Why is Side Member "heater channel /rocker panel /running board mount", not one piece?

[theKbStockpiler]

I'm planning on getting my heater channel project off of the back burner soon. I was studying the Heater Channel .Rocker Panel, Running Board mount and can't understand that if the Rocker Panel is the same contour as the Heater Channel why is it even there and also why not just have nuts welded to the outside of the Heater Channel and eliminate the Running Board mount as well?

So does any one know why in the manufacturing process is the "Side Member" three pieces?

Thanks for your expertise and insight!

[theKbStockpiler]

Well guess I can answer my own question now..

I tend to think it's for 3 reasons.

1- To make the manufacturing process easy, they made it out of 3 pieces.
2- To make the car more serviceable. They foresaw the running boards falling off.
3-Vw had the janitor design it. I really don't think that it was thought out that well.

I'm thinking that the earlier models had a different design. Porsche was a minimalist so I can't imagine him designing it in three pieces.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Dr. Porche went through many iterations of the VW basically from the early to mid- 30s to the mid-40 and some there after before it went on the market. The floor of the pan is one thing while the heater channel and the running boards and mount could change hence the way the design went.

Remember, he had to deal with the assembly line process (high volume and different forming and assy lines (some in house and sometimes some of the work is contracted out of the house and is installed at certain times and places in the line) and that does make a difference on how you do things and in which order.

Engineering is also an assembly line process also so one thing has to be designed before the other things around it can be designed. I have worked in design dealing with this situation before myself.

Lee

[SCOTTRODS]

Something overlooked so far - the reasoning behind the heater channel being a separate piece from the rocker, si to give the separation of the heat from the parts that would be in direct contact with any interior pieces (Carpets and rubber pieces burn and melt at too high of a heat level). By the time the heat is blown through all the metal, it does get a chance to cool a little, but is still very "warm" to me. I see the obvious need for that second wall of separation for sure. Also the same reasoning behind it not having other mounts embedded. The heat is a direct culprit in corrosion once other contaminants are introduced as well.
There's a method to the madness for sure. Multiple wall construction makes perfect sense to me for sure. I don't see the engineering level stuff nearly as much as practical application of spaces to transfer the heat from the exhaust to the passenger compartment without burning everything in its path.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

The heat thing is a problem for sure. Listening to VW guys over the years before I got into playing with buggies, just getting heat into the passenger cabin is/was a problem with "Bugs" . "Cause and Effect" is a very miss-understood problem with the public who really don't care about details... only delivery of what they want.

Lee

[theKbStockpiler]

Doesn't the heater channel have a inner and outer to it with the inner being a tube?

In name , the Heater Channel 'channels heat'. The Rocker Panel is the bottom threshold for the door and the Running Board Mount ,mounts the running boards. It's easy that way. I can't find really any info on just the Rocker Panel replacement so I have no clue as to whether having it be a separate piece makes it possible to align better. Maybe the dies would have excessively stretched or buckled the panel if the rocker was incorporated into the heater channel.
Like I said, I'm planning on starting my heater channel job soon and have prudently read guides on how to do it and suggested methods. My car is a 'survivor' with only a few patches one being the battery tray, There is no evidence that the floors or the heater channels have been replaced but they need it now. What I plan on doing ,is using the bends in the heater channel ; from inside to outside parameter to align them and the floors. It seems stupid to shift things around because the pan or channel bolt holes are not in the correct locations. I am planning on repositioning the bottom plate if the holes do not line up or re-doing the holes/captive nuts. The Heater Channels has two ends that HAVE to be in the same position (between the firewall and the shelf cross member support) as the originals and if the channels are too high the channels would have to be modified or re-sourced.

[Jadewombat]

Skip to 29:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvnDuIf44U0

[SCOTTRODS]

Skip to 29:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvnDuIf44U0

Don't skip a thing... watch the whole vid... Incredible cars! Thanks for posting that!