Saggy floor syndrome!

[Julian Thompson]

1600 miles completed now since June build. What a fun summer I've had but I must confess I've not used the 7 on the road since October, instead doing 3 trackdays which were just totally wonderful, and a real chance to find out why my car relieved me of so much folding stuff!!!!

 

Anyhow, since beginning my very thorough winter schedule of fiddling I have noticed that V11UFO is showing signs of the dreaded saggy floor syndrome. I have Kevlar tilletts and my car is fitted with those alloy U channels under the floor.

 

I have tried in my mind to visualise the agenda of the chap who designed this particular setup but without sounding disrespectful I cannot see any merit in what has been done, since the weight of a driver and additional forces created by driving will obviously distort such a flimsy setup.

 

I am designing a new system which does not need to provide fore/aft movement and would be interested to get some advice from any of you guys who have already done this modification; Where did you choose to pick up your frame mounts from, how did you fasten them, what metal stock did you use, did you do away with the U channels altogether, how light were you successful in making your solution?

 

Cheers in advance

 

Jue

[Anthony]

Jue,

 

I have been thinking along the same lines as mine sags as well ( over weight driver ). It has only sagged since the Tillet went in and did not sag with the S-type seat which takes some support from the rear bulkhead or the simple benchseat

 

I was looking to pick up on the chassis rail just in front of the seats and the powder coated lugs by the rear bulkhead - please bear in mind I have an old chassis and was looking to get Arch to do this for me in January

 

If the metalwork connecting the two is box section it can act as the fixing point and load distribution for the seat.

 

I will let you know how I get on.

 

Best regards

 

Anthony

 

X-Flow-power; the real way forward

 

 

[Nigel Riches]

I have installed the later more comfy cloth adjustable seats to my 1982 Caterham , but decided that the two seat runners would cause to much localised loading of the floor, so cut some .375 plyboard the same area as the floor, and set the seats on these, no saggy floor, bolted through the frame member that runs across the floor forward of the seats, and through the floor at the rear, with a large load spreading plate to pull the bolts against, probably not suitable for track use but may impart some ideas for you, Nigel.

[Peter Carmichael]

I designed an adjustable bracket for the old-style low back composite seats. Those seats attach to the rear bulkhead and at the front to the chassis crossmember. There is no load on the floor and it stops the back of the seat flexing, unlike the Tillets. The rear bracket is a sliding, extending link and the front bracket is a shearing link. I will send you some drawings in case it gives you some ideas.

 

Material was alumnium square section, drilled to a pattern and then cut, riveted and bonded.

[k.russell]

julian

i fabricated apair of seat brackets that mount on top of the box section in front of the seats and to the brackets behind the seats(on rear bulkhead). these where both ali 25mm x 25mm angle 3mm thk, these were bolted in using existing seat mounting bolt holes. i had already put holes in floor for my tillets(my chassis is 1992 so had no u channel things) i then placed over the centre of these holes(in floor) two more angles, running front back, between the other angles and welded to form a sort of "H" section. my seats now sit on top of these frames and my already sagging floor pulled up nicely when i bolted in the seats,(i do have adj. runners both sides). did not weigh these ali brackets, i was more worried about backside, road coming together.

kev.

[Julian Thompson]

Thanks guys.

 

Peter - I've just mailed you back but I've now understood everything since reading your post here. Many thanks.

 

I'm really happy with my seating position so don't need any adjustment; I think Mr Russell's idea sounds roughly what I was thinking (and probably what Ant was thinking too!)