Help! Seat mount in floor pan is torn!!

[jskingry]

So I have noticed my drivers seat getting more and more wobbly in my 2002 4runner. It is getting really bad and the bolts are are all tight. So I gut the carpet back tonight and the steel channel the seat bolts to is ripped! So I need to get this fixed, has anyone seen something like this or could someone recommend some way to fix it, I might take it to my welder to see what he thinks but it's all sheet metal down there.

I have attached photos so show the problem.

 

[Scramble]

Interesting, you destroyed your rug instead of unbolting the seat & peeling the rug back.

I've seen them rust out before but not dented & cracked like that. I bet that was from an accident.

 

[jgue467]

Yeah perhaps an accident caused that. At least it's not rust!!

If that were mine I'd start easy with JBweld, the regular (strongest) one not the quick setting or water one, they are weaker. If you haven't used this before it sets and becomes harder than the metal surrounding it, just mix it equally and apply. Luck. :cowboy:

 

[reelamin]

That looks like its been on the decline for quite a while. Take the seat out, roll the carpet back, weld in a new base, put back together.

JB weld is awesome stuff, but never seen it really hold for that large of gaps and problem. If you could get it all beat back together, sand the crap out of it, then JB it on both sides it might work. Would be the cheapest and fastest to try. Would be a pain to remove it if it did not work so you could weld in a new base.

 

[jskingry]

Owned the truck since 2007 it has a clean carfax for what that is worth. Not too worried about the carpet, I can stitch it back together easily.

Looks like I am going to have to rebuild something there, not sure I trust JB Weld would hate to have the seat break lose in an accident.

 

[JBurt]

Screw all that work. Take the seat out, drill through the floor and but a longer bolt through with a large fender washer in the bottom. Thus is a fairly common issue. Slather it with rtv or your sealant of choice. Works perfect

 

[Sean K.]

Had the same issue in my 99 several years back. Just welded a big 3/16" washer made from a hole saw remnant to the floor. Problem solved.

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

Aren't most of suggested solutions for the issue of the tack welded nut breaking off? I've read about that problem several times. I wouldn't trust JB Weld for that. No way. I think the only "right" (and safe) way to fix it is to have it welded.

 

[T4R2014]

Can we all just take a moment... he ripped the carpet to inspect it. Bet it'll stitch back looking like nothing happened.

You need a welder. Oh yeah, remove the carpet before welding it.

 

[Reinout]

Our 97 when we bought it had to have the seats replaced and low and behold I had one bolt that that was torn out. The orig owner had put a long bolt from underneath with a massive washer and that did the trick. Kinda sucks but I'm not taking the seats in and out so whatever


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[SDsurfx]

Picked up a 99 4Runner a few weeks ago. Both front bolts on driver seat ripped through floor board. Super embarrassed I didn’t realize it until after purchase. It had been repaired with the washer method which only tore more metal from the floor.

Had it welded up by a custom shop and damn it feels better. Plus no more safety worries. Guys that are welding are doing it right.

 

[T4R2014]

LOL, op was a dumbass.

 

[Toyotayoda]

So I have noticed my drivers seat getting more and more wobbly in my 2002 4runner. It is getting really bad and the bolts are are all tight. So I gut the carpet back tonight and the steel channel the seat bolts to is ripped! So I need to get this fixed, has anyone seen something like this or could someone recommend some way to fix it, I might take it to my welder to see what he thinks but it's all sheet metal down there.

I have attached photos so show the problem.

I had the same issue with mine, though not as bad, that part of the floor pan is available from Toyota. It's not difficult to pull the carpet back, mark location of original part, drill out the 20 or so spot welds, and weld in new part. I think List on the part is $80 or $90., I briefly looked for my receipt for the part number, but I don't think I kept it.

 

[TheDurk]

Thing is, the metal in the factory part is pretty thin. Those blind weld-nuts are an abomination in this application. The method of drilling a hole for a longer bolt in the real floor, and placing fender washers on the underside with RTV to seal, actually results in a stronger (and much cheaper) solution in my opinion. The floor plate is stronger than that flimsy mounting piece.I did it five years ago and no issues. If you replace the crappy factory piece, you still have the crappy factory piece which many people have seen break.

Many other posters have done the same thing I did and I have not seen a report of failure.

 

[nobb]

Had this problem too, the metal is too thin to weld on. I just ended up tack welding small bits of structure as best as I could, then filling in the area with epoxy + fiberglass. Has been holding up for a few years now.

 

[hounddogman]

Mine pulled through a couple of months ago while looking over my shoulder backing down a boat ramp . I will fix it with the longer bolt through the body method . It seems like the strongest way and it won't be the only bolt poking through the body .

 

[brillo_76]

I fixed my 98 with the washer method and I used 3 pop rivets to hold the washer in place until I could weld it in. I did this a year or 2 seems to be repaired. I agree that the seat bracket is too thin. I expect a few more of my seats coming loose in my other rigs.