Hi all, new member here and I've got a question on floor pans that I haven't seen in searching the forums.

I'd picked up a '92 5 speed and there ended up being more rust than I thought. I've decided that I'll start doing a restoration this year. As part of that I'll learn how to weld and install new floor pans. So, with no welding experience yet, my question is: Is there any benefit to getting the pans that are half pans (front and back) vs the full length Key Parts pans? Probably over thinking things, just wondering the trade offs of potentially the joint making it easier for a beginner welder vs more work and potential extra water entry points?

 

How bad are they? I just did the passenger side on my '92 five speed, documented here https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f46/92...8/#post3726639

If you buy the pans you can just tack them in and then come through with seem sealer, I chose to to buy a sheet (drop) from my local metal guys for like $15 and spent the rest on a nice used YES 250PRO MIG, some thin wire and a bottle of mig gas.

 

When I did my I replaced all 4 separate just due to ease of mobility plus the place i got them from gave me a veterans discount. I bought one of those hole punchers and did plug welds about every 1/2 inch or so and over lapped the metal some. Used weld thru prime with zic for added protection, primed sealed and painted with Por-15.

 

Thanks for the input and sorry for the delayed response. The high winds from the “blizzard” knocked out power and I just got internet back.

The pans aren’t Fred Flintstone bad, but bad enough to smell exhaust at times and let water splash in. Probably my biggest reservation is taking too big a step on the learning curve if I just go with flat stock. The last time I did any welding was stick welding in Jr High, and that was a couple years ago. 😉 So in my mind the pre-formed are the way to go for me. Just wasn’t sure if the full length vs half length would be a benefit or challenge.

For awareness I also have a ‘94 Sport that was my first vehicle which I bought new. But being it’s my first vehicle I want to keep it for special situations. The plan for the ‘92 is to get this into good enough shape, set up in an overlanding setup so I can go to National Parks and do some nature/wildlife photography.

 

MIG welding is not that hard and if you go with 16g/18g mild sheet its not bad to cut and beat it into shape.

Welding it in, you figure it out fast.

Save the bits you cut out to get the welder dialed in before you start

Start by cutting all the rot out, be careful not to cut frame rails (you can just weld them back up if you knick them). Get yourself an air chisel, they're great to cut the spot welds away.

Create a cardboard template that cleanly fits the parts you removed, that'll let you know how big of sheet you'll need,
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Cut the sheet out with your template as a guide.

Mark and drill holes in the sheet (3/8" or so) that intersect the frame rails so you can plug weld them.

Wire brush and clean all the surfaces you're going to weld.

Buy some weld through primer and prime everything that's bare metal.

Hammer and bend the metal to just start to fit, get all the large and hard angles first as you can push them back out later

Start on one side and tack it on, work your way to the other side and tack those on. Work your way around tacking and hammering the metal into place. Work towards the holes in the sheet, press and hammer the sheet down and into place and keep welding. Don't dwell in one spot for too long and keep shifting from side to side to the middle, etc.
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​​​​​​For the more trouble-sum areas where you might or have blow through, clamp a chiller block on the back side of the metal you're welding (copper spoon for welding, or copper / aluminum block, etc, just something to get the heat away), this will help keep the heat down in the thin areas.

By the time you get it done, you'll be half way okay at welding and know you did it yourself.

Once its all solid, come back through with seam sealer, big thick blob over the joints, most seam sealer can be brushed out with a boars hair brush soaked in mineral spirits so you can get a nice looking seam.

Seal the metal with paint, etc and you're done

Loads of simple how to videos on youtube. The sheet is probably going to be easier if you don't have to replace the whole pan.

Avoid the screw on / rivet solutions, do it right and weld it up.

 

Awesome reply. Oh, and yours was one of the build threads I’ve been reading. I have also been watching several videos on both the floor and rockers trying to get an idea of what’s involved. A guy I know who repaired printing equipment taught himself to weld and told me if he could do it so could I. I’m the type who likes to learn, so hopefully he’s correct.

Funny you mentioned riveting, I’ve done more of that than welding, but that was solid rivets (AN-470/426). The rust has gotten worse as I had to deal with some stuff, but it looks like it doesn’t go too far up the side of the tunnel. But there is a spot far enough up the pre-formed pans wouldn’t reach it. Hopefully within about a month I should be able to move it where I can start cutting metal and cleaning the frame.

 

Hey thanks. Yeah this '92 was my first ride as well, sold it, and somehow it came back home.

Some of the Chinese MIG welders are pretty nice. I picked this one up for this job for about $200 used, plus I bought a bottle from airgas for another $326

https://migweldercart.com/yeswelder-...welder-review/

I needed to buy the roller set because the PO didn't have them and a new grommet for the power plug, but it was really awesome once I dialed it in and really anyone could weld with it. It's a metal glue gun and far easier than TIG =)