http://www.geocities.com/fourthgenha...hedtiedown.jpg
Re-Finished Battery Tie Down
Tools/Parts
1 pair of pliars/socket wrench
1 can of Heat Resistant Spray Paint
1 dremel/piece of sand paper
1 new set of 9'' J-Screws (10'' is ok also.)
Instructions
Any 4th Gen owner knows that after 12 or more years the stock battery tie down is not looking so good. The cheap yellow plastic coating is cracking off and the metal under it is rusting. But there is hope...
First of all you will need to remove the battery tie downs. They are usually held on with nuts or wing nuts, so unscrew the wing nuts or nuts with the correct tool. Next take all the hardware including the old J-Screws and set it aside somewhere.
Next you are going to want to get out your dremel and attach the sanding bit. Peel any remaining plastic off the tie down bar. Place the tie down bar on a flat surface and use the sanding bit to sand any rust or remaining plastic until the bar is as close to bare metal as you can get it. (Next Step, Only if your J-Screws are longer than 9'' since most stores only sell them in even numbered lengths). Attach the cutting disc to the dremel. Place the J-Screw on a raise surface and use your feet to hold it down steady. Cut as much off the J-Screw as you need to make it 9''. Then your done with any cutting or sanding.
Find an out-of-the-way place where you can paint the bar without any damage to anything else. Lay the bar face down and give it 1 coat or more on the back side just to hold off any more rusting. After that has dried (Approx. 45min-1hour) flip it over to the top side and spray it. Spray the top side about 8 times for a nice clean looking coating.
Once all the paint is dry you are safe to put everything back together. Just re-assemble everything using the new hardware and everything will be better than new.
Notes
It will take some time for all the coats of paint to dry but fear not, you can still drive your car without tie downs, the battery isn't going anywhere it may just scoot around a little bit. But make sure all the coats of paint have time to dry so it will look as best as it can.
http://www.fourthgenhatch.com/batterytiedown.html
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