Factory Five Racing Forum banner

Aluminum panel thickness?

645 views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  dbarrym 
#1 ·
Does anyone know the thickness and type (6061-??) of the FFR aluminum panels? I want to build a box for the trunk area to house my battery. Also, where have you found the best pricing?
thank,
Brian
 
#2 ·
Thickness is .040" Any sheetmetal place should have some or will be able to get you some. I purchased a 4' x 10' sheet for $98.00 when I was building my car.
 
#4 ·
If remember right, that would be the heat treatment/hardening performed on the alloy. I would assume -0 to be no treatment, therefore easiest to bend but also the softest and weakest.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
The FFR aluminum is 0.040" 6061-T6. 6061 is the alloy, T6 the hardness as JasonD says, graded 0 to 6, 0 being soft , 6 the hardest. 6061T6 is quite strong, but relatively hard to bend--the 0.040 stuff is thin enough to bend OK "once" in a bending brake, but if you bend it back again it will usually fracture and break. Thicker 6061T6 is quite strong, but is difficult to form or bend.

3003-T3 is commonly used on the less-stressed parts of racecars, and is more easily formed by hammering, rolling, etc, into tanks, scoops, etc., and is still quite strong enough for most purposes.

My battery box is 3003-T3 (16 gauge, actually, a bit thicker than necessary because I had a piece laying around).

Best prices are usually at a big metal supply house (Industrial Metal Supply in SoCal), where they usually have scraps of all sizes and shapes, sold cheap by the pound usually. The alloy and thickness are usually printed on the panels in ink, just as on the FFR panels. Where appearance is a big issue, you can even buy it with plastic film adherent to the surface to protect the aluminum, to be peeled off after forming operations. Local sheetmetal shops, heating and A/C shops are also sources.

Forrest
 
#7 ·
I copied Forrest's box (he lives nearby) using 16 gauge 6061-T6. I have dimensions and fabrication pictures, if you'd like them.

You should be able to find a scrap metal yard, possibly even a sheet metal fabrication shop. You won't need much sheet to make a box (depending on your design). I spent less than $10 on materials. You will need a brake, you can get a basic hand operated unit from Harbor Freight for $20 to $50 depending on size.

A BIG heads-up to IRS builders - I found out that the VPM rear sway bar MAY NOT fit with a battery box in place. Craig Mapstone is making a custom bar with a clearance bend for me...cost is $20 over the normal rear bar price.
 
#10 ·
Blinn and Jeff, you have mail!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top