Cordless drill and coil nailer with a foil pack on a blue truck…

Find the line of spot welds, place the plate where it will go, then trace across its front & rear edges. (Ignore the sides.) Make the cuts AT LEAST 1/2" INSIDE these marks so the screws will hit good metal. The front edge of the hole can be an inch or so behind the welds to avoid the lip of the floor support channel. You can always cut the hole too small, and then enlarge it as-needed. But if you cut it too large, the plate won't cover the hole, so always start small. To maintain floor strength, the plate should overhang the rear of the hole, and the screws should be positioned close to the hole and as far as possible from the plate's rear edge. So cut the rear edge of the hole as far forward as possible to give access to the tank.

Owner caption November 2009 · Photo 2834 of 6546