Aluminum strap for body panel struts

[speedbuggy]

Where can I get some of this material? What I am talking about is the bendable aluminum strap that I see most folks use for supporting rear quarter sheet metal to the frame. These are about 1" wide and about 1/8 or 3/16 thick.

I looked on Speedway or Lefthander website and can't find it.

thx

[Lizardracing]

Local Home Improvement Stores or Hardware Stores or Local Steel Supplies. Cut to fit.

Onlinemetals.com has good prices on various things.

[speedbuggy]

Local Home Improvement Stores or Hardware Stores or Local Steel Supplies. Cut to fit.

Onlinemetals.com has good prices on various things.

thx for the reply...Do you happen to know which alloy to get? The stuff I've gotten from home centers is so hard and brittle, it breaks instead of bending.

[MM90]

Are you thinking of spring steel? Never seen any aluminum straps that are very bendy. I had aluminum braces on my car and they bent, take them off and put in a vise and bend them back. Eventually they start to crack. Picked up a neat kit of composite braces from Circle Track Supply, I think that's who makes them.

[speedbuggy]

Are you thinking of spring steel? Never seen any aluminum straps that are very bendy. I had aluminum braces on my car and they bent, take them off and put in a vise and bend them back. Eventually they start to crack. Picked up a neat kit of composite braces from Circle Track Supply, I think that's who makes them.

Not thinking of spring steel. I just tried to bend a strut of aluminum from Home Depot to a 90° on a brake this weekend and it broke right in two. I want something that can be bent at least once without breaking, something to bolt from the frame out to the quarters to keep them from flopping around.

The car came with exactly the material I'm talking when I bought it, but I was in a wreck and it ruined the struts on the left side quarter. Don't know how to get back in touch with the original owner. Just wanting to find a source for replacing the bent-up parts.

I ordered some 6063-T56 strap from onlinemetals.com. We'll see if that does the trick.

[MM90]

Any aluminum strap or angle for that matter that I used I have gotten from Menards or Lowes. It's all the same stuff, can get 1/8 or 1/4" thickness. I don't expect it to spring back or take a beating. Just replace it when it breaks. I went to the composite braces on the rear quarters of my car this year. Haven't had them "tested" yet but it did save some weight over the aluminum braces.

[powerslide]

Might try "soft" bending it(not really sure what to call it). Instead of puttin it in the brake put it in the vise or over something and use a hammer to bend it. Spread it out over a greater area and it shouldnt be so brittle.

[mod71m]

Speedway part number 91054020 or Performance Bodies part number PER6063A. Comes with enough aluminum angle to do a whole car and enough aluminum strap to do almost 2 cars. It's the best bang for the buck out there. The angle alone will cost you more than 40 bucks at a metal supply shop unless you have an account to get a good discount.

Buying strap at Home Depot or Lowes is crazy expensive...

[speedbuggy]

Thanks everybody for all the replies. I think I've got plenty of options now.

[LM14]

Why are you bending the aluminum 90*?

We had to make a few bends but nothing that drastic. Do you use a strip of angle aluminum on the inside of the sheetmetal to bolt the aluminum strap to?

Just curious.
SPark

[speedbuggy]

Why are you bending the aluminum 90*?

We had to make a few bends but nothing that drastic. Do you use a strip of angle aluminum on the inside of the sheetmetal to bolt the aluminum strap to?

Just curious.
SPark

Probably went overboard with bending it 90°. Yes, I have angle running along the inside of the panel.

The aluminum I have is definitely more brittle than what came with the car. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some other strap material out there that I've been unable to find that is softer.

[72Dubya]

I use the 1" x 1/4" aluminum from Rural King, and to bend the ends into the angle they need to be, I put the small part of the aluminum( the end that will have the bend in it) in a vise and hit the long exposed area with a hammer to bend it, I have never had it break, even when it was a season old. When you are bending it back into shape, just put it length ways in the vise and SLOWLY close the vise down on the bent area, straightens it right out.

[autoshop]

we use what is left of the body panel and just put a bead down the center to stiffen it up

[Krooser]

http://allstarperformance.com/product.htm?prod=986

[speedbuggy]

http://allstarperformance.com/product.htm?prod=986

I'd happily pay the $12 for that...lots of holes to choose from.