DIY under-body protection/sliders

Hey Guys and Girls,

I was getting pretty sick of scraping my battery pack against curbs so I went down to my local hardware store and picked up some thin strips of aluminium (20mm wide) and some super strong "industrial strength" double sided tape. I then cut the aluminium and bent the front of it to match the front of the case. I ended up using three strips all up, I think that should give me heaps of protection. I went with think aluminium as it should flex with the board. Its not super pretty but I think it should work pretty well.






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Sorry Alex I somehow missed your question, yeah we don't always have nice smooth entrances into roads around hear, so I end up pushing the limits and scraping my board pretty often.

 

UPDATE
After using these for the last couple weeks I must say i really like them. Because the aluminium is pretty tough when I do hit a kerb I tend to slide over it. Before I had installed the sliders the plastic would hit the kerb which would pull me up pretty quick.
I have made one modification which was to move the outside sliders to the edge of the battery case to protect the motor controller bulge.

 

Definitely would have been better if I'd done this 'before' the bottom got a few scratches.

Made a couple of motor bumpers also, but will see how they go for rattle.. might not be worth the hassle. But the trucks/motor arm is quite soft metal for what it is.

 

So glad I sanded, primed and glossed these!

Can confirm from Nick's initial guards:
- 3 required, I'll move mine to the outside and put a new one down the middle,
- Velcro doesn't cut the mustard, I'll have to double-sided tape them,
- Painting is useless,

But from my own take on things, I'm liking the full length.

 

Yeah I like how yours are full length.... I may need to remake mine at some point.

 

Cody went with full length and a bend / chamfer on the back of the battery too.. might help to keep it stuck on. Double sided tape a must, I had a few 'dragging metal' moments.

Solution might just be to fly off kerbs at speed.. something will be getting scraped up by the road that's for sure.

 

Cool idea and it looks like it works!

Just a question regarding the remote signal. Have you had any issues that could be attributed to the aluminium being in the vicinity of the motor control board?

 

I haven't (after 2 rides) but Nick might have more advice? It's not a conductor (and is a poor insulator) so I don't think it would be a problem.

At our local hardware store (Australia) a 1 metre strip x 25mm wide is $4, really inexpensive option to protect the battery, wish I'd have done it when I first got the board.

 

Yeah I haven't had any drop out issues either.

 

Cool no worries thanks

 

For anyone interested, this is the 3M double-sided tape he's using

Most hardware or automotive stores also carry big spools of it too. I've used it before and it's great stuff. It will hold pretty well if you press against it firmly. I've seen it used in all sorts of applications. It can be removed from plastic fairly easily, although you may need to scrape it with a plastic spudger or something to get it completely off. It won't typically damage the plastic, but it will take paint off of a wall

 

Hey Andrew,
Do you have any issues with the tape falling off the aluminium strips? At the bottom of the battery, near the controller/ chip, it is 1-2mm raised - just wondering if this affected the grip of the tape in any way. thanks

 

What about covering it with carbon fiber tape if you are not going to be grinding ? Do you recommend it ?

 

I ended up bending mine 'up' and then 'down' to give it a little 2mm rise over the motor controller. So it sits flush