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JDA_BTR

Well Known Member
I mounted some of my avionics today. I decided to mount my sb1b backup alternator controller on top of my gea-24 with four 2.5 inch standoffs made of tubing that was too soft for the job. What standoff?s would work well with an an3 bolt passing through it? I think hex standoff?s would work but would be overkill.
 
Got any *real* auto parts stores in your area? Go there and buy 4' sections of steel brake line, in several sizes. It's galvanized, so no need to paint for corrosion protection. AN3 fits in 1/4" OD perfectly, but I keep several sizes on hand for all kinds of stuff, including bushings. Cut it with a regular tubing cutter for square ends.

Rigid aluminum or even copper or brass should work too for something light, but the brake line is easy for me to get, and virtually no weight penalty for such small segments.

Charlie
 
I've used stand-offs that are aluminum or nylon. I've gotten them at Sears when they were still in business around here. I've also bought them at a good hardware store near me that has two full isles of fasteners/hardware from hillman. The aluminum ones come in different lengths and inside diameters, and so do the white nylon ones. I just mounted a small light weight circuit board controlling my LED NAV/strobe lights with #8 screws going through nylon stand-offs from the above mentioned True Value hardware store.
 
I found this website:

aluminumspacers.com

Ordered some spacers for my brakes (making the ones in the plans was tedious and frustrating...). I was able to order in the same material as the tubing supplied by Vans.
 
The 1/4 steel brake line at $6 for 30 in worked great. ID wouldn?t quite take the an3 bolt but smooth sailing after running a #12 bit thru.
 
Glad it worked for you. For my own info database, did you have to drill all the way down the tube, or just clear the edge left by the tubing cutter on each end? -3 bolts are a loose fit in the stuff I've been using, but other brands may be thicker walled. I'd like to know whether to be 'on guard' the next time I buy.
 
I had already dressed the end. So I ran it through. I might use 5/16 if I had it to do again. A little more stout and resistant to buckling. But the 1/4 did the job. Great idea - thanks!
 
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