frame mount for 48V 15A ping

[Diamondback]

hello all.

i want to re mount my battery so that it fits inside the triangle.
here's how the battery is currently fitted. with the battery in this location, the bike is top heavy
and the rear rack is complaining about the weight. i have had one bolt shear off already.


the battery is a ping 48V 15AH. it weighs about 7.5Kg (about 17 lbs) minus the box.

can anyone point me in a direction for making a suitable frame mounted box ?
i was considering using the 4 water bottle mount bolts, but i think they might not be able to support 10+kg's
of box and battery, as they were designed to hold maybe 1kg each.

i also considered hanging the battery under the top tube, and this looks like my best alternative location,
but my problem with a top tube mounted box is that any box inside the frame has to be easy to remove.

i have a car carrier that uses the top tube to hold the bike when i transport the bike with the car.

can anyone please suggest a relatively easy to remove design that will hang from the horizontal top tube ?

i am going to go hunting for ideas at the local hardware store tomorrow.

any thoughts, designs or pictures of how others have mounted batteries that can be removed would be great.

thanks in advance.

Jason

 

[dogman dan]

Others have had sucess mounting batteries such as sla's using a piece of metal bent to an L shape. This is then bolted to the water bottle mount, and perhaps also secured in other locations such as the frame below the seat. Removing the battery, you'd then have unobstructed top bar. some kind of ratchet straps could secure the battery into the L frame.

 

[Diamondback]

thanks.

that could work.
im kinda picturing it right now.

ill go look at the hardware store tomorrow and see what i can find.

 

[rebelpilot]

I had success mounting my 48v15Ah ping in the frame of a specialized hardrock. It is held in place using the water bottle mounts. The controller fit in also.

 

[sparkcrx]

I had success mounting my 48v15Ah ping in the frame of a specialized hardrock. It is held in place using the water bottle mounts. The controller fit in also.
View attachment 3View attachment 2View attachment 1

Rebelpilot: Do you find having the battery mounted in the triangle of the frame is quite stealthy?
I mean once you're on the bike and riding it, it seems like it would be pretty well hidden opposed to a battery sitting on a rack in the open air.
It must improve the handling out of sight compared to having all that weight over the rear wheel also.

Diamondback, you could find and use some clamps (similiar to the seat post clamp or gear shifter clamp) around the tubing of the frame and mount some ally strapping or tubing to support the battery under the clamps or thru the bolts of the clamps. This could from the basis of a battery box cradle. (Edit - A quick release seat clamp for example may do the job for a clamp)

I was thinking something similiar for my Giant CRX-1 that I am planning now. This cardboard cutout is the same dimensions as a Ping 48v 15ah + 2cm's on each dimension - just enough room for a battery.
I want to look at either a strong premade plastic box for the battery or a folded alloy box that effictively "slips" in and out of one side of the frame.
The battery box assembley would slip into the battery box cradle, the battery would be removable from one side only, as the cradle would have "stoppers" or lugs to prevent the battery box from falling out.
The battery box would then be "locked off" in the cradle asm using some sort of quick release clamp, strap, wingnut etc.

Just a few ideas

 

[Diamondback]

thanks for the pic and idea.

ill look at some form of mount that fits in the same space as your mock up.

ill have to make a way for the box to be removed, for when i transport the bike with the car,
but i like that position best.

Jason

 

[rebelpilot]

Sparkcrx,
The difference in handling is very significant. Much safer. I initially thought the frame mount was more obvious, but as you have pointed out, while in the riding position my body hides most of the battery. I prefer that the battery is now "permanently" mounted, I no longer remove it when I am shopping.

 

[NeilP]

I am having the same issue.

I have just ordered two lengths of extruded section for my Turnigy 10s Lipos. The box can then be made to any width required, as the side plates ar 2mm aluminium sheet, which you can cut to what ever size you require.

Luckily the size of the UnioBox 3 Extrusion is big enough to take two of the Lipo cells, and then the other dimension for the cells is accounted for by the side panels.

I spoke to the MD yesterday, and he will supply just the extrusion, without the side panels. He will supply the side plates too, but then for a one off size box , it becomes expensive to set up the punching machine to knock out just two side plates

http://www.panel-print.com/uniobox/

I had two ideas...two packs one for each side of the cross bar





Or a single box made to fit inside the triangle
View attachment 1

 

[NeezyDeezy]

Rebelpilot, can you say more about your set up? What kind of bag is that? Did you make the aluminum bracket?

Thanks

 

[jimw1960]

A lot of good ideas in this thread. http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12847

 

[rebelpilot]

Rebelpilot, can you say more about your set up? What kind of bag is that? Did you make the aluminum bracket?

Thanks

I don't have a brake (yet), so I had to build the case up using pieces.
The main piece is a power supply chassis, with a 1" aluminum angle at the top edge and a 1" x 2" angle along the bottom edge to retain the battery. I used more aluminum angle to fabricate the bracket that can be seen bolted to the lower seat tube water bottle mounts. The bag was an old sports equipment bag. The controller stays cool and dry perched on top, partially covered with the bag, and shielded by the bike frame and my legs and torso. The BMS is at the top end of the case, surrounded by fish paper.

 

[Diamondback]

thought i would update this thread with what i did today.

i made a start on the frame mount.
i went to the hardware store and bought a few sheets of 0.6mm galvanised plate.
had to buy a nibbler tool to cut it with, but i figure ill use it again at a later date on some other project no doubt.

so far i have only cut and screwed on the bottom plate of the mount.
i will make another plate that will go up and around the battery and join the bottom plate, then ill cut the sides
these will also be 0.6mm gal plate. one side will be hinged to allow access to the battery. still have not figured
out how im going to keep the lid closed yet.

i will be putting some high density foam in strategic places to help protect the battery, and the whole thing will be
undercoated then painted gloss black.

the mount will be only held on by the 4 water bottle screws, i figure that they will be ok as long as no major side loads are
placed upon them. most of the weight from the battery will be resting on the frame itself, and not that much on the bolts.
(that's the theory anyway....)

here's the pics.

it does clear the cranks, there's about a finger and a half clearance when the crank arm passes what will become the box.
if i really try, i can touch the box when pedalling, but in normal riding it clears easily.

i took the bike for a quick un-powered ride to make sure everything clears, and it's fine.

i did a quick test with the battery sitting in place, and i have to say it feels much more "bike like" than with the battery on the rack.
im really looking forward to finishing this off... i should get a few hours this week to spend on the project.

im hoping to have this finished by next weekend, as i have a group ride that im planning to go on.

ill post up more once i get time to finish it. or progress pics if it takes longer than i expect.

Jason.
Jason.

 

[NeilP]

I'll stick in my few pennies worth (cents worth for you guys States side)

I am just doing the same to my e-bike. I did not want rack mounted batteries either. I cheated and made a wooden battery mock up and took the frame to the local sheet metal fabricator...going to be a week or so before it is back though. Going for a full box within the triangle...so room for controller and switch gear...and maybe charger too. Not sure what to do about access though. I need to remove my batteries to charge them.....no outside charging ability and I live on the top floor of apartment block.


How big is your battery pack? dimensions? I had difficulty finding a frame big enough to take my batteries.

My pack is 32cm long...plus wiring and LVC/Parallel boards...so need 38cm...16cm 'high' and 11cm across the bike width

 

[Diamondback]

that looks like a heap of lipos you have there.....

my battery is 105mm x 150mm x 270mm without the wiring or the BMS.
it only just fits in the triangle with barely enough room for the .6mm plate to go around it.

i wish i could afford to have a pro make mine up, would make life a heap easier...
post up some pictures when it's done. im sure we would all like to see the finished box.

Jason.

 

[NeilP]

I will post up.

I did not want to spend more on this bike, but just want to get it finished. I had hoped to have it on the road fro Christmas but it is still dragging on. Will post pics when box arrives.

Batteries are 8 x Turnigy 10S Nano tech 5.Ah the cheaper 25C constant 50C burst...not the 45 C variant