Hello everyone and happy holidays! You guys were GREAT helping me with my last problem so I thought I'd turn to you again for some installation advice? Although I try not to use self tapping screws on my cars body that much, there has been times where I just had to (under car neons, etc..). I am currently working on my 1994 camaro Z28 and am now installing a laptop stand to the front passenger floor (I unbolted the front passenger seat closest to the transmission hump and mounted the laptop base plate directly onto the passenger seat stud coming up from the floor then put the seat bracket back on top of the laptop base plate and secured the nut tightly) That said the laptop base plate is pretty secure to the passenger floor but the base plate has 3 more holes in it that I would also like to secure to the floor so the laptop stand is as secure as it could possibly get. Here's my question: I intend to use 3 self tapping screws to finish connecting the base plate but I am nervous that I could be screwing into something important in the floor of the vehicle like wires or lines of some kind?? My guess is that it should be fine screwing the rest of the plate to the floor (directly on the floor right next to the front passenger seat bolt closest to the transmission hump) with self tapping screws?? Also how long should those screws be?? I don't want them coming through the bottom of the car if I can avoid it for rust purposes not to mention hitting something under the car. I have to take into consideration the thickness of the carpet and base plate (the base plate is maybe 1/8 of an inch thick) One inch screws? Half an inch or three quarters of an inch screws?? I just don't want to drill into anything vital so I figured you guys would have been there and done that. Thanks in advance for the advice and again, happy holidays...

-Christopher

 

I listed this thread in body care and maintenance but wasn't getting any answers so I figured I'd try again in appearance. I hope somebody has been in this situation before?? By the way the laptop bracket base plate is being mounted directly to the floor and NOT to the transmission hump if that helps to visualize my scenario better?? Thanks again for your time!!

-Chris

 

Might help if you could post a pic of what the plate looks like in position

 

.....LOOK BELOW FOR PICTURE IN THE HYPERLINK....
I wish I could but my sister in law borrowed my digital camera about 3 months ago then informs me that she moved to Florida?? How messed up is that?? I'm waiting for her to send it back to me. If she does then I'll snap a photo and post it. Just for reference the base plate is 3"x3" square with 4 holes total (1 at each of the 4 corners... about 2 1/2" apart from each other)... Like I said above I mounted the base plate already under the front passenger seat rail onto the stud coming up from the floor.. If you were sitting in the passenger seat it's the bolt on the front left side and if you lean forward and looked down the base plate is attached to the bottom left hole in the base plate so there are 3 holes (top 2 and 1 bottom right) left unattached on the base plate. If my camera makes it back to me soon I will post the pic but hopefully you can picture what it looks like from my description. I need to put a self tapping screw directly in front of the stud coming up from the floor (well, 2 1/2 inches in front of the stud), also 2 1/2" to the right of the stud and finally one last self tapper up and diagonally to the right of the floor stud.. And I'm talking about the floor stud closest to the transmission hump and the closest to the engine (front left side if your sitting in the passenger seat).. The self tapping screws would just be bolted to the floor like the front seat stud and not on an angle attached to the transmission hump itself. Just flat on the ground. I'm sorry about the photo... wait, it just occurred to me that I can hyperlink you to a picture similar to my setup.... yes I can.. check this out... It's soo similar it's scary... (except I mounted under the rail instead of on top of the rail like in the picture and my base plate is square not like in the picture (it's round and cut to fit in the picture).. WWW.MobileLaptopMount.com Z28 Seat Bolt It's the bottom picture.. let's just say that the bottom picture is mine.. would I be able to put 3 self tapping screws into the 3 empty holes?? and if so how long should those self tappers be?? 1".. 1 1/2".. 2 inch screws??? Thanks again!!!

-Chris

 

Sorry about the babbling... I'm downing some brews (always happens when I drink)... just look at the hyperlink and you'll see exactly what I mean... same location and all... Thanks...

 

There arent any wires directly underneath the carpet where the plate is being mounted so you dont have to worry about that and your fuel lines run on the driver side but just to make sure there's nothing underneath that could get pinched you might wanna take a look and under the car where you're gonna put the screws. I went through something like this a couple weeks ago when I planned on putting new studs in for my racing seats. Not exactly sure where but under the passenger side seat area there.s a double layer of metal so maybe a 3/4" or 1" self tapping screw should work.

 

You ROCK!!! I just want to thank you for the great advice... I'm going to check under like you recommend but I just wanted to thank you. A little good advice can certainly put my mind at ease. Happy Holidays my man!!

-Chris

 

I wouldn't use sheet metal screws. As the unit bounces the weight at the end of that long support arm is going to work the screws loose. Use a bolt with a locking nut.

 

My patrol car has a mount that bolts to both front bolts for the seat plus multiple points in the floor as well and it still vibrates like crazy at times.

If you are going to use that picture as a reference I would either buy another flange or make a plate for under the car and bolt through that to hold the mount. I would recommend a steel plate since those flanges are just cast iron, probably not the best to hold up to the long term vibrations.

You figure you laptop weighs 5-6lbs(?), then you are putting it out on a pole and expect that 3" flange to hold...its a lot of stress. Some good grade bolts through the floor with a plate on the underside I think you'll be all set.