Mounting RCM battery trays
 

How is everyone mounting the RCM battery trays from Mike to the chassis? I saw the included screws and could just screw the tray into the chassis, but I am not sure that will be strong enough. Has anyone used other screws that work better than the ones included? I could potentially also use a nut on the other side of the tray to hold the screw in the tray, but then I will need a spacer and will need to change a lot of other things as well.

Ideally I would just want to have some screws into the tray how it was designed to be, but I am not sure if the tray will be able to hold onto the screws. It seems as if on a hard hit, the tray would just rip right off the screws... any recommendations?

Thanks.

- Josh

With my tray, I did it the other way round; drilled and countersunk the tray itself, then drilled/tapped the chassis, and used M4 screws (my tray needs to hold a big ol' pack, so I didn't use the included ones). Aluminium is always going to be less likely to strip a thread than Delrin, so that's the way I did it.

I drill the tray with a 1/8" drill bit and then hand thread the M4 screw into this hole - makes for a nice, tight grip that won't back out. The trays include 4 screws - if you use all 4 in this manner, you will break something else before you pull the screws out of the tray - I promise. :)
I ran my Losi 8T a full season with only one M4 and one M3 screw holding the tray down - didn't realize it until I took it apart! I am not recommending this mind you, but rest assured that 4 M4 screws will hold it securely. :)

I did what Mike did to the tray and the chassis so that the screws are threaded in the box and the chassis. It took a little force but it is not coming loose.

I personally like to use a M4 tap into the chassis as I have one, but I have seen Mike's tray (in his 8T iirc, or maybe the Castor...) and it will not come out. I countersunk the screws in my tray as well.

I also have the batt straps connected to the chassis and run over the top. I think a nuke would have to hit the truck before the batt tray came out.

yea my my rcm rc8t is ues 4 m4 screws, and trust me you could land it upside down from 3 stories and that tray would still b on there, i dunno about the rest of the truck but the tray would be, now in my xray its overkill, i have 5 screws in it, (2)m5 nitro motormount screws, (2) m4 screws i drilled and countersunk, and i used one existing m3 screw from a radio tray mount..... just do like mike said under size the holes and screw them in you dont need to do anything else.

Sounds good guys. Thanks! Pictures of the completed D8 should be up today or tomorrow. :wink:

Wait im a little confused. Sorry

Thats how you do your personal trays, or the ones sold in the store? Ive never had your tray ive always made my own. But with my up coming buggy conversion I will be needing one!:mdr:

He uses the trays he sells in the store for his trucks and that how he mounts them. And also how he recomends that we mount them.

Ok sweet

Thanks!