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I was rudely baned from "The Samba" many years ago so I normally don't go on it even when looking for information.

I did look at the page you gave me and there are some things I may or might not agree with.

A body lift flanges (on top of the floor pans) are 1/12" in width plus height and the material and its thickness can be different. The lift in the body mount tunnel would probably going to be 1" wide (not sure about other country's forms of size, make and material). I suspect that there might be smaller stuff available, but it is probably too small for strength. The welds had to be ground down on the top of the pan so the body and "bulb ring" (if you are planning on using the bulb ring) which does weaken things up a bit. Again, there is body clamping but with the FG that isn't much flex usable and the "bulb ring" might allow too much flexibility (something I hadn't thought about before, but I did buy one and it is sitting around taking up space)
This is how I joined the pan's body mount to the lower support to the pan halves. A dot isn't enough contact but... this may not be the best either but it is something. If I remember correctly, I have a drilled and enlarged patch between each body bolt hole to weld to the support in the tunnel.

Again, there is a limit to the inside or outside bend radiuses of not only the pan's material but the material of the body lift and body support. This is also applicable to what the use is going to be. You can look radiuses up but it is confusing unless you deal with it regularly. Again, the metals are not just (for discussion) steel but also have other materials in them to cover other uses that could happen (this is a big deal in fasteners and their grades also).

When loading is done to something there is usually going to be some stretching and bending of the material. When tubing (for example) there is an outside bend where the material is stretched and inside bending where the material compresses (remember the looking at "bending your finger" thing which looks a bit different but does show what can happen.

Welding around the bends soften the materials up and the welding material can be different which is one reason thinner and smaller materials can fail. But, the materials also support each other so there is or can be strengthen the assembly. This is one reason I recommended not going with the 1" X 1" square tube but going with 1" X 1 1/2" rectangular tube. I did the 1 X 1 because it was welded to the pan floor which was clamped to the body lift forming a bit stronger assy. If you are planning on going this direction I wonder if the 1" X 1/2" or 2" might be more strength.

The floor assy is strengthened by the body mount area fore and aft and there is the stiffening flanging going side to side and then connects to not only the tunnel but the fore and aft structure for the front end and rear suspension. Additional strength is usually needed there depending on what use is going to be had.

This, I hope, is a good conversation and maybe more discussion comes in.

Lee

I must have fatfingered posting about the factory seat hold downs pre-1973, and the Factory TSB to secure the seats on all pre-1973 VWs...
Essentially, if you get rear ended hard in any pre-1973 VW, expect a broken neck.

The seat rips free from the adjusting rails (thin, flat steel bits) and you get ejected head first into the rear window.

The fix is 4 U bolts through 6" square doublers each seat, under the pan..
Not terribly adjustable anymore but you might live through getting rear ended.

Thanks for that word of caution Piledriver!

I did it a bit differently. I ran a channel across the to the inboard mounting flange from the outboard flange then mounted the seats to it. I also mounted it "flanges up" so I didn't have to notch the ends of the channel to mount it to the pan halves. It may not be the best way and it does put the seat a bit higher that way.

If you are going to use "U-bolts" and put them in from the bottom of the pan, then I highly recommend double nutting them. All the constant jiggling can cause even good quality nuts to back off over time (uploading and downloading constantly can cause stretching and shrinking). Even "split washers" can age this way. If you do an information search on the different types of washer you might be amazed as to just how many types of washers there are.
I hope this shows things OK.

Lee

Clarification: While the pix is pretty obvious, the flanged ends of the mounting bracket do point up but are joined with "C"- shaped material (flanged) pointing down. The overlap between the 2 C-shaped pieces is longer than the seat mouning bracket by roughly an inch.

This mounting design was because of potential "in the sand" use. It is hard to vacuum sand off the floor with the seat sitting lower and no... no blowing the sand out is a good idea .

NORDLOCK Washers for the win.

https://www.grainger.com/product/5UTG1? ... lsrc=aw.ds

https://www.bing.com/search?q=wedge+loc ... 0ad6b4c1aa

This is something I am not sure of, so I am backing off.

I gave too much info in my post that I should not have said so I am backing off there too.

Lee

Something like this did come up but there was an on/off use limitation added due to wear but this isn't it either.

Opinion:

The first pix was confusing until I did the other site that showed the angled teeth. I would suspect that there could be a lot of quick wear on those.

The other fastener I was talking about that I was involved in it's use was the Nyloc fasteners. There was a wear factor on them shortly after their design came out and the cycle use was just over 10 off and on's. The part we used them on ended up having been removed then added during the building cycles and the bolts had been replaced due to the cycle wear over 25 times.

I did a search online on fasteners and while it was interesting, I think a lot of information was missing as it did not match up with the information I was taught (part of my job). As far as I know (remember) most all countries have their own standards for standards (and that is not limited to just "nuts and bolts".

Materials, the forming/mixing of the materials, the manufacturing designs of all potions of the fasteners, things like the shanks, radiuses, threads and so on), the testing of the finish part(s) and so on. It's not as simple as just going to a hardware store and reach into a tray of something. I've even seen the "writeups" of their components by a manufacturing company that was outright scary.

Used parts also may have had abusive things done to them probably as well as their age.

I have watched the program "How It's Made" and even they were missing talking about of the detail information that should be known as part of what one is being done.

I have had brand new, supposedly special purpose fasteners fail as they were being installed for the first time and it never got to the "torquing" part of the assy.

Lee

Many things change over time...

I stopped believing in split lock washers awhile back because NASA doesn't believe in them.
... NASA did extensive testing and results say split lock washers are literally worse than nothing.

The hardened serrated ones (like for CV bolts) are great and the ones with the windmill edges are apparently at least functional.

Locktite is my personal anti-falloff weapon of choice.

That is pretty much true but there are times some of the common stuff can/should be used but one has to remember that there is a life span washer also. I have undone some bolts and the split washer stayed flat. The wear pattern to them, especially when they are modified to not be truly but like the ones with the slanted faces used to stop the bolt from backing off, the wear to the washer is going to limit it's usefulness. Heat (over a period of time) can also destroy a split washer use due to destroying the "spring rate" added to the washer.

https://monroeengineering.com/blog/what ... t-washers/

A short discussion on split "washers".

Washers have several uses such as spreading out loads or taking/absorbing some of the wear when tightening or loosening fasteners. They also can be designed as unique spacers but then, like most everything else, there is a life/cycle limit to them. I did some drawings for odd things that a washer might do such as a spacer where the radius/ or "edge margin" of something or something similar would interfere with the head of the bolt or there was a taper involved and the taper angle of a washer was needed to keep the head or nut of the bolt in-line with the shank.

"Stuff" and their need can be very complicated at times.

Lee

As I said, most every country has their own standards. The country standards usually come with part numbers that can be as long as 18 coding/digets that being numbers, letters. and symbols (the longest coding I remember seeing was 18) telling you just what they are.

Companies that make (other than the standard fasteners) usually have their own standards meaning not always in compliance with the countries' standards.

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=w ... A1&PC=LCTS

Split washers do pass on quickly especially if a lot of torque is added when installing them and for long uses in a tight torquing situation. They work on an easy clamping and seem to last a bit longer if they are relieved of pressure once-in-a-while. Heat is also part of the causing the fastener to loose it's shape.

When removing the fastener assy, look at the angle between the two ends of the washer. When they are getting tired the two ends off-set gets lower and lower (not necessary talking about the gap as that is usually built into the washer.

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=s ... A1&PC=LCTS

Star washers are about the same, look at the internal/external flutes.

There are washers that are bent to have a single or multiple arcs (e.g. waves.

Again, like fasteners the making of the stronger washers isn't simple and requires several types testing before delivery.

A very important discussion.

Lee

Boy, am I getting a lot of adds for "washers" in the last few days.

Lee