DIY Battery Boxes
A metal battery box is an important apparatus that protects your car battery. Made of coated metal, battery boxes get warm and rust over time. Building a battery box is a simple task you can do yourself without a repair shop.
Materials
- New battery box and metal tray
- Wire brush
- Drill
- Nuts and bolts
- Safety goggles and gloves
- Rust resistant paint
Procedure
- Wear protective gear to protect yourself. Protect your eyes from the battery acid, which can be harmful. If the battery acid is exposed to your skin, rinse it off with water for 15 minutes.
- Disconnect the old battery. Do this by removing the terminals and the strap that holds the battery to keep it from moving around. Loosen the bolts that hold the strap and then free the battery and lift it out.
- Inspect the battery and the battery box for corrosion. Use the wire brush to clean all the rust off.
- Apply rust inhibiting paint on the clean surface to prevent the rust from recurring, and to help it last longer.
- Insert the new tray in the same position as the old tray. Secure the brackets that hold the tray using the nuts and bolts. Make sure you line up the tray properly before you fix it. Use the drill to tighten the bolts.
- Wipe the inside of the new battery box and put the battery inside it. Make sure you match the positive and negative posts on the battery to the cable.
- Check the battery position to make sure it is secure and is not moving.
- Replace the battery box cover and secure it tightly with the strap.