Floor for a rail

[Narrow minded rail]

2 questions for this awesome group

What do you use for the floor on your rail ?

How did you attach it? Pictures if possible !

THANKS IN ADVANCE

[I Ride Sand]

[Vanapplebomb]

1/8" diamond tread aluminum works very well. A little $$, but worth it in my opinion. I like to have something solid between me and the ground. Typically you would bolt it onto the bottom of the frame. The bolts run though tabs welded to the frame. Get a large sheet of scrap cardboard ~ 4x8 feet from your local auto glass shop. Trace the bottom of your frame out onto the cardboard and trim it down so that it fits nicely. Take it to your local metal yard and have them shear a plate of 1/8in aluminum diamond tread plate to match your cardboard template. Most shops charge 10-20 bucks to lop off the sides for you. It also cuts well with an angle grinder and some 1/16in cut off wheels if you prefer to do it yourself. Check to see that the aluminum tread plate matches your frame. chances are it needs a little here or there trimmed up to fit perfectly. Then drill your holes so they line up with the tabs welded onto your frame. The aluminum drills like butter. Then just bolt it up with some 3/8 inch bolts and lock nuts and you should be good to go.
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1800 Type 4 Berrien 295

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=487021

[Narrow minded rail]

Thanks for the replies!!!

Does anybody have pics of the tabs? I know a stupid question but I seem to over complicate things and build way more than it needs. I guess it is the machinists in me. !!!

[cbeck]

Sorry, no tab pictures. Look for fabrication supplies. I spaced my floor down about 1/2 inch for water to roll off my aluminum floor.

[Dale M.]

A little space between solid floor and frame rail doesn't hurt...

Need mounting tabs....

http://www.aa-mfg.com/tabs/flat-tabs

Dale
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“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[ORANGECRUSHer]

I used 1/4" aluminum diamond plate (only because I just happened to get some free from a friend). It works awesome.

To mount the floor first pick up quite a few feet of 1"X1" light angle iron; 1/8" thick would be plenty. Chop it down to pieces that you can fit a bolt and washer on, I chose to use 5/16" SS bolts, so maybe 1" to 1-1/2" wide pieces. It might be easier to mark out each piece and before cutting drill holes centered in each marked tab for your bolts down one side of the angle. Then chop it down. These will be your mounting tabs.
Now take your sheeting or expanded metal and slide it under the frame then with jacks hoist it firmly against the bottom and trace the floor. Remove the piece and cut. Most will take at least two 4'X8' sheets to complete.
Now that the sheeting is cut you are ready to attach the mounting tabs to the frame. Before I repositioned the floor up against the frame I took lengths of truck topper foam, a grey one sided adhesive 1/4" thick closed cell foam about 1-1/2" wide, and put it under the frame tubes then hoisted the floor back up against the bottom of the frame. This will give the floor just enough space for water and dirt/sand to escape without having a floor that is dangling off tabs under the frame. It will still be solidly against the frame except in strategic spots where you decide not to place the foam making holes between the tubing and the floor. This foam also won't hold water and rot your frame. An added bonus is that the floor will be insulated against rattling noises.
Now that the floor is positioned where you want it you just take the tabs you made and set them on the floor and slide one side of the angle against the tube and tack it on either side where the tube hits the vertical side of the "L" shaped tab. Spread them out getting one in every corner and in between without leaving so much space that the sheeting can flex much. Thinner flooring will require less space between tabs.
After you get them all tacked you can remove the floor one more time and finish welding them to the tubes after which you replace the floor and then drill through the holes in the tabs down into the floor and insert your bolts as you go around.
If your smart you'll stick your bolts up through the bottom so you just have the heads underneath and no bolts grabbing the ground as you drive bye.
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[dustymojave]

1/4" thick is huge. I have 1/16" (16 ga) 6061 T6 sheet for the floor under my old HiJumper you see in my avatar. It has lasted well over 30 years of racing and play. The avatar pic was 1983 and it still has the same floor panel. Nothing has ever joined me or torn through. I use 1/8" 6061 or aluminum diamond plate for skidplates under the front and under the trans and engine.

If you use a softer aluminum such as 5052 or 3003 it would be rather weak. 1/16" diamond plate would be fine. It's quite tough.

You could make tabs to mount the floor sheet out of 1" x 1/8" angle iron. Cut pieces 1" long and drill a hole for a bolt in the middle of the leg to be flat to the floor. Weld the vertical leg of the angle stock to the sides of the bottom frame tubes. I use 5/16" x 1" carriage bolts from below. The nuts pull the square part of the bolt under the head into the aluminum so they hold pretty well from turning. The smooth heads let things slide by without snagging and tearing up the heads of the bolts.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.