I'm putting a set of buckets seats in a 66 coronet 440 model. My question is about the inboard seat track studs. Did the floor pan receive reinforcement ( a welded brace etc) or did the studs just bolt up to the floor pan?
Question about bucket seat install
- Thread starter dan juhasz
- Start date
So it done on the inside of the floor pan
NJRR
Well-Known Member
The purpose of the reinforcement plates is to distribute the load of the seat track studs to more than just the relatively thin metal of the floor pan.
I'm also swapping out my bench seat for buckets in my 70 Satellite. I just checked yesterday as a matter of fact, that I do not have the reinforcement plates welded to my floor pan. I don't own a welder or know how to weld so was figuring out alternatives. My plan is to get a length of 1/8" flat bar stock 2" wide and extending 2-3" past each stud and epoxy it to the floor pan. This will reinforce the entire length of the floor pan between the 2 studs which is more area than the welded in factory reinforcement plates. I then plan on using the same size plate under the car, sandwiching the floor pan between the two plates, held tight by the seat track stud and nuts. I think this will be an even greater distribution of load/force over the floor pan than the factory reinforcement plates. The outboard seat track studs (closer to the doors) have a reinforcement plate welded to the underside floor pan and does the same thing but to a smaller surface area. I think my plan is equal/better to the factory welded in plates and definitely better than just using 2" fender washers under the nuts on the seat studs that some have recommended and used.
I'm also swapping out my bench seat for buckets in my 70 Satellite. I just checked yesterday as a matter of fact, that I do not have the reinforcement plates welded to my floor pan. I don't own a welder or know how to weld so was figuring out alternatives. My plan is to get a length of 1/8" flat bar stock 2" wide and extending 2-3" past each stud and epoxy it to the floor pan. This will reinforce the entire length of the floor pan between the 2 studs which is more area than the welded in factory reinforcement plates. I then plan on using the same size plate under the car, sandwiching the floor pan between the two plates, held tight by the seat track stud and nuts. I think this will be an even greater distribution of load/force over the floor pan than the factory reinforcement plates. The outboard seat track studs (closer to the doors) have a reinforcement plate welded to the underside floor pan and does the same thing but to a smaller surface area. I think my plan is equal/better to the factory welded in plates and definitely better than just using 2" fender washers under the nuts on the seat studs that some have recommended and used.
I think that the underneath strip is especially a good idea but my floor in that area is far from flat, lots of contours stamped into the metal.
NJRR
Well-Known Member
The whole strip should just engage the high spots and spread the load to those areas. It's the contours themselves that give the floor pan rigidity to a large degree.
Panel bond is awesome, used it all the time if I was putting on a new door skin for instance.
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