# How are you making your battery boxes



## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

^ More nonsense posts and it seems to be getting worse. I should volunteer as a mod and clean this crap out


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

I expect to use 2mm steel, not entirely sure how they will be mounted yet tho.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

remy_martian said:


> ^ More nonsense posts and it seems to be getting worse. I should volunteer as a mod and clean this crap out


I agree that this is getting worse. Based on a comment from a moderator (perhaps a couple of weeks ago), the problem may not be a lack of effort from the moderators, but rather bad tools from the forum operator for the moderators to use. Maybe contact the current moderators and ask if they would like assistance, or have technical challenges?


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

scottherrington said:


> I expect to use 2mm steel, not entirely sure how they will be mounted yet tho.
> 
> Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


thanks for the response. keep us posted on your project!


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

brian_ said:


> I agree that this is getting worse. Based on a comment from a moderator (perhaps a couple of weeks ago), the problem may not be a lack of effort from the moderators, but rather bad tools from the forum operator for the moderators to use. Maybe contact the current moderators and ask if they would like assistance, or have technical challenges?


I've heard that there was a change a while back that gave the current moderators of this forum much less power to actually enforce anything. Something about some company went around and bought up a bunch of these forums and now isn't letting anyone properly moderate them. Not sure how accurate that was since I'm new but it seems reasonable.


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## OR-Carl (Oct 6, 2018)

reiderM said:


> So the question is: how do you make the battery boxes? What materials? How are you mounting them?


It might be instructive to watch a video of a tesla pack being torn down to see how they were originally secured. I decided that sacrificing my trucks original bed was worth keeping the original Tesla battery box, as that thing is a pretty impressive piece of engineering. Man did they ever love bolts! And the whole box is made out of super-tough 1/2" thick aluminum plate, and gasketed and caulked all around. Since your batteries are not going to be riding inches from the pavement, you probably dont need anything that resilient, but some sort of a complete shell around the modules seems like it might not be a bad idea. My modules were Tesla-made, but for a short-lived electric Mercedes, and I found corroded BMS connections on every one of my modules after storing them for a year outside that enclosure. I am not sure how the storage environment factored into that, or if the model S batteries even used the same manufacturing techniques. My pack was unsealed shortly before I got it, and it had a little port on the side where desiccant packs could be stuffed in. The ones in there had a date in 2018 scribbled on the side. Anyway, hopefully my experience was a fluke, but something to think about at any rate.


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

reiderM said:


> thanks for the response. keep us posted on your project!


You can follow my project on my YouTube channel Mini Life Crisis or on my build thread here Classic mini resto and conversion

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## MattsAwesomeStuff (Aug 10, 2017)

reiderM said:


> Something about some company went around and bought up a bunch of these forums and now isn't letting anyone properly moderate them. Not sure how accurate that was since I'm new but it seems reasonable.


Two or three parts.

Ownership changed.

Then parts of the site were crippled.

Then they were crippled again.

Then they were overhauled to a common new style of forum software (and missing parts never fixed).

It's this last stage, when we moved from the forum software we'd always used to the new system, that a lot of mod privileges vanished. I don't think we have any admins here anymore in the community. The owners/admins own hundreds of automotive forums and don't pay attention to any of them. It'll take actual months to get a reply on an issue sometimes.

I agree we need more moderators.


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## MattsAwesomeStuff (Aug 10, 2017)

remy_martian said:


> ^ More nonsense posts and it seems to be getting worse. I should volunteer as a mod and clean this crap out


You, me, anyone, but the people who'd give us that power take months to respond to questions. But, ask away, better than letting the forum be overrun. It's been particularly bot spammy today.


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## TeZla (Feb 18, 2021)

edit: im a real person, lol

I was thinking the other day of a box to hold several modules stacked on top of each other. I imagined that the box were tight enough to hold the modules all around, notably on the sides, Then a long piece of plastic that'd fit between the edges of the modules, they'd all stack on top of each other, like rungs in a ladder while the outer box of the casing would hold it all together. The outer casing would likely be sheet aluminium. The box would either need open ends, or at least some way to connect all the coolant lines before being slid into the box.

For my initial box idea I had managed to 'fit' 4 modules on top of each other down the transmission tunnel between the crossmembers, with another 3 in the other end of the box over the front of the crossmember and upto the radiator support panel, Then i could fit another 3 modules around the side and top like a saddle. It essentially would have taken up the same weight as the old engine and gearbox, but its center of gravity would be much lower while fitting neatly between the old engine mounts on the crossmember. 10 modules in total, 240V or 120V with modules paired up
There was space for another potential 4 modules stacked 2 wide on top.


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

OR-Carl said:


> It might be instructive to watch a video of a tesla pack being torn down to see how they were originally secured. I decided that sacrificing my trucks original bed was worth keeping the original Tesla battery box, as that thing is a pretty impressive piece of engineering. Man did they ever love bolts! And the whole box is made out of super-tough 1/2" thick aluminum plate, and gasketed and caulked all around. Since your batteries are not going to be riding inches from the pavement, you probably dont need anything that resilient, but some sort of a complete shell around the modules seems like it might not be a bad idea. My modules were Tesla-made, but for a short-lived electric Mercedes, and I found corroded BMS connections on every one of my modules after storing them for a year outside that enclosure. I am not sure how the storage environment factored into that, or if the model S batteries even used the same manufacturing techniques. My pack was unsealed shortly before I got it, and it had a little port on the side where desiccant packs could be stuffed in. The ones in there had a date in 2018 scribbled on the side. Anyway, hopefully my experience was a fluke, but something to think about at any rate.


I unfortunately don't have the space to just keep the original pack. With that being said though, I am 100% planning on having it fully sealed and watertight. I don't expect any water to come into contact with it since it'll be under the hood, but I think it's definitely worth the precaution.

What environment did you store the module in that resulted in this corrosion? It sounds like they got wet at some point. Having a desiccant pack jammed in might mean that your modules were taken from a flooded car and someone tried their best to dry out the modules to resell. Definitely something that you need to be very careful of since there's a lot of sketchy sources for modules that aren't upfront about that sort of stuff. Do the modules look the same as those from a typical Tesla pack?


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## OR-Carl (Oct 6, 2018)

I am pretty certain the modules were not flooded, and the desiccant pouches went through a big screwed in plug into a little plastic cradle inside. It seems that the pack was engineered to be kept at low RH.

Once I took the modules out, they went on a pallet on the floor of my shop, covered in a sheet of plastic. The space is left open to the elements, so although the modules were 30 feet from the outdoors, if the temperature swings sometimes the whole floor in there will get slick with condensation. The BMS wires were copper, and ultrasonically welded to the aluminum bus plates - and it was those connections that failed. I am not sure if the Model S used that system, or if they are even accessible to inpect - the modules I have do not have a sealed plastic case aroud them, they are just wrapped in insulating plastic. Anyway, my modules are pretty rare, and I have not heard of anyone else that has had similar problems, so hopefully it was just a fluke.


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

TeZla said:


> I was thinking the other day of a box to hold several modules stacked on top of each other. I imagined that the box were tight enough to hold the modules all around, notably on the sides, Then a long piece of plastic that'd fit between the edges of the modules, they'd all stack on top of each other, like rungs in a ladder while the outer box of the casing would hold it all together. The outer casing would likely be sheet aluminium. The box would either need open ends, or at least some way to connect all the coolant lines before being slid into the box.


Ok so I think I've got somewhat of a plan. I'll weld together a steel box made of pretty thin sheet metal that is fully watertight on 5 sides of the 6-sided rectangular box. The top will be a bolted on steel plate that has a rubber seal on the edge to keep it watertight. Then, inside the box, I'll cut up something like these PVC boards to insulate the packs from the steel box and to make "shelves" for the modules inside.

How does this sound?


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

OR-Carl said:


> I am pretty certain the modules were not flooded, and the desiccant pouches went through a big screwed in plug into a little plastic cradle inside. It seems that the pack was engineered to be kept at low RH.
> 
> Once I took the modules out, they went on a pallet on the floor of my shop, covered in a sheet of plastic. The space is left open to the elements, so although the modules were 30 feet from the outdoors, if the temperature swings sometimes the whole floor in there will get slick with condensation. The BMS wires were copper, and ultrasonically welded to the aluminum bus plates - and it was those connections that failed. I am not sure if the Model S used that system, or if they are even accessible to inpect - the modules I have do not have a sealed plastic case aroud them, they are just wrapped in insulating plastic. Anyway, my modules are pretty rare, and I have not heard of anyone else that has had similar problems, so hopefully it was just a fluke.


Ah. The plastic casing on the other modules isn't really a solid seal though I don't think. 

Maybe a small dehumidifier in the battery box isn't a bad idea even if just for peace of mind.


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

Sounds like a plan, I'm a bit behind you so haven't made a battery box yet.
Have you tried watching some programs to see what companies are doing?
In the UK we have Vintage Voltage or you can look up Zero EV on YouTube, they explain a lot of stuff really well, may well have info on a battery box.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

scottherrington said:


> Sounds like a plan, I'm a bit behind you so haven't made a battery box yet.
> Have you tried watching some programs to see what companies are doing?
> In the UK we have Vintage Voltage or you can look up Zero EV on YouTube, they explain a lot of stuff really well, may well have info on a battery box.


Ok so I did some digging on YouTube and found some videos that are _exactly_ what I'm looking for. Here's a video in which a guy is converting a huge Ford F450 pickup with a full tesla pack of 16 modules.


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

OR-Carl said:


> It might be instructive to watch a video of a tesla pack being torn down to see how they were originally secured. I decided that sacrificing my trucks original bed was worth keeping the original Tesla battery box, as that thing is a pretty impressive piece of engineering. Man did they ever love bolts! And the whole box is made out of super-tough 1/2" thick aluminum plate, and gasketed and caulked all around. Since your batteries are not going to be riding inches from the pavement, you probably dont need anything that resilient, but some sort of a complete shell around the modules seems like it might not be a bad idea. My modules were Tesla-made, but for a short-lived electric Mercedes, and I found corroded BMS connections on every one of my modules after storing them for a year outside that enclosure. I am not sure how the storage environment factored into that, or if the model S batteries even used the same manufacturing techniques. My pack was unsealed shortly before I got it, and it had a little port on the side where desiccant packs could be stuffed in. The ones in there had a date in 2018 scribbled on the side. Anyway, hopefully my experience was a fluke, but something to think about at any rate.


Worth noting a big reason for the thickness on the battery case is it is a stressed member in the car's construction. The battery is providing a lot of the Tesla's rigidity. This will go even further with their new cells in the future as the battery becomes a full structural member


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

Qckslvrslash said:


> Worth noting a big reason for the thickness on the battery case is it is a stressed member in the car's construction. The battery is providing a lot of the Tesla's rigidity. This will go even further with their new cells in the future as the battery becomes a full structural member


Yes, the car's rigidity. However, cars being converted are already structurally sound and rigid without the need for more support. So it's not necessary to make the battery box a structural member of the car.


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## brian_ (Feb 7, 2017)

Qckslvrslash said:


> Worth noting a big reason for the thickness on the battery case is it is a stressed member in the car's construction. The battery is providing a lot of the Tesla's rigidity. This will go even further with their new cells in the future as the battery becomes a full structural member


I think the trend is in the opposite direction at Tesla. A Model 3's battery case is less rigid and is more protected by vehicle structure than the Model S.

In both the Model S/X and the Model 3/Y, the battery pack hangs under the body of the car. It may contribute to rigidity as it is secured in multiple locations, but it is not even close to being a "skateboard" as it is popularly called. Look at the body of the car without any battery or other powertrain components, and it is a conventional unibody.

The electric trucks will be interesting to examine in detail when they go into production. The ones shown so far (e.g. Rivian, Hummer EV) tend to have a platform chassis with a body on top and the battery within the chassis; the battery box may be carried within the frame, or may be the frame, making the battery box structural.


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

brian_ said:


> I think the trend is in the opposite direction at Tesla. A Model 3's battery case is less rigid and is more protected by vehicle structure than the Model S.


If I'm remembering correctly, Elon Musk said at battery day that the new model S would have a structural pack and "cell to pack" where they forego modules and use the cells as some of the structural supports.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing a teardown of the new Model S, since it should be out on the road soon.


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

reiderM said:


> Yes, the car's rigidity. However, cars being converted are already structurally sound and rigid without the need for more support. So it's not necessary to make the battery box a structural member of the car.


Exactly. Just since you'd been asking about how people were making them didnt want you to think you had to match the tesla structure.

2mm cr4 is what I have seen zero ev and auch make boxes from. I am planning to use the same for my lg modules

Throtl has a video where they visit stealth ev and it shows the box they are mounting their tesla modules in and how it all secures


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

Qckslvrslash said:


> Exactly. Just since you'd been asking about how people were making them didnt want you to think you had to match the tesla structure.
> 
> 2mm cr4 is what I have seen zero ev and auch make boxes from. I am planning to use the same for my lg modules
> 
> Throtl has a video where they visit stealth ev and it shows the box they are mounting their tesla modules in and how it all secures


Thanks! Is 2mm thick enough though? I feel like I've heard more people using 4mm


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

reiderM said:


> Thanks! Is 2mm thick enough though? I feel like I've heard more people using 4mm


Really comes down to size. Unsupported length etc. If you take a look at the mx5 build on zero ev's youtube you can see the box they built with 2mm


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

reiderM said:


> Ok so I think I've got somewhat of a plan. I'll weld together a steel box made of pretty thin sheet metal that is fully watertight on 5 sides of the 6-sided rectangular box. The top will be a bolted on steel plate that has a rubber seal on the edge to keep it watertight. Then, inside the box, I'll cut up something like these PVC boards to insulate the packs from the steel box and to make "shelves" for the modules inside.
> 
> How does this sound?


Watertight is a noble, but _bad_, idea unless you plan to do a helium leak rate test on the box and purge it with nitrogen. 

You also could have a bomb under the hood if you completely seal it if the cells go exothermic or produce gases for some reason. 

The Model S/X battery trays have blow off rubber plugs and, despite what Elon claimed (that the Model S could ford water), they are NOT waterproof.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

reiderM said:


> Yes, the car's rigidity. However, cars being converted are already structurally sound and rigid without the need for more support.


By that you mean they don't fold up when you take the engine transmission out?

Not good enough.


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

remy_martian said:


> By that you mean they don't fold up when you take the engine transmission out?
> 
> Not good enough.


This was more in response to stressed members. Pieces of a structure that are integral. Few ICE vehicles outside of supercars have engines/transmissions which structurally contribute to the vehicle. Yes if you are putting 500lbs where 50 used to sit you need to add reinforcement. But not sure what you mean by "Not good enough".


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

remy_martian said:


> By that you mean they don't fold up when you take the engine transmission out?
> 
> Not good enough.


I think you might have missed Qckslvrshash and I's argument here. We are just saying that it is not always the case that the battery pack/battery box needs to fulfill a structural role in a conversion. As he mentioned, yes if you are significantly changing the weight in a certain section of the vehicle by something like an order of magnitude, then of course more structural support is needed. However, that's not always the case.

To the best of my knowledge, engines and transmissions don't usually play an important role structurally. They're held in place by jelly-filled mounts that are designed to do the opposite: soften the impact of bumps on the drivetrain. When the components are held in this method, it's hard to envision them providing a notable structural improvement. 

Again, not an expert, but just my assumptions.

As for waterproofing, I certainly don't mean it to be watertight to the level that I may have made it seem. I'm more envisioning something akin to a door seal. More than enough to keep rain out, but probably won't stop something like water from a pressure washer from seeping in. Assuming most of the box is welded together, it won't be an issue on these sides. On the sides where it's not welded, I'll probably put some good rubber seal similar to those used in door trims. As far as I'm aware though, this shouldn't cause any issues since lithium batteries don't release any gases, unlike lead-acid batteries which can release hydrogen when charging.

Probably a good idea on the blow-off plug though. More safety measures are *never *a bad idea.


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

reiderM said:


> I think you might have missed Qckslvrshash and I's argument here. We are just saying that it is not always the case that the battery pack/battery box needs to fulfill a structural role in a conversion. As he mentioned, yes if you are significantly changing the weight in a certain section of the vehicle by something like an order of magnitude, then of course more structural support is needed. However, that's not always the case.
> 
> To the best of my knowledge, engines and transmissions don't usually play an important role structurally. They're held in place by jelly-filled mounts that are designed to do the opposite: soften the impact of bumps on the drivetrain. When the components are held in this method, it's hard to envision them providing a notable structural improvement.
> 
> ...


Zero Ev sells a battery box blow off valve for sealed boxes. 








Battery Pack PRV Vent Blow Off Valve







zero-ev.co.uk





I am using them on my two boxes I am sure countless companies make them. Lets you have an sealed box while avoiding creating a pressure bomb should something go wrong.


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## remy_martian (Feb 4, 2019)

^^ again, sealing the box off with your door seal will make the steel walls of your box (and likely the cells) act as a condenser of the water in the air and you _will_ accumulate moisture, likely pooling water at the bottom. 

Look at transmissions, transaxles, live axles...all are vented.


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

remy_martian said:


> ^^ again, sealing the box off with your door seal will make the steel walls of your box (and likely the cells) act as a condenser of the water in the air and you _will_ accumulate moisture, likely pooling water at the bottom.
> 
> Look at transmissions, transaxles, live axles...all are vented.


The venting isn't to do with water. But what happens to oil and air inside as it heats it expands you need it to remain at atmospheric pressure. If you had a sealed diff/trans etc you'd run the risk it could blow up. Nothing to do with water/condesation, in fact the opposite venting lets more condensation in. It is an unfortunate side effect to being open to the environment, as it heats up water vapours will off gas but as it cools it sucks in air and thus moisture. A big reason for swapping out said fluids is just due to water getting in over time.

Either way a battery box isn't a diff/trans. They are generally sealed to the environment with blow vents should anything off gas


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## socko (Sep 21, 2008)

We have really been enjoying using a new modular box approach for our different builds, and are now offering them in our web store. They are designed specifically for Tesla Model S 4.5, 5.2, or 5.3kWh battery modules.

They can be transformed into any smaller size with minimal effort and/or can be attached to each other side by side pretty convincingly..









Modular Battery Box for Tesla Battery Modules


Your last battery box! Our modular approach to battery containment allows easy reconfiguration to hold different quantities of battery modules. Vertical stacks as well as side-by-side configurations.




amprevolt.com


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## TeZla (Feb 18, 2021)

reiderM said:


> Yes, the car's rigidity. However, cars being converted are already structurally sound and rigid without the need for more support. So it's not necessary to make the battery box a structural member of the car.


Would it be a bad thing though? On my old Datsun, There isn't all that much 'chassis' to speak of, Its chassis strength is in the sills, not the chassis rails. They don't even run all the way to the rear.
I'll be improving the rails and extending them to the rear, its a common mod when you put a v8 in it, but im also planning on putting the battery in the transmission tunnel, So the flat base plate of the battery could very easily be incorporated into the chassis rails to stiffen up the whole chassis (While also carrying the weight of the battery)

I think if you can do that in an old chassis, its probably a good idea.
A new chassis, only 10-15 years old, id then say its probably not a worthwhile consideration as the chassis is already likely very stiff and strong from the factory, As they are often designed to much more stringent requirements.

I'll actually be interested to see how Rich Rebuilds v8 tesla goes in this regard. By removing the battery he's removed a lot of the chassis rigidity, I know he's added some bracing back in to make up for it, But I think its still going to have chassis twist problems.
I predict shitty door gaps being the first sign of trouble


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

A common mod on Mini's when converting to a soft top is to strengthen the inner sills.
Could you do this to add strength back in after removing the tunnel?
I can see the justification for making a battery box structural but take into account new EVs are very lightweight without the battery pack so you could end up adding lots of additional weight meaning more mods on suspension etc.
Not bashing your idea, I don't know the layout or setup of your car, just trying to see alternative routes 

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## TeZla (Feb 18, 2021)

I'd like to tie the inner sills to the chassis rails, that'd add stiffness for sure, as well as give me some proper lift points on the sills where the chassis joins. Going with my current build plan, it looks like most of the battery will be in the tunnel/engine area (1300mm long and its big enough for a volt battery, I can fit most of the whole volt battery there already)
The battery box will have a base that needs to protect the cells from ground impacts due to their location, It shouldn't take much more metal to extend the 300 or so mm out to the rails on each side, and it 'armors' the underbelly of the car while also improving aerodynamics from a flat floor

its race spec yo!


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

scottherrington said:


> A common mod on Mini's when converting to a soft top is to strengthen the inner sills.
> Could you do this to add strength back in after removing the tunnel?
> I can see the justification for making a battery box structural but take into account new EVs are very lightweight without the battery pack so you could end up adding lots of additional weight meaning more mods on suspension etc.
> Not bashing your idea, I don't know the layout or setup of your car, just trying to see alternative routes
> ...


I'm converting a 2010 Ford Escape. So a modern-era car that has all the support I think I'll need. 10 tesla modules + cooling etc. will come out to around 600 lbs. So not that much more than what was there before considering the engine weighed a good 400, exhaust manifold 50, radiator and air intake maybe another 30 or so. All in I'll probably be 200 lbs over pre-conversion weight.


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## RustedB&B (Feb 15, 2021)

socko said:


> We have really been enjoying using a new modular box approach for our different builds, and are now offering them in our web store. They are designed specifically for Tesla Model S 4.5, 5.2, or 5.3kWh battery modules.
> 
> They can be transformed into any smaller size with minimal effort and/or can be attached to each other side by side pretty convincingly..
> 
> ...


Oh I like this idea!


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

RustedB&B said:


> Oh I like this idea!


They're good but VERY expensive. For a 10-module container, I'd be spending $3.5k. 

I'm gonna stick to making my own.


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## RustedB&B (Feb 15, 2021)

reiderM said:


> They're good but VERY expensive. For a 10-module container, I'd be spending $3.5k.
> 
> I'm gonna stick to making my own.


yeah - I think thats a good idea!


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## TeZla (Feb 18, 2021)

reiderM said:


> I'm converting a 2010 Ford Escape. So a modern-era car that has all the support I think I'll need. 10 tesla modules + cooling etc. will come out to around 600 lbs. So not that much more than what was there before considering the engine weighed a good 400, exhaust manifold 50, radiator and air intake maybe another 30 or so. All in I'll probably be 200 lbs over pre-conversion weight.



You sure about those weights? may want to check again.

Tesla modules are 55lb (25kg) each, so your pretty accurate there. id probably add another 50lb (22kg) in the weight of the battery box alone, then you'll have the weight of all the copper connections, bus bars, wiring, cooling hoses, coolant itself etc. I'd honestly say that could be another 33lb (15kg) in all of it. lets round that out to 640lb (290kg) total weight, because there is always extra stuff nobody thinks of. (55lb x 10 + 50lb + 33lb = 633lb)
Did you weigh the engine coming out? A LS1 iron block v8 and transmission is approx 550lb (250kg), that's the heavy one.
I would expect an aluminium v6 engine from a ford escape to be a lot lighter, From my brief google the engine itself is only 225lb (102kg), the trans is around 100lb (45kg)

Your batteries will potentially be twice the weight of the engine and transmission you remove. You also need to consider how high up from the ground that weight is, it'll affect the center of roll of the body. If you can sit it low down, thats even better. It could even be beneficial to try and spread the weight of the batteries if possible, Some in the front, some in the back. Keep them low for a better center of gravity and improved roll center.
You should also add in the weight of the motor itself to the total value (Hyper9 is 120lb (55kg)). you will probably need to put heavy duty springs in there to carry all the weight nicely. If you do put in a Hyper9 and run it through the stock transmission then the motor weighs almost as much as the engine you removed.
The radiator is very light, maybe only 5lb (2.2kg), same for the exhaust manifolds, even though they are cast iron, there isn't much to them 10lb maybe (4.5kg)
Fortunately its a pretty robust chassis with a good gross weight limit, so it should handle the extra weight without much issue at all


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## reiderM (Dec 30, 2020)

TeZla said:


> You sure about those weights? may want to check again.
> 
> Tesla modules are 55lb (25kg) each, so your pretty accurate there. id probably add another 50lb (22kg) in the weight of the battery box alone, then you'll have the weight of all the copper connections, bus bars, wiring, cooling hoses, coolant itself etc. I'd honestly say that could be another 33lb (15kg) in all of it. lets round that out to 640lb (290kg) total weight, because there is always extra stuff nobody thinks of. (55lb x 10 + 50lb + 33lb = 633lb)
> Did you weigh the engine coming out? A LS1 iron block v8 and transmission is approx 550lb (250kg), that's the heavy one.
> ...


All very good points. I have the 4-cylinder model, which Ford says weighs 282 lbs. So yes if I do put all of the batteries under the hood it will definitely be a sizable increase in the weight up there. I'd guess it will be around 350 lbs. more than stock all-in. The front axle is rated for somewhere around 2300 lbs. so I think I'll be fine. If I need to beef up the shocks at some point it's not a big deal. 

My escape is FWD only, so in terms of performance, it makes more sense to have most of the weight up front (within reason). 65/35 front-rear weight distribution is basically the gold standard for FWD cars from what I've read so if they'll fit, I will probably put all 10 under the hood. If they don't, my current idea is to put 5 under the hood and then the other 5 where the gas tank was. But that adds a fair amount of complexity and doesn't align with my goals for weight distribution so I will want to avoid this route if at all possible.


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

There's a new YouTube channel called EV Alliance, it's from Australia and has professional converters on there.
One of them said he uses 5mm aluminium for his battery boxes.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## Qckslvrslash (Oct 29, 2019)

scottherrington said:


> There's a new YouTube channel called EV Alliance, it's from Australia and has professional converters on there.
> One of them said he uses 5mm aluminium for his battery boxes.
> 
> Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


I think a lot all depends on the box, how it is supported etc. There is no one right size/thickness to make a box


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## HesseJames (Mar 18, 2021)

Hello @ll,

I also thought quite a long time about the build of the boxes. I am not into Tesla but I didi it for LifePo4 - but the method could also be taken for Teslas. As I was not going for CALB Cells (they need too much space in my build) I needed a good case to protect the cells. I started thinking about steel frame but this turned out to be too heavy. Then I thought about steelframe with ABS side panels, but I was sceptical about stability and fire protection. As an old musician I then thought about to build a flightcase. There are many profiles for building those cases. I chose profiles for 4mm Aluminium sheets.You just cut the sheets and put them in the profiles - then a lot of rivets.


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## scottherrington (Jul 3, 2020)

That's a neat solution however I would have used more rivets personally.
It also will look nice in the car, I could imagine this in the boot/trunk.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


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## HesseJames (Mar 18, 2021)

scottherrington said:


> That's a neat solution however I would have used more rivets personally.
> It also will look nice in the car, I could imagine this in the boot/trunk.
> 
> Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk


First and third picture are not finished boxes. After fitting batteries I put in more rivets, about 100 each.


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