Replacing Sheet Metal

So I need to replace some sheet metal - car is a `96 Golf. The rocker panels have separated from the floor plan, and the pans themselves have taken a beating. I've picked up some books on this, and can weld reasonably well, but are there any really good resources on this? Other than the obvious, how do I tell whats structural and what isn't? I have an entire parts car to cut sheet metal from...

Holy cow, you did beat the snot out of the Golf at the weekend! Best thing is probably call Eric G.

---

Yes, it's a Ranger.
Xr4Ti, it is rwd and was made in Germany.

Quote
Matt Bobyn
So I need to replace some sheet metal - car is a `96 Golf. The rocker panels have separated from the floor plan, and the pans themselves have taken a beating. I've picked up some books on this, and can weld reasonably well, but are there any really good resources on this? Other than the obvious, how do I tell whats structural and what isn't? I have an entire parts car to cut sheet metal from...

The SILLS are the bearing members on unibody cars..The floor keeps the dirt out. The rear seat support stamping running east/west is REINFORCING part....
I can't recall whats inside a Golf sill...it may be a completely hollow box section.
But it may have an internal vertical element..
Xratties sill for example is like two D back to back like this and an extra I between
ᗡID

The vertical elements bear the load fir forces up ^ and down V, and thats a big deal...
You can see if the vertical plates have rotted cause the sill bottom has rotted, just covering the holes with a skin ain't returning car to stock strength...

Saab 96 on the other hand has a BOX section with much thicker wall than I've seen on any other unibody.. So have a look..Where floor joins the sill I like to wled in a L shaped strip off .0625/1.5mm /16g doubler just to stiffen it a bit cause the floors on all modern stuff is so thin.

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Ha yup, she took a beating. The rocker panels I've patched twice already, time to just rip 'em out. I chatted with Eric yesterday about it, we came to the conclusion of just to cut and replace the entire section.

Thanks for the reply John. After cutting apart the doner car it looks like the double D configuration, with some other gussets added in. I'll have to wait to tear apart the rally car before I see what it looks like, but I expect it will need some internal reinforcement.

Externally it seems the outer panel's spot welds have been gravel blasted away, but who knows whats underneath.

Cheers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/31/2015 09:59PM by Matt Bobyn.