Custom Rubber Flooring

[R_Lefebvre]

I like what's you've done, save that I would prefer to not have the coin texture. Ford used to put a rubber floor in the first gen SportTrac, and I like the texture on that. Just a random miniwave texture.

BTW, just a little advice. Try starting just one build thread instead of several mini build threads

I thought "builds" were frowned upon by the elite?

 

[David Harris]

I like what's you've done, save that I would prefer to not have the coin texture. Ford used to put a rubber floor in the first gen SportTrac, and I like the texture on that. Just a random miniwave texture.

If you look at the Rubber-Cal site, I think there are several patterns to choose from besides the coin. Other manufacturers make different ones too.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Very cool concept, and one I have to research for myself. As long as you periodically remove it to allow the floor to dry (I don't think this would breathe as well as carpet), it would be a superior solution.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

I don't know about the other trucks Mike, but at least on a D2, the carpet has 0 breathability. I know this for a fact. It will never dry by itself.

 

[David Harris]

I don't know about the other trucks Mike, but at least on a D2, the carpet has 0 breathability. I know this for a fact. It will never dry by itself.

That's why I thought the best solution would be something that's relatively easy to remove without disassembling the interior too much. About the only thing I have to do is unscrew the sill plates and plastic skirts around the front seat brackets.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Yeah, I'd love that. That would be a better option than my other idea: a bilge pump.

What did you do under the seats? On the D2 I know that I'd have to space them a bit, as they don't bolt down properly without the carpet.

 

[Alaska Mike]

I don't know about the other trucks Mike, but at least on a D2, the carpet has 0 breathability. I know this for a fact. It will never dry by itself.

In that case, this is pretty darn cool for those of us in less-than-dry locations. Getting the fitting done so that it looks good might be a pain, but I think it would be worth the effort in the long run.

Since my tranny tunnel is going to be larger than stock, most of the heavy Series molded mats will require quite a bit of modification to work. I had considered using rubber horse trailer flooring, but this is another option that may provide unique possibilities. Worth a look, at least.

 

[crusader]

Wow. Nice job on the flooring. In the photos, it looks like a factory option!

When we had our D1, we used the WeatherTech mats for the D1 and found that they did a great job of retaining all the snow, slush and water, plus, you could just pull them out and dump the liquid out of them. Probably held a quart or more of water in the deep channels!

When we got rid of the Disco, we kept the mats and used them in several other subsequent vehicles. That is, until my teenage son sold the mats with his Grand Cherokee 2 months ago .

 

[David Harris]

Yeah, I'd love that. That would be a better option than my other idea: a bilge pump.

What did you do under the seats? On the D2 I know that I'd have to space them a bit, as they don't bolt down properly without the carpet.

On a D1, the seat brackets are permanently welded in as part of the floor and the carpet doesn't go under the frame itself. I did run the mat material all the way under the seat through the opening in the front of the frame, for sound/heat proofing reasons. It sounds like you will have to design them a bit differently for the D2, or any vehicle you choose.

 

[David Harris]

In that case, this is pretty darn cool for those of us in less-than-dry locations. Getting the fitting done so that it looks good might be a pain, but I think it would be worth the effort in the long run.

Since my tranny tunnel is going to be larger than stock, most of the heavy Series molded mats will require quite a bit of modification to work. I had considered using rubber horse trailer flooring, but this is another option that may provide unique possibilities. Worth a look, at least.

Custom means you can fit them to conform to any design you have. It did take a while to fit each piece as closely as possible. The rear footwell and load space were relatively easy due to them being flat surfaces. The front footwells were much more difficult due to the curves. I found the best method was to measure the general dimensions that I need fore and aft and side to side up the tunnel. Then I placed the rough piece into the footwell and trimmed it carefully to fit as tightly as possible. I got it pretty tight in there, but if I did it again, I could even get it tighter in places. I did it on a pretty hot sunny day, and that helped to make the material very pliable. One interesting thing about the insulation and rubber is that once they got hot from the engine, exhaust and transmission heat, they actually molded themselves to the floor to an extent.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

How well is it held down along the trans tunnel? The door sill plate works well, but it would seem like a problem at the trans tunnel.

I couldn't care less about having carpet or not, since I cover it anyway with big rubber floor mats. But I would want it to fit really well, and it has to be QUIET. I've run with no carpets, and it friggen loud. As loud as a Series I'd guess. It's a shock compared to a stock Disco.

I wonder if you could trim it so it's clamped around the trans tunnel by the console, just like the carpets are. But just having it not clamped by the seat would allow you to lift it up after taking the sill plate off, dry it out overnight, and then put it back down.

Ideally, I'd just prefer something like a really thick LineX or something like that, thick enough that it doesn't look like it's just Linex'd, but I have no idea how that could be done.

 

[overlander]

I purchased the coin rubber from Rubber-Cal. They have a website with the specs here: http://www.rubbercal.com/Coin_Grip.html

I purchased the Luxury Liner directly from Second Skin. The specs are on their website here: http://www.secondskinaudio.com/noise-barrier/Luxury-Liner-Pro.php#tab5

The thickness of the insulation is .375 inches.

David

They also have 5 bar diamond pattern! I'm getting some of that!:victory:

 

[David Harris]

How well is it held down along the trans tunnel? The door sill plate works well, but it would seem like a problem at the trans tunnel.

I couldn't care less about having carpet or not, since I cover it anyway with big rubber floor mats. But I would want it to fit really well, and it has to be QUIET. I've run with no carpets, and it friggen loud. As loud as a Series I'd guess. It's a shock compared to a stock Disco.

I wonder if you could trim it so it's clamped around the trans tunnel by the console, just like the carpets are. But just having it not clamped by the seat would allow you to lift it up after taking the sill plate off, dry it out overnight, and then put it back down.

Ideally, I'd just prefer something like a really thick LineX or something like that, thick enough that it doesn't look like it's just Linex'd, but I have no idea how that could be done.

It doesn't move around at all, but to seal it to the insulation under the console, I added a strip of black Gorilla tape along the seam. If I were to do this again, I would cut it up even higher and just tuck it up under the console more. This would make it a bit more difficult to remove easily, though. The insulation and flooring material is quite heavy and it lays down under it's own weight well.

I don't notice any difference between the stock sound levels and after. BTW: PM reply sent.

 

[benlittle]

Actually, I prefer the mini-build threads - it is easier to zero in on the info I need when I search for it a year or two later.

Yes but having several different threads clutters up the forum and is annoying.

 

[Nonimouse]

I use roll mats. The cheap non sponge like ones that go for a couple of quid at cheap camping stores. I then cut and shape this to fit the area, then fit heavy weight rubber on the top (conveyor belt rubber mat or commercial draught excluder for factory doors) and then fit the original mats on top. Costs very little and works a treat

By the way what is that stick on sound insualtion that they use on Overhaulin'?