Drilling and structural integrity question

[OldGuardV6]

I am putting together a DIY custom rear seat delete that would be a little more stout than the kits that I have seen online (to hold a cooler, Jackery, pack, etc.), but I wanted to be able to easily bolt it in for long road trips and remove it afterward. As such, I wanted to put two Rivnuts in the tunnel under the seat. I looked inside with an inspection camera, and that tunnel is empty, but I was wondering about structural integrity.

I wouldn't think that drilling two small holes into that area would significantly weaken the body, but I wanted to ask, just in case there is something that I am missing.

Any Thoughts?

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[FreePenguin]

wouldn't hurt it at all. a small hole for a bolt, the bolt or whatever would reinforce the hole made, but even if not, its so small, it would not be impacted. my opinion.

 

[Jaymar]

You're fine. Most of the structural integrity on a part like that comes from the side walls, the center is just there to tie them together. You could swiss cheese that center portion and still be good so two rivnuts won't hurt a thing. My usual disclaimer being make sure you know what's underneath before you drill but it sounds like you've already checked.

 

[OldGuardV6]

That's a great thread! I was looking for someone who had done the sound deadening installation, and that rubber bumper idea for leveling is awesome.

After looking at that, it gave me another Idea. I am going to pull the lower rear seat brackets on each side and fabricate a level mount there. Since I have the angle, and the existing brackets as a drill template, it should be fairly easy to make. That will give me a bracket that I can easily drill into that bolts into the factory mounts.

That in conjunction with the factory hole in the rear (the M12 that holds in the rear upper seat bracket) and a rivnut in the hole in the front should provide plenty of stability. I originally thought that hole at the front of the rail was a guide hole, but when I looked at the bottom of the seat there is nothing there but a formed plastic channel that sits over the hole. It's not like the holes in the rear that are guide holes for the rear upper seat bracket, it's just there, so I tried a rivnut for a M10 (11mm outside diameter) and it fits perfectly.

Thanks to you and everyone who replied to this thread!!

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