Sill Panel reinforcement

[Errol62]

Hi All
Tearing down the recently purchased p van and noticed that the sills include a third and central panel effectively creating a transverse brace for the length of the sill. I suppose I had never seen inside an original sill that wasn't just sheets of rust and always assumed there was only an inner and outer. This is reinforced (no pun intended) by never having seen or heard aught about third panel in any discussion.

Can anyone advise their knowledge of this please? Is it limited to commercials, helping to explain their extra weight?

Seems like a no brainer to make the sills a lot more rigid. I had been thinking of using some 100x50mm box section to replace rusted inner sills but this would be stronger and lighter. Not to mention tidier.

Cheers
Clay

[oz_ek]

Please excuse the quality of the pic it's a copy of a photo I took over twenty years ago of an Ek parts ute I had at the time, though it clearly shows the inner reinforcing member. As far as I know this inner member was only fitted to the commercials. A real good place for dirt and rust to hide!

Ek ute sill 003.JPG (93.41 KiB) Viewed 1361 times

[Errol62]

Thanks for the reply oz EK. Anyone seen this in sedan or wagon? Not hard to replicate this when fitting new sills. Just need to be very sanitary and allow for drainage.

[oz_ek]

Looking at an old Holden master parts catalogue the reinforcement is listed as item # 45 group 12.934. Interestingly its not listed for the FE/FC utes, nor is it listed for the FB/EK sedan or wagon.

[parisian62]

There was a brace that sat underneath the B pillar in my EK wagon.

See pages 7 and 8 on this thread http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... f=11&t=576

We had to cut the bottom off it and refabricate as it was rusted out.

regards
Stewart

[oz_ek]

There was a brace that sat underneath the B pillar in my EK wagon.

See pages 7 and 8 on this thread http://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewtop ... f=11&t=576

We had to cut the bottom off it and refabricate as it was rusted out.

regards
Stewart

That's some nice work your doing in your thread!... When I get sometime I'll read the rest. The reinforcement in your pics is listed in the catalogue as item # 41, group 12.934. The reinforcing member in the commercials runs the full length of the sill.

[Errol62]

Thanks oz ek. I love this stuff.

Stewart
Thanks for pointing that out and reminding me about all the good information in your topic. I will certainly be referring back to it during my repairs.

Cheers

[parisian62]

No worries.

[Errol62]

Great information oz. Presumably sedans would also have had part #41fitted?

Read your build story through Stewart. I remember reading the earlier story a few years ago. The information on rust repair and body part refurbishment is priceless just like the old boys car. Bonzer.