Body Brace Tabs Flat Mount 4pk

OVERVIEW

When you are building a rugged Baja Bug, a high-performance Sand Rail, or a custom street-legal Beetle, the strength of your fabrication is only as good as its smallest components. The Allstar Performance Body Brace Tabs are engineered for the serious air-cooled VW enthusiast who understands that vibration and chassis flex are the enemies of a long-lasting build. These aren''t your standard, flimsy flat tabs that bend the first time you hit a whoop in the dunes. These mild steel tabs feature a strategically integrated gusset that provides significant structural reinforcement, ensuring that your body panels, interior tins, or accessory mounts stay exactly where you put them. By utilizing a gusseted design, Allstar has eliminated the common failure point found in non-reinforced tabs, giving you the peace of mind needed for aggressive off-road or track driving.

Versatility is key in any custom Volkswagen project, and this 4-pack of flat-mount tabs offers the flexibility required for complex cage work and body bracing. Whether you are mounting a dash to your roll cage, securing a custom fuel cell surround, or bracing exterior bodywork on a Manx-style buggy, these tabs are designed to be welded either parallel or perpendicular to your tubing. The mild steel construction ensures excellent weldability with MIG or TIG processes, allowing for deep penetration and a professional-grade finish. At Appletree Automotive, we know that "close enough" doesn''t cut it when you are miles into the desert or at the staging lanes. These tabs provide the professional-grade foundation required for a high-quality build that can withstand the unique harmonics and stresses of the air-cooled flat-four environment.

FITMENT

These are universal fabrication components commonly used in the construction and restoration of the following Volkswagen models and custom platforms:

• VW Type 1: Beetle, Bug, and Super Beetle (All Years)
• VW Type 2: Bus, Transporter, Kombi, and Microbus (1950-1979)
• VW Type 3: Fastback, Squareback, and Notchback (All Years)
• VW Type 181: Thing (All Years)
• VW Karmann Ghia: Coupe and Convertible (All Years)
• Custom Chassis: Sand Rails, Dune Buggies, Manx-style shells, and Tube Chassis Race Cars
• Off-Road Applications: Baja Bug conversions and 5/1600 race cars

SPECS

• Brand: Allstar Performance
• Part Number: ALL60024
• Material: High-Quality Mild Steel
• Quantity: Pack of 4 Tabs
• Mounting Style: Flat Mount
• Reinforcement: Built-in Structural Gusset
• Orientation: Compatible with Parallel or Perpendicular mounting
• Finish: Raw Steel (Requires coating/paint after welding)
• Application: Body Braces, Accessory Mounting, and Sheet Metal Tabs
• Weight: Approximately 0.28 lbs per pack

PRO TIPS

1. Proper Surface Preparation for Superior Welds

Since these tabs are made of raw mild steel, they often come with a thin layer of mill scale or oil to prevent flash rusting during shipping. Before you even think about firing up the welder, you must clean the mounting surface of the tab and the chassis tubing until they are bright, shiny metal. Use a flap disc or a wire wheel to remove all contaminants. This ensures a clean weld puddle with no porosity, which is vital for the structural integrity of a gusseted tab. Don''t forget to clean the backside of the tab where the gusset meets the flat surface, as heat will pull impurities from any uncleaned area into your weld bead.

2. Use a Spacer Bolt for Perfect Alignment

When welding these tabs in pairsfor instance, to mount a seat belt bar or a heavy-duty body bracealways bolt the tabs to a sacrificial spacer or the actual bracket they will be holding before you tack weld them in place. The heat from welding causes metal to expand and contract, which can "pull" the tabs out of alignment. By bolting them together with a Grade 8 bolt during the welding process, you ensure that the holes remain perfectly indexed and that the bracket will slide back in effortlessly once the metal has cooled. This prevents the common headache of having to "clearance" your holes with a drill or a file after the fabrication is finished.

3. Manage Heat Soak to Prevent Warpage

While the integrated gusset makes these tabs incredibly strong, it also creates a corner that can trap heat during the welding process. When welding these to your VW''s roll cage or chassis, use a "stitch weld" technique rather than one continuous heavy pass if you are working near thin-walled tubing. Tack the tab in four places first, let it cool for a moment, and then complete your beads. This prevents the tubing from warping and ensures the tab doesn''t lean during the final pass. Once cooled, always apply a high-quality primer or chassis paint immediately, as the heat-affected zone around the weld will be highly susceptible to rust in the humid environments air-cooled Volkswagens often inhabit.