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[EVDL] best choice to connect aluminum battery racks

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E
just wondering what is the best way to connect angle aluminum beams together? i have 2x2" 3/16" thick 6061-t6 to attach to each other. should i use bolts [stainless steel or aluminum?] or attempt to use solid aluminum rivets?

fyi i'm using floodies

thanks

harry

Albuquerque, NM
current bike: http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/1179
current non-bike: http://evalbum.com/1000




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Use the stainless steel bolts. They will be much stronger than the
aluminum, and you can easily take them apart for any maintenance. Regardless of
stainless steel and aluminum being dissimilar metals, they are actually very
compatible. In the industrial world, stainless steel bolts are considered a
perfectly acceptable fastening system for aluminum in <most> situations.

All that being said, you mention you are using flooded batteries. They
will, by their nature, be highly corrosive to the aluminum racks, unless you
are able to protect the racks in some fashion.

In a message dated 2/14/2011 11:44:55 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
just wondering what is the best way to connect angle aluminum beams
together? i have 2x2" 3/16" thick 6061-t6 to attach to each other. should i use
bolts [stainless steel or aluminum?] or attempt to use solid aluminum
rivets?

fyi i'm using floodies

thanks

harry

Albuquerque, NM
current bike: http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/1179
current non-bike: http://evalbum.com/1000




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________
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Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing.
http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php

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E
The last three incarnations of battery boxes in my 280ZX dragster have been
bolted aluminum boxes bolted together with stainless machine screw and nut
assemblies. The boxes were then held in place with 3/8" all thread pieces
that traveled from below the floorboard supports up through surplus
fiberglass ladder rails on the top side. I have also used 1/8" aluminum
plate (bars) with and insulating layer of material on the top side for upper
hold downs.
-Tom True

On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 8:42 PM, harry henderson <
[email protected]> wrote:

> just wondering what is the best way to connect angle aluminum beams
> together? i have 2x2" 3/16" thick 6061-t6 to attach to each other. should i
> use bolts [stainless steel or aluminum?] or attempt to use solid aluminum
> rivets?
>
> fyi i'm using floodies
>
> thanks
>
> harry
>
> Albuquerque, NM
> current bike: http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/1179
> current non-bike: http://evalbum.com/1000
>
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> The fish are biting.
> Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing.
> http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php
>
> _______________________________________________
> | REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
> | Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
> | UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
> | OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
> | OPTIONS: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev
>



--
Remember, it is not that the glass is half empty, in reality, the glass is
merely twice the size that it needs to be! -TNT'82
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E
What if you used rubber washers to "insulate" the dissimilar metals? Would
that make the bolts feel loose/not be able to tighten them enough?

Thos True <[email protected]> wrote:

> The last three incarnations of battery boxes in my 280ZX dragster have been
> bolted aluminum boxes bolted together with stainless machine screw and nut
> assemblies. The boxes were then held in place with 3/8" all thread pieces
> that traveled from below the floorboard supports up through surplus
> fiberglass ladder rails on the top side. I have also used 1/8" aluminum
> plate (bars) with and insulating layer of material on the top side for
> upper
> hold downs.
> -Tom True
>
> On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 8:42 PM, harry henderson <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
> > just wondering what is the best way to connect angle aluminum beams
> > together? i have 2x2" 3/16" thick 6061-t6 to attach to each other.
> should i
> > use bolts [stainless steel or aluminum?] or attempt to use solid aluminum
> > rivets?
> >
> > fyi i'm using floodies
> >
> > thanks
> >
> > harry
> >
> > Albuquerque, NM
> > current bike: http://www.austinev.org/evalbum/1179
> > current non-bike: http://evalbum.com/1000
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
> > The fish are biting.
> > Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing.
> > http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > | REPLYING: address your message to [email protected] only.
> > | Multiple-address or CCed messages may be rejected.
> > | UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub
> > | OTHER HELP: http://evdl.org/help/
> > | OPTIONS: http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/ev
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Remember, it is not that the glass is half empty, in reality, the glass is
> merely twice the size that it needs to be! -TNT'82
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My favorite choice for insulstinh between metals around live voltages (as in
battery box hold downs) is usually phenolic film or thin strips under the
bars. I also use nylon washers on the all thread.

"Jeff Haskell" <[email protected]> wrote:

What if you used rubber washers to "insulate" the dissimilar metals? Would
that make the bolts feel loose/not be able to tighten them enough?


On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 12:53, Thos True <[email protected]> wrote:

> The last three incarnations ...
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As long as you use 300 series stainless washers/fasteners (302/304, 303, 305,
sometimes labeled as '18-8') you should be OK with aluminum. Better yet is
to use aluminum washers with stainless 300 series fasteners when securing
aluminum plate.

Definitely don't use 400 series stainless. These fasteners/washers will
corrode the aluminum rapidly even if only exposed to a little
water/electrolyte.

The old way to tell 300 from 400 was that 400 is magnetic, but with
stainless rod stock coming from who knows where these days, sometimes 300 is
slightly magnetic.

Just remember that stainless is not particularly high tensile - probably
equal to about a grade 2 steel fastener - so size accordingly.

Tom Keenan

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