts for? Seems like overkill for positioning.

 

[Gimme a 60]

 

[zakthor]

Oh wow that looks SO GOOD. I'm so glad I asked. Wish I still had the exterior stiffener plates...

 

[tmxmotorsports]

Oh wow that looks SO GOOD. I'm so glad I asked. Wish I still had the exterior stiffener plates...

Look in the parting out section someone may have what you need .

 

[Gimme a 60]

So... is there a place to get that plate? That plate looks stock. I was going to use a thick plate. Also that rear seat pivot cradle... is that new? Does someone make these or did you fab it? Looks great. What are the bolts for? Seems like overkill for positioning.

I had to fabricate part of the stiffener and the seat pivot.


The bolts aren’t overkill. They keep everything very tight and closes all gaps so you get a tight and accurate fitment.

Pull every bolt out one at a time. and plug weld the hole. Welding is much easier when it’s tight together.

Use and aluminum block behind each hole to plug weld.

end product was fantastic.

 

[dmjay]

You see kids, this is why you join Mud.

 

[bcolvin]

Awesome! Thanks

 

[zakthor]

I had to fabricate part of the stiffener and the seat pivot.


The bolts aren’t overkill. They keep everything very tight and closes all gaps so you get a tight and accurate fitment.

Pull every bolt out one at a time. and plug weld the hole. Welding is much easier when it’s tight together.

Use and aluminum block behind each hole to plug weld.

end product was fantastic.

Ok, mostly today I cut and ground away the baaad metal.

Measured measured location and remove the seat pivot cradles. Whoa they need some attention for tomorrow. Got starboard wheelwell filled, feels real strong. Had to stop because I ran out of gas.

Tomorrow to weld cradle to plate and weld plate onto wheelwell. Not sure what you mean about plugs. Plates sandwiched to wheelwell will be real strong.

Is nuts how strong welded metal is. I pried out a bunch of factory sealant and replaced it with a bead of the real stuff. This is all coming together just fine.

Edit: oh and for positioning of the cradles... key insight, was hard for me to tell but the top of the cradles are level with the rear deck. So just one dimension to measure, distance from a piece of tape on the deck.

 

[kirvesmies]

Not sure what you mean plugs

distance from a piece of tape on the deck.

When you pull the temp anchors/clamps, you have to what the holes?
N damn, I hope you've not got friends like I do, those heathens 'd move the tape!!

 

[zakthor]

wELL I'm still plugging away at this. Of course if there's a little rust then there's more nearby. My seat pivot cradles are so thin and barely existing. I rebuilt them blob by blob with the mig.

I've filled both the big holes where the cradles and stiffening plates were. But I also cut out the rust from the floor around the front base of the wheelwells on each side (matchy matchy), filled those and have just made templates for the low part of the front of the rear wheelwells. Is neat that the rust is just so symmetric left to right.

At least now the interior of the truck won't get wet when I drive in the rain.

Right under the rear of the rear doors are these stamped supports to bolt body to frame. They are thicker metal but are mine are perforated towards the base. I got them media blasted to grey metal then coated with epoxy primer. I can't really get into fixing them though, or it sure would be a lot of work as they're up above and behind the rockers. I'm really glad the media blaster got in there. JB Sandblasters in arlington. They said they don't usually put entire vehicles in their blasting cabinet...

I'm surprised how damn long this all is taking me. Part of the problem is I never seem to quite get to the edge of the good metal so there're a few spots I need to chase down and refill the thin rusty metal. And cutting out the metal from the templates is hard. I'm finding the best tool is a die grinder with a cutoff wheel. Wow is my driveway a mess. I'm guessing I can finish the wheelwells today and then I can start thinking about patching the rockers.

I'm using 16g sheet so everything I put in is crazy strong. Can sure hear the difference with the hammer.

 

[kirvesmies]

wELL I'm still plugging away at this. Of course if there's a little rust then there's more nearby. My seat pivot cradles are so thin and barely existing. I rebuilt them blob by blob with the mig.

I've filled both the big holes where the cradles and stiffening plates were. But I also cut out the rust from the floor around the front base of the wheelwells on each side (matchy matchy), filled those and have just made templates for the low part of the front of the rear wheelwells. Is neat that the rust is just so symmetric left to right.

At least now the interior of the truck won't get wet when I drive in the rain.

Right under the rear of the rear doors are these stamped supports to bolt body to frame. They are thicker metal but are mine are perforated towards the base. I got them media blasted to grey metal then coated with epoxy primer. I can't really get into fixing them though, or it sure would be a lot of work as they're up above and behind the rockers. I'm really glad the media blaster got in there. JB Sandblasters in arlington. They said they don't usually put entire vehicles in their blasting cabinet...

I'm surprised how damn long this all is taking me. Part of the problem is I never seem to quite get to the edge of the good metal so there're a few spots I need to chase down and refill the thin rusty metal. And cutting out the metal from the templates is hard. I'm finding the best tool is a die grinder with a cutoff wheel. Wow is my driveway a mess. I'm guessing I can finish the wheelwells today and then I can start thinking about patching the rockers.

I'm using 16g sheet so everything I put in is crazy strong. Can sure hear the difference with the hammer.

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Keep after it. It'll get done