Seats welded; is this safe?
- Thread starter MT Tatman
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Grind that down smooth then notch where the two pieces meet. Turn your welder up one setting and try again. This time, when you're making the bead, let the puddle determine the speed of your weld. Keep the nozzle of the welder (or wire) in the forward 1/3 -1/4 of the puddle and walk the puddle forward.
Your welds look like they were too cold for the steel and you moved forward too fast before you had any real penetration.
Your welds look like they were too cold for the steel and you moved forward too fast before you had any real penetration.
Why not get some scrap steel and practice? Get some 1/8th strap and weld the edges together both flat and 90*. If you can get the basics on 1/8th, then move down to some 16ga and do it again. Then move down to 18 ga. Welding the thick stuff is easy, it's the thinner stuff that's harder.
Another suggestion, you might want to consider fabbing up your own rail supports.
I would run a flat rail bolted to the floor, then adapt in and have that in turn bolt to the seat rails. This would avoid 2 problems...
1)welding skill, seats really are somthing you want to be 100% on.
2)Ease of adjustment: By making the adaptor able to bolt in and out, you could easily use it on any type of seat.
I would run a flat rail bolted to the floor, then adapt in and have that in turn bolt to the seat rails. This would avoid 2 problems...
1)welding skill, seats really are somthing you want to be 100% on.
2)Ease of adjustment: By making the adaptor able to bolt in and out, you could easily use it on any type of seat.
Outdoorlogic
New member
x2 Much better idea rather than taking unkown metal ( stock metal) and trying to make it work.
csrobb007
New member
Agreed...also understand that a seat is not what keeps you in a vehicle in the event of a mishap...belts are...the seat is just a place to be comfortable. That's not to say welds don't need to be correct, I would consider some small gussets to spread loads, but harnesses and belts are what will be key components in an accident.
Just my 3.0 cents worth
Without a seat for the harness to hold your body to, the harness doesn't do much good.
Previous statements of using some new material are good ideas.
KidVermicious
New member
May I hijack? What sort of steel would be appropriate for the new brackets?
MT Tatman
New member
I like the idea of making my own brackets. It seems like an obvious solution that I didn't see while diong this. I tend to just Charge Foreward with my projects sometimes. This is a good example of how stepping back and thinking more would have saved me time. Thank you for the great idea!!
Any mild steel that is 1/8th thick or thicker would work. If you use 1/8th, it should either be channel or gusseted.
If I were to build my own seat brackets I would probably use a 1"X1/2" box 1/8" wall and cap the open ends. Then you bolt that frame to the seat and the floor of the runner. If done right you can make it look smooth with a low profile so it doesn't even look like you made your own seat rail. Eventually I may make my own seat brackets. I would like to get some corbeau front seats and a corbeau bench for the rear... but that's about a grand down the road.
If I were to build my own seat brackets I would probably use a 1"X1/2" box 1/8" wall and cap the open ends. Then you bolt that frame to the seat and the floor of the runner. If done right you can make it look smooth with a low profile so it doesn't even look like you made your own seat rail. Eventually I may make my own seat brackets. I would like to get some corbeau front seats and a corbeau bench for the rear... but that's about a grand down the road.
