floor supports

So my google-fu is weak tonight. I'm looking for pictures and descriptions of how you guys have made your own floor supports. I drafted a couple of plans the other night but I'm curious what has been done. I am planning on using 1" box tubing, with no regards to stock, and wouldn't mind a tougher end product. I am using the stock frame mounts. I'd appreciate any pictures.

 

Some have used rectangular tubing with the same cross-section as the originals. Try searching for "hat channel."

 

When I redone mine several years ago i ordered a piece of hat channel from J.C Whitney. It was almost the same deminsions as stock. I cut it to what i needed and it worked great.

 

I ordered hat channel from an e-Bay supplier...

 

How hard is this stuff to repair with the tub still on the jeep? If I have a short rusted out section of hat channel under the pedals, can a new section be cut and welded in? Of course the fuel line would need removing and inside the floorboard would need touching up after welding.

 

I suppose it depends on how well you can weld laying on your back...

 

You might also try www.classicent.com/jeep.php for lots of metal parts including hat channel for Jeeps. A little pricey but it looks like good stuff. I have never used them but guys on this forum have commented positively about their stuff. Of course home made is always better IMO.

 

I'd be depending on someone else. I can't weld on my back, stomach, head, or feet...

 

I'm kind of in the same boat, I need to replace floor pans and hat channel. I've got metal from Classic Ent., it looks awesome. Problem is, I've only got a one car garage to work in. Not enough room to remove the body, and I live in a condo so I can't leave anything out. My options are to farm it out, or motivate, and weld upside down.

 

I have little to no interest in using the stock hat channel. This tub is so far removed from stock that consider nothing pre-existing. There is actually no Hat channel in it at the moment. The current floor is plate with channel stock welded to the bottom for mounts.

I am reffering to the tub being way heavier than a stock one, and it will endure things that a stock jeep would never see. That being said I don't know if there is a better layout of supports then the stock hat channel. The plan I made the other night mimicked the stock lines with a couple extra peices for added support. Look at it this way: I am not building this to stay together if I roll it over. I am building it to stay together when it rolls over.

 

1/8" (11ga.) is probably as thick as you would need to go for hat channels IMO

 

Brett, your picture is what I am after. I made my last post from work where I couldn't see the picture.

 

ive used 3 inch channel iron with good results (i know what you do with that thing)

 

:twisted:

 

I used a combination of 1x2 and 1x3 11 ga. rect. tubing. The theory is that it will act as a sub-frame for the body to help stiffen things up.

 

The more I look at your picture the more I like that design. Any Idea how much material you used or perhaps a drawing? That is the direction I think I want to go to.

 

I bought a 10' stick of 1x3 and a 10' stick of 1x2. I used up all of the 1x2, still have maybe 3 ft of 1x3 left

 

Here is the section that looks the worst on my jeep. I didn't do any tub work at this point because the exterior paint is in too good of shape, and I didn't want to prolong a project since I want to wheel it. For the time being I've added aluminum angles for support. I did this as part of my step install:


I'll do a total body-off restore sometime down the road.

 

well, I made my decision a little too late. My father picked up steel for me and got a full stick of 1X1. I haven't decided, but I may double it up depending on the wall thickness. He thought it was 14 gauge, but also claimed it was the thickest the place had, which I find hard to believe.