Thread: Floor pan

Tweet

I know this has been posted somewhere, I just can't seem to find it.
What gauge should I use for a floor pan? I see JcWhitney has some 22-gauge cold-rolled automotive-quality steel for under $17 for a 3'x4' piece. Is this strong enough? Do I need 18 gauge or what?
Thanks
Tim

I have used both 18 and 22 but I use a bead roller to stiffen it up.

20-22 is for body

16-18 is for pans & firewall

i like 18 for steel wheel tubs and floor pan and i have made the floor frame and braces from 1by1 1/8 tubing and plug weld the floor steel down

i like 18 for steel wheel tubs and floor pan and i have made the floor frame and braces from 1by1 1/8 tubing and plug weld the floor steel down


Precisely the way we do it.


Don

Just doing the toe and front pan on my 29 A Tudor(stock firewall with V6 engine/350 tranny). I have a piece of 16 gauge with the bend in it ready to cut to fit. My plan was to put it flat on the flanges of the rails etc (ie no flange on the pan) and then put additional plywood on top to ensure a solid floor. No beads in the metal pan. This means cutting a tranny hole in the pan for just a small amount of tranny. If I raised all the rail flanges by adding some square tubing or flanged the pan edges it just might clear the tranny but that means no real space to add the wood. Would unbeaded 16 gauge be firm enough on it's own? comments?

38 Racing---You should be allright with the 16 gauge.----if you are using plywood over top of it to distribute the load over a large area. If you cut out an area for the transmission, I would recomend forming some kind of tranny cover from more 16 gauge and welding it in solid---that will add tremendous strength to your floor, far more strength than you will get from plain 16 ga. with a hole cut out of it and left that way.

If you have access to a metal brake you could cross break an x in it to help keep it from popping.
This is done from corner to corner, to keep it stable when feet are on it.

if you can fabricate from 16 on the floor pans, go for it. Personally, I don't think anything less than 20 should be used on a car.

I hate phat cars, I use 22 ga. on everything, and aluminum on wheel tubs!!!!

CAUTION: This method is not for the faint of heart, these suckers are fragile!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by brianrupnow
38 Racing---You should be allright with the 16 gauge.----if you are using plywood over top of it to distribute the load over a large area. If you cut out an area for the transmission, I would recomend forming some kind of tranny cover from more 16 gauge and welding it in solid---that will add tremendous strength to your floor, far more strength than you will get from plain 16 ga. with a hole cut out of it and left that way.

Had idea to attach a frame of square tubing around tranny hole attached to floor pan (with cover going on top of it). Frame would go up and along (and attached to) the firewall flange at the top of toe board(pan). The plywoood would then just come up to this frame and make the floor almost flush level across except at very front. Rear of this frame I was thinking to just have plywood continuous from side to side or split it by running a piece of the square tubing (welded to the frame around the hole) back to the subrail cross member flange. This way the that tubing frame is supported front(firewall) and rear (subrail) by more than just the pan.

Why plywood on a floor????? Seems all it would do is become a moisture trap??? Factory floor boards are usually 18 ga, with some beading and bracing it should be plenty strong enough.......JMO

Originally posted by firebird77clone
if you can fabricate from 16 on the floor pans, go for it. Personally, I don't think anything less than 20 should be used on a car.

Ok I am a little confused, Isn't 20 thinner that 16? I thought steel was like wire, the smaller the number the bigger/thicker the item?

22ga with a bead roller, can't beat it for price and weight.

Gage is the same Joker, 20 is thinner then 16.

Is it looking like spring up there yet???? When we going fishing???