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Old 09-26-2020, 12:14 PM   #1
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Frustrated and in need of help

Today was the day we were installing the plywood floor. We pre-drilled the holes for the screws and plopped it into place. But, after we drilled through the floor of the bus the screws were too loose. So we chose a drill bit a size smaller and the screw got stuck and wouldn’t go the rest of the way. Then we tried just drilling the screws without a hole. Nothing works. I cannot find the magical screws that’s go through the metal floor.

Please help! What did you use that went through the wood and the metal?

The screws I have are self drilling wood to metal. Pictures of what you used, links, tips and advice are all appreciated. I am beyond frustrated at this point.

Thanks!
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Old 09-26-2020, 12:17 PM   #2
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Need self-tapping screws for metal. They'll go through just about anything. And pre-drilling with a smaller bit for metal will help. Be sure you arent drillimg into a particularly dense area, like the frame rails.
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Old 09-26-2020, 12:33 PM   #3
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not to pick a fight but she had self tapping and drilling screws. there is not enough thickness in the floor for the screws to have enough metal to grab. (too thin of floor). i would glue the plywood down and use a machine bolt and nut on the ones that spin. you will have to have someone put the nuts and washers on underneath it
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Old 09-26-2020, 12:49 PM   #4
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Those screws are the correct ones. You don’t need to predrill. Just drive them
In with a drill-driver or impact gun.

Maybe your drill-driver is too wimpy?
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Old 09-26-2020, 12:56 PM   #5
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I guess it could be too wimpy. I’m just using a Kobalt corded drill. I thought they were supposed to be pretty good
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Old 09-26-2020, 01:08 PM   #6
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I guess it could be too wimpy. I’m just using a Kobalt corded drill. I thought they were supposed to be pretty good
Does the drill stop?

So you’re using a Chuck with a new #2 Phillips bit, driving the screw with full power, then what happens?
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Old 09-26-2020, 01:23 PM   #7
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Corded drills do not have a brake when you stop pulling the trigger. I am wondering aside from low torque, would it be stripping the screw head which is why they aren't continuing to fully seat. And as Cheese said, watch out for the thicker ribs under the steel sheet floor. That would give you a hard time cordless drill or not! Hang in there! You are on the right track.
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Old 09-26-2020, 01:28 PM   #8
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not to pick a fight but she had self tapping and drilling screws. there is not enough thickness in the floor for the screws to have enough metal to grab. (too thin of floor). i would glue the plywood down and use a machine bolt and nut on the ones that spin. you will have to have someone put the nuts and washers on underneath it
No offense taken. Admittedly, I'm not a handyman, but it seems to me that if the screws were for metal AND wood, their self-drilling tips might not be hard enough for what OP is drilling into... Just thought there might be a difference between metal-specific vs metal AND wood. Also, could just happen to be trying to drill in right above the frame rails. Takes a bit more grunt to drill into that. ;)
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Old 09-26-2020, 01:41 PM   #9
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Those are the correct screws for that application. Typically you'd want to drill a slightly smaller pilot hole through the wood portion so the drill can get momentum to dig into the metal.



Make sure you're pushing down enough on the drill.



On a side note, Tek screws are great for skoolie builds. They're expensive though and only necessary when fastening wood to the metal parts of the bus.
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Old 09-26-2020, 02:38 PM   #10
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I’ve used a lot of those since someone on this site turned me on to them.

I’ve screwed 1/2” plywood to .090 steel without a pilot hole. That’s about the maximum. They’re dull before getting through 1/8”, so a pilot hole is needed. 1/2 the diameter pilot hole seems to be enough
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Old 09-26-2020, 03:09 PM   #11
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So we drilled pilot holes. When we then drilled the screw in it stops about 1” from reaching a flush point with the wood. Literally stops the drill and won’t turn anymore. If Im on the right track we will just have to keep trying. Though now I have 3 extra holes in the floor. Ugh.

Thanks for the tips!
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Old 09-26-2020, 03:14 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by witchywoman View Post
So we drilled pilot holes. When we then drilled the screw in it stops about 1” from reaching a flush point with the wood. Literally stops the drill and won’t turn anymore. If Im on the right track we will just have to keep trying. Though now I have 3 extra holes in the floor. Ugh.

Thanks for the tips!
You may need a 1/4” impact driver. Thinking about it now, I never used a drill. Does it have a hammer or a low speed high torque setting?
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Old 09-26-2020, 03:32 PM   #13
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and for the extra holes in the floor, just squirt a little caulk in there. It will run shrough and seal the sheet metal too
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Old 09-26-2020, 03:42 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by witchywoman View Post
So we drilled pilot holes. When we then drilled the screw in it stops about 1” from reaching a flush point with the wood. Literally stops the drill and won’t turn anymore. If Im on the right track we will just have to keep trying. Though now I have 3 extra holes in the floor. Ugh.

Thanks for the tips!
Measure your screws. The head may be too far from the thread to sink completely.
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Old 09-26-2020, 04:22 PM   #15
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Hm. I may need an impact driver. My drill has no such thing. Yet another new tool to learn!
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Old 09-26-2020, 04:57 PM   #16
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some of the cheaper drill/drivers do not have enough power to do this. got on that does these same screws and my other one wont drive them in all the way
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Old 09-26-2020, 05:03 PM   #17
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Why not just glue them down? Will you ever need to remove them? Seems if so it would be major job and glue would be least of the issues.
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Old 09-26-2020, 05:19 PM   #18
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mmoore6856 for the win! If you are only hitting the thin flooring there is not enough bite for the screw to hold, the threads are still biting in the wood and pulling down but the thin metal offers no resistance and just strips out. If you pre drilled the wood so the self tapping screw was only biting in the floor skin that might work if you don't over power it and strip the tin. If you can locate the body cross frames and pre drill with a bit smaller drill bit you might see better success.
Good luck.
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Old 09-26-2020, 05:33 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by witchywoman View Post
So we drilled pilot holes. When we then drilled the screw in it stops about 1” from reaching a flush point with the wood. Literally stops the drill and won’t turn anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by witchywoman View Post
Hm. I may need an impact driver. My drill has no such thing. Yet another new tool to learn!
Yeah, sounds to me like an impact driver might be the answer to your problem. They're actually much easier to use (in terms of physical strength requirements) than a normal drill. The use is the same -drilling, screwing, etc but the principle is different- unlike a drill where torque is directly applied to a bit, shock/hammer action causes the bit to rotate. This makes impacts much more powerful while transferring much less counter torque into your arm.

The downside to impacts funny enough is that they are too powerful for many tasks, you can near instantly strip out a bit/screw or break the head off screws by over applying them. For power work like putting screws into wood or metal or tightening nuts/bolts there's nothing easier to get the job done.
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Old 09-27-2020, 03:11 AM   #20
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I used Tek wood to metal screws like you have ... or similar. Mine were not as long. They were near impossible to tap by themself. I had to try a few different size drill bits to find a good pilot hole in the sheet metal. Once I got the combination right, I was able to get the to pull right down. The floor metal is 14 gauge and plenty thick enough for those screws to bit and hold well.


If you have 1 inch left, I bet the top of your plywood is 2 inches above the metal floor and your screws are stopping before going through the metal floor. I did notice that the first part of the screw went in easily until it hit the metal ... then it stopped moving for a bit until it tapped the hole to the size it needed. Then it pulled right down.
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