- 240
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- Location
- Marion, AR.
I have finished modifying my new plastic battery boxes.
When I first got them, I notice that the top of the sides all curled in just like this.
This isn't my truck, but it looked just like this.
I don't like that. So I decided to fix it. This involved using two pieces of sheet metal that came with N.O.S. battery box kits, and two plates of 1/8" steel. The sheet metal parts are supposed to be used when mounting on a deuce and half, and are not used when mounted on a 5 ton... I think.
I first straightened out the sheet metal.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 1.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 1.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538118-553b3f34e1289f479dba83ebba614282.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 2.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 2.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538120-d6866bb40d072e06de5e2b56ab81428d.jpg)
Then painted the sheet metal.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 3.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 3.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538122-d64f7cef4b84d8cb7f5d7c21448720a6.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 4.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 4.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538124-ef6c2190ad84220264992a7b344d9efc.jpg)
The sheet metal is used to reinforce the inside sides of the boxes. This just keep the inside walls straight.
The outside wall are reinforced with the 1/8" plate. They where first drilled out, the mocked into place with screws
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 5.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 5.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538126-e4142176f9f58d03767ca6d7ae6b2c0e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 7.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 7.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538128-6f96b3d12a744094f27d35289b723890.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 8.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 8.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538130-9843ef3169da78fa19b359cca45e73e6.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 9.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 9.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538132-823056b76859c44867e8f3cd77c37149.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 10.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 10.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538910-631cb2f751ffcb466af06192f185256e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 11.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 11.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538911-d4996f550d3465fe8700d26ba919fd58.jpg)
The screws stick out too far to be used, so I'm using 3/16" semi tubular rivets, truss heads. These give the boxes a slimmer clearance than what the screws could offer.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 19.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 19.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538919-84a7e68e28fde58ffcff2f19e8796361.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 18.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 18.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538918-ec2fe57551724057d097499860b40c91.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 17.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 17.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538917-f4293d4c357447095df361850fdd383e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 16.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 16.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538916-05434d8e6c1bb445132f9b49bd8b6fa8.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 15.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 15.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538915-abac290a9ef290ff0c6523478635f2e1.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 14.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 14.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538914-14cbb379be4b0d258b1c975b5a580e5e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 13.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 13.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538913-4395aaa7353b6ad0da4df15657daede4.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 12.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 12.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538912-119c0579092126e5fb5bbda35718130e.jpg)
You can see in some of the pictures that I messed up some of the rivets. (They where replaced) This was because I had my air pressure was set too high, and my I.Q. set to low. LOL After that was corrected everything went fine. These rivets are semi tubular 3/16" diameter, 1/2" long. I used a bit for my air hammer made specifically for 3/16" diameter semi tubular rivets. The bit cost $20, and a bag of 100 rivets cost $13. After I was done with the rivets, I hit the boxes with some rapco 383 green.
When I first got them, I notice that the top of the sides all curled in just like this.
![Bad Battery Box and Brackets 0.jpg Bad Battery Box and Brackets 0.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538909-fbb61ec2ba13d3bd9b1232c0d0988c09.jpg)
I don't like that. So I decided to fix it. This involved using two pieces of sheet metal that came with N.O.S. battery box kits, and two plates of 1/8" steel. The sheet metal parts are supposed to be used when mounting on a deuce and half, and are not used when mounted on a 5 ton... I think.
I first straightened out the sheet metal.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 1.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 1.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538118-553b3f34e1289f479dba83ebba614282.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 2.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 2.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538120-d6866bb40d072e06de5e2b56ab81428d.jpg)
Then painted the sheet metal.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 3.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 3.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538122-d64f7cef4b84d8cb7f5d7c21448720a6.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 4.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 4.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538124-ef6c2190ad84220264992a7b344d9efc.jpg)
The sheet metal is used to reinforce the inside sides of the boxes. This just keep the inside walls straight.
The outside wall are reinforced with the 1/8" plate. They where first drilled out, the mocked into place with screws
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 5.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 5.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538126-e4142176f9f58d03767ca6d7ae6b2c0e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 7.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 7.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538128-6f96b3d12a744094f27d35289b723890.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 8.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 8.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538130-9843ef3169da78fa19b359cca45e73e6.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 9.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 9.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538132-823056b76859c44867e8f3cd77c37149.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 10.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 10.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538910-631cb2f751ffcb466af06192f185256e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 11.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 11.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538911-d4996f550d3465fe8700d26ba919fd58.jpg)
The screws stick out too far to be used, so I'm using 3/16" semi tubular rivets, truss heads. These give the boxes a slimmer clearance than what the screws could offer.
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 19.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 19.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538919-84a7e68e28fde58ffcff2f19e8796361.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 18.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 18.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538918-ec2fe57551724057d097499860b40c91.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 17.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 17.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538917-f4293d4c357447095df361850fdd383e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 16.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 16.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538916-05434d8e6c1bb445132f9b49bd8b6fa8.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 15.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 15.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538915-abac290a9ef290ff0c6523478635f2e1.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 14.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 14.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538914-14cbb379be4b0d258b1c975b5a580e5e.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 13.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 13.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538913-4395aaa7353b6ad0da4df15657daede4.jpg)
![Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 12.jpg Battery Box Reinforcement Mod 12.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/538/538912-119c0579092126e5fb5bbda35718130e.jpg)
You can see in some of the pictures that I messed up some of the rivets. (They where replaced) This was because I had my air pressure was set too high, and my I.Q. set to low. LOL After that was corrected everything went fine. These rivets are semi tubular 3/16" diameter, 1/2" long. I used a bit for my air hammer made specifically for 3/16" diameter semi tubular rivets. The bit cost $20, and a bag of 100 rivets cost $13. After I was done with the rivets, I hit the boxes with some rapco 383 green.
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