Floor sheetmetal thickness

85_Ranger4x4 · Aug 17, 2015

Been looking more at my floor rust, it is all flat were my hole is. So I am thinking I can just pull the interior and carpet, cut out the bad spot and weld in a new piece of steel. How thick is the sheetmetal of the floor?

Thanks.

rangerenthiusiast · Jun 14, 2018

Looking for this same info for my ’92, if anyone can help (should be the same as your ’85). I’ve spent days searching the inter webs for a half- or full-floor panel. No one makes them apparently, so I’ll have to use front quarter patch panels up front, then try to fabricate everything else. It’s going to be ugly. Don’t have the tools, space, or experience with metal fab. I’m imagining a LOT of right angles, so replacing the carpet will be impossible. Long story short, I also need to know how thick to go with the sheet metal, so I can hopefully make some decent welds (first time doing this too). Sorry to jack your thread, ’85...

BlackBII · Jun 14, 2018

Have you looked in local junkyards?

A sawzall or die grinder and an hour of your time should net you a good floor, provided you can find one in a junkyard.

rangerenthiusiast · Jun 14, 2018

BlackBII said:
Have you looked in local junkyards?

A sawzall or die grinder and an hour of your time should net you a good floor, provided you can find one in a junkyard.

No junkyards in my immediate vicinity, due to local ordinances. At the ones a bit further away, it’s illegal to pull your own parts and the guys there have zero interest in pulling a floor. Moreover, I’m in the rust belt, so there aren’t a lot of them left and those that are will likely have floor as bad as mine.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jun 14, 2018

Mine is better than most in my area, I have another spot going now (but I did finally find the water leak)

I am going to replace the pan.

JOLENE_THE_RANGER · Jun 14, 2018

85_Ranger4x4 said:
Mine is better than most in my area, I have another spot going now (but I did finally find the water leak)

I am going to replace the pan.

cab sheet metal is pretty thin, id say 16- 14GA. what gives it its strength is all the brakes and forms in it. ive built entire floors and firewalls with 14 GA sheet metal but i bead rolled a perimeter around each panel and lines inside it to give it strength. if you're just replacing a small area...say.... less that 12x12 inches you should be more than fine with slapping on a flat piece of COLD ROLLED 14 ga steel. i know i have some of my cab sheet metal at home i can measure tonight if you'd like

alwaysFlOoReD · Jun 14, 2018

I've used whatever I could find, eg; access panels from furnaces. If your'e creative you can use the bends already in place on the panels you find. I really doubt 14gauge is used, maybe not 16g either. 18 gauge would be my WAG. 16g would be fine and my choice if I was using new.

rangerenthiusiast · Jun 14, 2018

alwaysFlOoReD said:
I've used whatever I could find, eg; access panels from furnaces. If your'e creative you can use the bends already in place on the panels you find. I really doubt 14gauge is used, maybe not 16g either. 18 gauge would be my WAG. 16g would be fine and my choice if I was using new.

Thanks for the input as always, FlOoReD. Stupid question: how would I determine the gauge steel I need? My assumption is that I should only use the same gauge for new steel as the old stuff I’m welding to, in order to avoid burning holes through the old stuff. Can I figure out what the old gauge in the truck is by finding a solid piece of it and measuring the thickness with a micrometer?

Also, any input as to whether I should be buying galvanized, etc would be most appreciated. When I go to Tractor Supply for my new metal, I’d like to at least have some kind of idea what I’m talking about. I’m probably going to have to make a bunch of smaller patch pieces to go under the seat and hammering any channels into them that I can to try to match the old design, as I don’t have a metal roller or any other fabrication equipment. Sucks I know, but I have to try to save the truck any way I can.

JOLENE_THE_RANGER · Jun 14, 2018

rangerenthiusiast said:
Thanks for the input as always, FlOoReD. Stupid question: how would I determine the gauge steel I need? My assumption is that I should only use the same gauge for new steel as the old stuff I’m welding to, in order to avoid burning holes through the old stuff. Can I figure out what the old gauge in the truck is by finding a solid piece of it and measuring the thickness with a micrometer?

Also, any input as to whether I should be buying galvanized, etc would be most appreciated. When I go to Tractor Supply for my new metal, I’d like to at least have some kind of idea what I’m talking about. I’m probably going to have to make a bunch of smaller patch pieces to go under the seat and hammering any channels into them that I can to try to match the old design, as I don’t have a metal roller or any other fabrication equipment. Sucks I know, but I have to try to save the truck any way I can.

you don't need to match the patching material thickness perfectly to what you're welding to. if you're slightly thicker of thinner you'll be fine and shouldn't blow holes with the welder as long as you weld small sections at a time or trigger weld it. DO NOT USED GALVANIZED. welding galvanized steel lets out a gas which could kill you. "cold rolled" sheet would be the best but "hot rolled" would also be fine. cold rolled metal is light silver and hot rolled is a darker color almost black.

as for the exact gauge, ill measure when i get home. i have lots of metal i cut out of my cab in my scrap bucket

rangerenthiusiast · Jun 14, 2018

JOLENE_THE_RANGER said:
you don't need to match the patching material thickness perfectly to what you're welding to. if you're slightly thicker of thinner you'll be fine and shouldn't blow holes with the welder as long as you weld small sections at a time or trigger weld it. DO NOT USED GALVANIZED. welding galvanized steel lets out a gas which could kill you. "cold rolled" sheet would be the best but "hot rolled" would also be fine. cold rolled metal is light silver and hot rolled is a darker color almost black.

as for the exact gauge, ill measure when i get home. i have lots of metal i cut out of my cab in my scrap bucket

Dude, you ROCK! Yeah, I figured that galvanized was a no-go, but wasn’t sure what to ask for. Cold rolled it is, then. I assume that cold rolled will weld up okay to hot rolled, if it turns out that’s what the front patch panels I’m ordering are made of? Thanks a million for offering to measure for me. Trying to learn as much as I can, as fast as possible before I lose my nerve.

alwaysFlOoReD · Jun 14, 2018

As Jolene says, don't weld galvanized without removing the zinc first.

Also, if you use BraKleen make sure it is thoroughly dried before welding. Chlorinated BraKleen and equivalents give off a gas that can kill if heated by welding.

85_Ranger4x4 · Jun 14, 2018

JOLENE_THE_RANGER said:
cab sheet metal is pretty thin, id say 16- 14GA. what gives it its strength is all the brakes and forms in it. ive built entire floors and firewalls with 14 GA sheet metal but i bead rolled a perimeter around each panel and lines inside it to give it strength. if you're just replacing a small area...say.... less that 12x12 inches you should be more than fine with slapping on a flat piece of COLD ROLLED 14 ga steel. i know i have some of my cab sheet metal at home i can measure tonight if you'd like

Yeah, bends are huge for strength.

In addition to the initial hole about where my foot pivots between the two pedals that spawned this post 3 years ago it is getting kind of bad around a rubber grommet.

For $40 I think I will just get a regular panel and be done with it.

JOLENE_THE_RANGER · Jun 14, 2018

rangerenthiusiast said:
Dude, you ROCK! Yeah, I figured that galvanized was a no-go, but wasn’t sure what to ask for. Cold rolled it is, then. I assume that cold rolled will weld up okay to hot rolled, if it turns out that’s what the front patch panels I’m ordering are made of? Thanks a million for offering to measure for me. Trying to learn as much as I can, as fast as possible before I lose my nerve.

yeah, typically cold rolled welds nicer than hot rolled and is a bit sturdier. the cab is cold rolled steel under all that paint. but to answer your question cold rolled will weld to hot rolled just fine sir! and no problem, ill be in the garage building a fathers day gift anyways.

also, if you're interested in some fabrication tools, and have a vice, this vice brake is AWESOME for bending thin sheet metal and would make your life easier when matching the floor. pretty cheap too! i have one and use it more than my big sheet metal box brake haha. this is a link to the 6" wide one but it comes in a variety of widths.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-Vise-Brake/H3245

Denisefwd93 · Jun 14, 2018

LMC http://www.lmctruck.com/features/fr/FR9B3.htm

rangerenthiusiast · Jun 14, 2018

alwaysFlOoReD said:
As Jolene says, don't weld galvanized without removing the zinc first.

Also, if you use BraKleen make sure it is thoroughly dried before welding. Chlorinated BraKleen and equivalents give off a gas that can kill if heated by welding.

Ummmm.... silly question: do people usually use Brakleen before welding? Is it somehow necessary, like using metal prep before painting or something? :icon_confused:

Floor sheetmetal thickness

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