GOOD angle aluminum?

[go4gold]

The stuff from your lhs is probably junk not cheap just junk. You can find tap extractors at mcmaster carr along with relativly inexpensive taps. Most broken taps are from the hole being to small, the tap not started straight, or any bit of side load especially on small taps. If you have a drill press you can use that to help keep the pressure straight down without any side force. If you really need to keep the original piece of metal there are companies that do broken tap and drill removal without damage to the hole. i think most of them use a process called EDM. Mcmaster also has angle aluminumwith 3" walls and 1/4 "thick. I could not find any 5mm thick angle. Here is a part # to look at 8982K62. This tap is Nitride treated(for aluminum and other soft metals) 27175A512 It's 10.52. Not cheap but will last This one is uncoated for 5.83 8305A32

[BrianG]

The taps at my LHS are "Great Plains". Not sure if they are junk or not, but I tried again tonight and broke another one. I swear I don't know what's wrong! It's turning fine, being careful to go straight, and SNAP! It's like the taps are made of glass or something. I was able to do two holes and snapped on the third one. Nothing felt different between the three and I was using the drill that it came with. I consider myself a fairly mechanically-inclined type of guy - I just don't know what's happening.

Oh well, I'm tired of making new parts just to break a tap in it. I'll wait for the plastic stock I ordered from mcmaster and then simply drill 3/32" holes and then self-tap my 3mm screws in it. It'll probably be lighter anyway. I'll just use taps for thinner material from now on.

go4gold: Thanks for looking that stuff up, but I haven't even begun the motor mount yet. I think I'll be having Mike or someone mill that part. I'm VERY limited on room without doing more intense mods to move the center diff - which I don't want to do because I don't want extra holes all over the place. I'd like to make this look nice.

[BrianG]

I solved my whole tapping issue by using plastic instead. The stock came in and it works great. I drilled 3/32" holes and 3mm bolts self-tap right in nice and tight. Much lighter than the aluminum too - about 1/3 the weight.