Split bus floor reconstruction, order of operations

[Cjschriver]

Okay, it's a 66 Deluxe. I've got the outriggers and crossmembers welded in for the driver's side, and I'm looking to attach the inner rocker and the outer rocker today. Question is, how is the inner rocker positioned relative to the front and back cross members? The inner rocker hangs over about 2 in so do I put the extra in the front, the extra in the back, split the difference? Does the flange at the bottom of the inner rocker match perfectly with the flange at the bottom of the outer rocker? Do I place the outer rocker so it matches the rear wheel well, and then position the inner rocker accordingly? A little help guys I feel like I'm getting close 😃👍

[Cjschriver]

I assume the vertical side panel strengtheners and the left side b-pillar inner have to go in before the outer rocker is finally put in place?

[busdaddy]

I'd get some outriggers in place, followed by inner rockers, that'll give you the end points for the pillars and reinforcement rails.
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[Cjschriver]

Thanks busdaddy, that WAS my question though. Where the inner rocker lines up. Think I got the answer from the thread just below this one about the stack of tabs at the B-pillar. That last pic in THAT thread is from the right side, do the tabs stack the same on the left? My outriggers and crossmember ends ARE welded in, the outriggers are just black and don't show well in the photos i posted. I'm just looking to make sure that i position the inner rocker correctly before i tack it in. Stack of tabs at the front, is that correct ?

[Cjschriver]

[busdaddy]

I see it now....

Looks right from here, the floor was assembled and welded at the factory as a unit much like yours is now, but with the floor skinned too. then the assembled sides with the outer rockers on them were added to that, so configure your "stack" to resemble something assembled from the inside outwards.

That "close out" panel wasn't a thing from VW, the OG panel goes all the way up as part of the bulkhead. The short version was a common rust patch offered by most parts sellers since the area it covers was often the first to go, shop carefully, most were that thin crappy metal that rusted before you finished installing it.
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[Cjschriver]

OK great. Thank you. My outriggers from CIP1 have a hole on the tab at the lower inside portion that goes underneath the frame. Is that area supposed to be a drain hole or plug welded to the bottom of the frame ?

[sled]

the stack of tabs is THREE LAYERS. The inner most "tab" is from the top hat and the outrigger flanges. The middle is from the inner rocker, and the outer is from the B pillar "closeout" panel.

based on your pictures, your inner rocker is too far forward. The very front end (not the "tab") is flush with the front plane of the top hat.

inner rocker is flush with the top plane of the top hats and I beams.

front outrigger has a drain hole on the bottom side almost at the frame.

rear outriggers also do, on EARLY buses, later buses the outrigger has a drain channel formed into it.

IF!!!! you have your I beam and top hat elevations correct, then the inner rocker sets the elevation of the outer rocker.
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drive your split.

[Clara]

After you get the floor in, install the little tabs for the bottom of the wall panels. Do that before paint.
Standard and deluxe micro buses had the tabs, kombis and panelvans did not.
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[Cjschriver]

Thank you Clara. I will need a picture of the tabs to which you refer.

These tabs?

I don't think these are what you are talking about because you said "bottom" and "small", but I don't know what other tabs there are.

[Clara]

[Cjschriver]

@sled - moved my inner rocker toward the rear to be flush as you described, thank you.

I have cut away more crap to get the rest of my gear in there, but i still have doubts as to how this all goes together. It's all clamped in and mocked up, but the joints where the welds would be just don't seem right to me. I will throw a bunch of pics here so you can see what I'm dealing with, and then i will elaborate...

Maybe I misunderstand the whole thing. Are the vertical side strengtheners and the lower B-pillar supposed to weld to the inner rocker anywhere? Or do they just weld to the side skin/outer rocker and attach when the outer rocker welds to the inner rocker at the bottom flange?

Here is what I mean...

I have highlighted in red the places which are available to weld to the inner rocker...

Why aren't there any flanges/tabs making these pieces easy to join?

In this pic, the green arrow shows an air gap where I would have thought it should have butted up.

Do all of the verticals just sit with bottom pointy tip on the corner edge of the inner rocker? Is my side panel just completely out of whack? What am i missing here?

I guess the actual question is this, Does this appear to be mocked up correctly? Or do I need to rearrange some things before I start welding?

Thanks guys !

[Cjschriver]

[challomoner]

Here's a Nos side panel with the supports attached that might help you.

[ted698]

The green arrow gap in your last pic gets covered/taken up by the floor panel laid over the top - so the floor panel edge flange gets welded to the side pillar support and the floor also gets welded to the top lip of the inner sill, finishing the 'box'.

[Cjschriver]

Excellent info, thank you. That's what I needed to hear.

[Cjschriver]

After considerable staring and thinking, I have decided that it might be better to have the left and right floor halves in my hands along with the left dogleg, BEFORE I proceed with any further welding. Probably be better able to mock it up correctly. I was trying to hold out on the purchase of the floor until the last minute, but i think the time is now. 3 parts on the way. To be continued...

[Cjschriver]

OK, Im'ma tell you right now that I've had some beers

Here are some pics and 1 short video...

Video v v v

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1174UXIQM

video ^^^

I've got all of the parts in hand ( driver's dogleg, long outer rocker, vertical side strengtheners, 2 halves of a CIP1 floor ) and I still lack the confidence in the fitting to go ahead and start tacking stuff in. can you guys help out. I did see in some YouTube vids that the bottom flange of the outer rocker does indeed sit vertically flush with the bottom flange of the inner rocker, which is what i thought, but I want some confirmation before I go and do anything that i can't easily undo. I have seen that it is common for the long outer rocker to arrive too short to actually reach from front to rear, and I've seen some people bending either the front or the rear to make it fit and then welding in some extra sheet metal the make it pretty, but I had a different idea. What if I cut it in the middle and add whatever metal is necessary so that I don't need to fab a curvy flange? Is that a retarded idea? To add an extra 1/2" or so in the middle?

Also I've got some extra crossmember sections and a roof and 2 door skins from my bug adventure to play with.

Can I fab the parts necessary to fix the B--Post? I really don't want to replace the whole thing.

Cheers guys !

[Clara]