Removing seat mounting brace

[TWAG]

Maybe should of asked this before I removed it but its done now.

Is the brace that the seats mount to structural or is it purely there to fix the seats to. Pic below to show you what I mean.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/twag/Nova%202013/image_zpse3d081c6.jpg

[chrisd1986]

im sure its structural as most cars have it

[bazil]

The floor is thin as fcuk, I would say that is more a crossmember than anything,

Personally I would not remove it, in a side impact the floor has very little strength without it.

[TWAG]

Hmmm that's not good,lol. I'm sure I've seen a few cars with it removed. The reason I removed it was because it was fowling the seat brackets.

[burgo]

The seat brackets will be stonger than the original mount so long as you used sufficient spreader plates

[bazil]

The seat brackets will be stonger than the original mount so long as you used sufficient spreader plates

In theory yes, but in the event of a side impact the brace transfers the energy to the opposite side of the shell via the inner and outer sills, if its a track car with a cage your fine, if its a road car then it's big risk IMO

Edit, if anyone thinks I'm wrong then ask yourself this, why is this crossmember welded accross the full width of the car and is welded to both inner sills,

[TWAG]

I have a six point cage and I'm in the process of fitting door bars. Do you think it's worth welding some box section across the floor where the brace use to sit. With spreader plates on the tunnel and sill?

[burgo]

On my cage I have a bar that goes between the b pillars but also goes down and welded to the exhaust tunnel. Nice and strong imo

[bazil]

On my cage I have a bar that goes between the b pillars but also goes down and welded to the exhaust tunnel. Nice and strong imo

Sounds ideal, replaces the crossmember and uses the cage to absorb the energy,

[phunkynova]

TWAG please put your roll cage in properly, looking at the photos of your car I can not see any spreader plates under the cage feet which means the roll cage stands a good chance of just pushing straight thought the floor in a roll over. The Nova floor pan is not Strong enough for the cage to be mounted to with out extra plating being done.

[TWAG]

It's in hand, I'm currently doing the speader plates at the mo. there all made up and ready to be welded in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/twag/Nova%202013/image_zpse8cef2e9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/twag/Nova%202013/image_zpsaf137f9d.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/twag/Nova%202013/image_zpsd77e88c0.jpg