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Old 07-10-2018, 02:55 PM   #1
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Seat rail, I did a bad thing?

Well, I thought I was doing more than enough research at just about every step, and I was going under the premise of remove everything on the inside, clean, treat, etc, and start inner build from scratch. So today I come across someone saying don't remove the seat rail, and I'm like, what?
So ya, I have already removed seat rail and the metal panels underneath. Honestly, they werent that difficult to remove, comparatively, and I didn't think much of it, and lots of the insulation was soggy wet down there.
The panels I removed were flat, not seemingly connected to anything under the floor, other than the thin metal strip along the bottom, held on by small screws.
So, did I really do that much of a bad thing?
(And yes, I have read through now lots of the threads on seat rails, after the fact of course).
(Bus is a 1998 ford Collins 6 window cut away chassis).
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Old 07-10-2018, 04:45 PM   #2
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Supposing that the body of yours is built similarly to the body of Blue Bird and others... see Chair Rail Dilemma.
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Old 07-10-2018, 05:06 PM   #3
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Ya, I read through that thread earlier today. My partner in crime (who is a boat builder) says he isn't worried about it at all. I really can't see how any of it gave any structural support to the floor. I can see how it gave re enforcement to the walls of the bus, but we will be adding other re enforcements. So as far as it being worse to remove than any other component of the interior, I'm not seeing how it is is worse, especially of you plan on re enforcing the side walls.
But everyone seems to be saying "oh my god don't remove that rail or the whole bus will fall apart". It freaked me out for a minute, but now I'm not seeing how its that big a deal if you're re building in side runners.
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Old 07-10-2018, 05:33 PM   #4
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I believe the seat rail is installed differently in different brands of buses, and the discussion in question pertained more specifically to Blue Bird buses. Some may be screwed or bolted in, while others may be riveted or welded.


As I understand it, the rails were said to be integral to crash/rollover structural integrity, but since you (probably) won't be hauling 40+ kids in the back, this may not be as high of a priority to you.
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Old 07-10-2018, 05:40 PM   #5
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Agreed. We'd have to take a closer look at the wall-to-floor connection than what the two pictures showed in order to see what is holding the walls in place. Think especially about what may happen when there's force applied sideways as in an off-camber road, a sharp turn, a strong crosswind, or a crash. What prevents the wall posts from slipping sideways off the floor deck?
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Old 07-10-2018, 06:16 PM   #6
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Well the rail was riveted, but so far, other than some structural wall support, I cant see how it had anything to do with the floor. As soon as I manage to get the plywood prayed up (which is proving to be a challenge), I will take a picture of what ever it looks like underneath.
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Old 07-10-2018, 06:19 PM   #7
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As soon as I manage to get the plywood prayed up (which is proving to be a challenge),

Haha, was supposed to say "pryed" up, but prayed up works just as well 😉
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Old 09-11-2018, 07:40 AM   #8
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cross section of wall

heres a view that might help
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Old 09-11-2018, 09:34 AM   #9
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That is a nice cross-section indeed. Could you mention which make of body that picture is taken from?
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Old 09-15-2018, 10:28 AM   #10
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2006 fe 300 IH
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