Fire extinguisher mounting bracket project
 

I need to mount a 2.5 lb fire extinguisher for the Big Bend Open Road Race. It has to be easy to reach and remove by driver and codriver, it has to be securely attached (not attached with sheet metal screws), and it has to have a metal bracket attaching it (not plastic).

I don't want to drill any new holes if possible. I'd like to be able to return my car to stock.

I was discussing this in an Australia thread, but it seemed more relevant in the track driving section. Previous thread:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...t=21249&page=2

There's a New Zealand company mentioned in that thread that makes an under-seat bracket for mounting a fire extinguisher. But I'd like the codriver to be able to reach it too without mounting two of them. I also stripped my seat bolts trying to get them off. So I'm pretty much married to the idea of putting it in the center console now somehow.

I'm also aware of this thread for mounting one in the console while leaving the trim in place:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15588

That extinguisher must be less than 2.5 lbs though, since mine won't even come close to fitting in there. It's also held in place by only 2 trim screws.

So here's my latest prototype. Suggestions are welcome since this is my first time doing any kind of metal work. The real one will not be made of Legos!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/1...99387853_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2843/1...fff7b3b2_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

The trim panels all popped off just like in this video:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8lrrchH5A4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8lrrchH5A4[/ame]

It will attach with longer bolts of the same size of the two that mount the handbrake.

I was going to use CNC machining but this is simple enough that I can just cut it out myself. If I want to make some more pretty ones I'll CNC machine them.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2885/1...9d9bc347_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

This is my first version made manually using a drill press and band saws at TechShop. If I can stay motivated, this will just be a prototype, and I'll learn to CNC them so they'll be prettier. If not, well this one is functional at least. I drilled holes for 2 different manufacturers' brackets. This is the first thing I've ever made out of metal!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/1...20d55ee8_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7421/1...320e865f_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2832/1...ac5eb864_z.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

I lost it when I saw the Legos.

Plastic rapid prototyping devices you mean

Excellent use of Lego!

Pics of fire extinguisher bracket installed
 

My custom bracket adapter is shown here with both types of universal brackets I purchased.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7386/1...c659f538_z.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...57637102540084

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/1...6c635032_z.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombiei...7637102540084/

This seems to be holding in place solidly despite the whole assembly weighing several pounds. Most of the weight is in the extinguisher, and that can't be changed. I'll probably look for ways to lighten up my bracket and I'll also look into getting some aircraft-grade hardware since it's pretty clear that the mounting bolts are the weakest link here.

A friend of mine has offered to anodize my final piece for free. That's great because it gives me encouragement to learn to CNC a prettier one rather than just using this ugly one I cut out by hand.

You can trial milling out the underside of the mounting hardware so you end up with a skeleton rather than a slab of aluminum.

Maybe you could do like we do in porsche.

http://www.rennline.com/Rennline-Fir...ductinfo/FE01/

He wants it accessible by his codriver.

I use this
http://www.speedtechnz.com/shop/Safe...Toyota+86.html

Mounts to seat, moves with seat, no extra drilling/butchering of car.

Win in my book.

I saw that seat-mounted solution in the Australia thread. Looks great! However:

1. I stripped my seat bolt heads trying to remove my seat.
2. It's a bonus for the extinguisher to be accessible to both driver and co-driver without installing 2 of them, though the rule technically says "accessible by driver and/or co-driver."
3. If I ever install race harnesses, or if the airbag has gone off, or the car is crumpled or upside-down, it seems like it would be harder to reach a seat-mounted extinguisher.
4. This gives me an excuse to learn to make stuff out of metal.

As a suggestion, would it not be possible to mount this thing using a modified cup holder between the two rear seats? I doubt you will be using the rear seats so you don't have to worry about someone in the back banging their elbows on it. From the looks of the extinguisher, it looks like you could stand it straight up inside the cup holder itself.

Or are there regulations that it has to be secured using specific mechanisms?

Nice work though - love the lego bits!

The rules for the Big Bend Open Road Race specify that it must be mounted "securely," but in other rule lists for other races I've seen it specifically mentioned that it must be mounted in a metal bracket fastened to a metal part of the car, and that the fasteners cannot be sheet metal screws--it must be bolted onto metal, or in this case, screwed into threaded holes (which already exist for the handbrake).

It's heavy enough that the screws and sheet metal brackets that hold the trim on probably won't be strong enough to hold it in an accident. After all, they're only meant to hold on to plastic. So the 2 suitable solutions I've found that won't involve drilling new holes in the car are: 1. connected to the seat, or 2. mounted onto the handbrake screws.

Here is how we mounted mine. A metal carrier could have been used but we went with this method.