I've asked these Q's in my build thread but it won't get lost here and may get more coverage. Right then, I have cut back my sill and positioned in the inner sill according to the lowered section in the floor and the ends of the ibeams and top hats. I looks about right but does the vertical return from the lower runner skin get extended to the bottom of the sill like a middle sill on the other side. It seems quite solid but when i cut off the sill, the inner vertical bit was nowhere near the bottom. Should it be? Should the middle sill go down to the lower edge? Also I still need to trim the edge of the lower roller track but the outer sill looks like it is coming down too far. Is this right or should it sit flush?
It's a pity some tit seam welded the previous outer sill on, it's just for show really and barely structural, I'd clean that up for starters! Yes extend middle down, if you make height halfway between the inner and outer as shown in your last pic, each will overlap you can weld it all fom under the bus and leave the outer unblemished. Mine has og sills and that's how it is. I'll look for a pic... Back and I don't have pic that shows it.
Steve, you are a lifesaver dude. I would have stressed about this! The lower runner seems to have some curvature to it, almost as if it has a trough worn in it (not deep though, just a gradual furrow), when I am sorting the sills, would it be wise to straighten it out or does the original set up have a curve to it?
How would you attach the sill? Short weld runs or drill though and plug weld with a coat of seam sealer?
Personally, I leave the outer sill until the arch, b-post and rear arch are fitted. I purposely repair the middle sill too long so I can trim it back just before I fit the outer (and trim the rear part as I fit the rear arch). This leaves your options open while you get everything lined up. For me, heavy/double tacks for inner/middle at the bottom, lighter for middle/outer so you don't make it messy. Plug welds IMO are just too heavy engineering for this. They were spot welded originally and not than many spots either, about 1/inch. Outer/slider track shelf bit I do runs of tacks 10mm long ish leaving gaps maybe 40mm (I'm guessing!) between the finished runs. A bit much welding for the job, but I do it because I like to grind them back flush all round afterwards on this bit. It won't fall off, i've seen them perfectly adequately fixed with about 10 single tacks down the entire length! You should be able to get the outer on with no visible welds to clean up along the bottom which saves lots of time prepping later and is just neater anyway. Having the outer longer than the middle means also you won't burn chunks out of the lower edge.
I often cut little U's in the edge of the middle sill to weld to the outer - almost like half a plug weld then and a bit less "tacky" (pun intended). All these tack welds are done at quite a high power, they're not really tack welds, more like very small welds. When I really tack I turn it down a bit so if I balls up the positioning I can get whatever it is back off again without wrecking it.
Where all the sills meet at the bottom, there's no sign of seam sealer originally which is odd I think, so yes I do seam seal but I wonder if it would be better to cavity wax and let the wax fill these seams. If you blast it in with a proper gun and compressor it finds it's way through all the gaps, if you seam seal and paint, I'm guessing it doesn't. There's never going to be a way to 100% protect this sort of overlapping join...
Here you go, I'm stuck at home waiting for the accountant to open. Looks like I was wrong and the middle and outer are same length as assembled by Mr VW.
Andy, watch away m8, my build thread is in my signature below. Steve, thanks again dude. Feeling the love buddy! Lol
Good picture from Zed, as many an hour has been lost trying to get these sills to fit, as it just looks wrong!
