Lower Battery Apron Support

[M Beauchamp]

M Beauchamp, Your PS front apron and battery tray supports look good. I think I'll try my hand at that next week. I'm sure I could use some pointers.





Thanks Ed

I did it at work(steel fab shop), so I had a good vise and bench etc.

I took the old one and used it to template the new sheet metal.

There is three breaks on the piece, so I just kept flipping it to lay out the three sides on the flat.

Then I measured the and laid out the lip + 1/8"

I also marked and punched the holes at the same time.

I laid out where the ribs where and tacked a 5/32" welding rod on the opposite side of the sheet metal.

I heated the area for the rib cherry red then laid a flat bar back about 3/8" from the rib center line. Hitting the flat bar to leave a nice straight line and kept heating and did this on both side of both ribs.

I then laid out and bent the breaks buy heating to cherry red and bending with the break line in the vice.

I then heated the lip area about 3" at a time and using the end of a flat bar in a vise I tapped the lip 45 degrees. Went around the three sides then went back around again to get the lip to 90 degrees.

The two corners I formed by heating and tapping around a 1 1/4'" round bar.

I also used the 1 1/4" round bar to shape the sloped area for the lower bolt hole.

I then ground down the excess on the lip so I had 1/4" all around and removed the 5/32 welding rods that where tacked on the back side.

The top break worked out real nice but the bottom break isn't a straight line.

I got this by bolting the new bracket to the bottom of the new apron using the top two holes.

Then I heated cheery red the new bracket lower break line area, that didn't quite line up and with the apron on the bench just tapped it to correct the last little bit



It took me 2 1/2 hours to do it, but it turned out nice and the battery tray is rock solid.

Hope this help you out with your Ed.

 

[Mister 4x4]

VERY Nice! Scott Drake and Dynacorn, eat your hearts out. LOL!

You, uh, wouldn't be interested in becoming a, uh, reproduction parts manufacturer/vendor by any chance, would ya?

 

[mach71351c]

Marc out standing job.

 

[NoLimitssjca]

Thanks Marc. I don't have a steel shop at my disposal. I haven't welded in years. So I'll be slower for sure.

Thanks again.

 

[Cop Car]

Very Nice Work....I made mine using a Front Apron...It is not correct but it is better than nothing....

 

[NoLimitssjca]

Good looking apron.

 

[droptop73]

That is some very creative metalwork Marc. It turned out very nice.