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  #1  
Old November 5th 2007, 15:36
Rba Rba is offline
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Stiffer pan

Hi

I doing a turbo T4 conversion in my bug, and yesterday when i lifted the body off of the pan I began to think of different ways to make the pan stiffer. I will eventually add a rollcage, but right now I don't got the money nor time to do it.
What I came up with was this:



I was thinking 25x25 mm tubing.

How do you think this will turn out? Will it be worth the effort and time in terms of stiffnes?

/Rba
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Old November 5th 2007, 16:25
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you should also think about a half hoop that goes over the tunnel. They sell braces/stiffeners for subis and evos that go accross the rear floor boards.
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Old November 5th 2007, 18:45
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Hi

I found these on the net somewhere. Aircooled net seel them as well. I reckon that they would help. Has anyone used them?

Steve
Attached Images
File Type: jpg stiff1.jpg (66.9 KB, 38 views)
File Type: jpg stiff3.jpg (83.6 KB, 28 views)
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Old November 5th 2007, 19:19
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Would you plan to run a roll cage also or just stiffen the floor/chasis?
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  #5  
Old November 5th 2007, 20:25
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Floorpan stiffners


Jason
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  #6  
Old November 6th 2007, 02:02
ellobo ellobo is offline
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Here's what you can do yourself...1 1/4" x .120" square tubing and bent with a mapp gas bottle...Not too difficult...



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Old November 6th 2007, 08:37
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Hi

Very nice work. Will you weld the side members in place?

Steve
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Old November 6th 2007, 10:05
Rba Rba is offline
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boratuner: I plan to use a rollcage, but the right material (ductile and strong) is not easy to come across nor cheap where I live (northen Sweden), so I was planning to strengthen the pan first, when I already have lifted the body.

ellobo: That looks really nice. Do you know how well it works?

Last edited by Rba; November 6th 2007 at 10:09.
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  #9  
Old November 7th 2007, 19:09
Kafer_Mike Kafer_Mike is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ellobo View Post
Here's what you can do yourself...1 1/4" x .120" square tubing and bent with a mapp gas bottle...Not too difficult...

How are you going to mount the pan to the body?
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  #10  
Old November 7th 2007, 19:49
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Hi

Quote:
How are you going to mount the pan to the body?
I think he will be drilling holes through the tubes, he's probably not up to that point as yet.

Steve
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  #11  
Old November 11th 2007, 15:40
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I have just one comment to this: TOO HEAVY!

Roll cage incorporated to front and rear struts is more than enough. seeam welding the body also help.

Last edited by Turbo Haraune2; November 11th 2007 at 15:41.
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  #12  
Old November 11th 2007, 23:46
jrinlv jrinlv is offline
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Do you mean welding the pan and the body together? or seam weld the floor pan to the frame? I think you mean the first right?
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Old November 12th 2007, 03:48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jrinlv View Post
Do you mean welding the pan and the body together? or seam weld the floor pan to the frame? I think you mean the first right?

No i didnt mean the first. then you cant dissasamble later!

I mean seamweld the bodyjoints where sheetmetal is only spotwelded.
the roofplate is not even welded, just rolled on!
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  #14  
Old November 12th 2007, 21:53
Bruce2 Bruce2 is offline
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Welding the seams will do very little. VWs don't develop stress cracks at the spot welded joints, therefore the spot welds are plenty strong enough.
It is well known that auto makers have reduced the # of spot welds in order to speed up manufacturing. These improvements didn't happen until the late 80s, long after our cars were made.
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Old November 14th 2007, 08:14
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Why not seam-weld the pan and body together to create a unibody?

Every other auto manufacturer in the world does it that way for a reason. The argument that you can't take it apart afterwords seems odd. Why take it apart again? If you're in a wreck that does serious damage to the body you'd think some damage would be done to the pan right? Porsche 356's are set up that way for the added rigidity from my understanding.
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