Transit Wheel Well Electrical Cabinet Assembly Guide – Featherbuilt

How to assemble the Featherbuilt wheel well electrical cabinet for your Transit. It's sized for the EXPLORIST.life EXPLORE and EXPLORE Lite electrical kits. Every step is written out below, and the PDF has the same instructions if you'd rather print them.

Download: Wheel well electrical cabinet assembly guide (PDF)

Before you start

Inspect the box and parts when they arrive and make sure everything listed below is there. If anything is damaged or missing, email us before you start.
The parts and photos in this guide show a driver side cabinet. A passenger side cabinet goes together the same way, with the parts mirrored.
Don't open the hinge kit bags until the hardware step. The three hinge types look similar, but each one belongs to a specific door.
Use wood glue on every wood-to-wood joint before you tighten or screw it together.

What you'll need

Cordless drill with a Phillips head bit (for all of the hardware) and a #1 square head bit (for the 1" black trim head screws)
4mm Allen wrench (included) to tighten the cabinet connectors ("Cabineos")
Rubber mallet to tap parts into place
Wood glue: Titebond II or better

What's in the box

Cabinet parts

A: Left End
B: Right End
C: Bottom
D: Top
E: Back
F: Divider
G: Battery Shelf
H: Component Panel
I: Upper Fuse Panel Brace
J: Lower Fuse Panel Brace
K: Front Lip
L: Fuse Panel
M: Back Support
N: Fuse Panel Door
O: Battery Door
P: Component Door
Q: Utility Panel

Hardware kits

Cabinet assembly info: 4mm Allen wrench, instruction QR card, business card and Featherbuilt stickers
Cabinet assembly kit: 20 × 1" black trim head screws (#1 square drive), 4 × 3/4" black pan head wood screws (#6), 2 × 1/4" black washers, 2 × button head screws
Latch kits (3): each has 1 Southco slam latch (M1-63) and 2 × 1/2" Phillips countersunk screws
Lift arm kit: 1 Blum Aventos HK-XS lift arm, 1 Aventos cabinet bracket, 1 Aventos door bracket, 4 × 1/2" Phillips countersunk screws
Hinge kits (3): blind corner, inset (soft close) and half overlay. Each has 2 hinges, 2 × 3mm hinge plates, 2 × 3mm hinge cup spacers, 4 × 5/8" countersunk screws and 4 × 1/2" countersunk screws

Assemble the cabinet

The cabinet goes together with Cabineo connectors, which you tighten with the 4mm Allen wrench. Glue each joint as you go.

Step 1: Left end and back

Lay the Left End (A) flat on your work table and insert the Back (E).

Step 2: Bottom

Insert the Bottom (C) and tighten its Cabineos with the 4mm Allen wrench.

Step 3: Top

Insert the Top (D) and tighten its Cabineos.

Step 4: Upper fuse panel brace and divider

Insert the Upper Fuse Panel Brace (I) and the Divider (F). Make sure the slots on the Divider face into the battery compartment. Tap both into place with the mallet.

Step 5: Component panel

Insert the Component Panel (H) with its oval slots toward the bottom of the cabinet.

Step 6: Battery shelf

Insert the Battery Shelf (G). Its slots line up with the tabs at the top of the Component Panel.

Step 7: Right end

Rotate the cabinet so the Back is down on your work table. Attach the Right End (B) and tighten all of the Cabineos.

Step 8: Stand it up

Rotate the cabinet to its final, upright position. The box is done; next comes the hardware.

Install the hardware

Step 9: Cabinet brackets and hinge plates

Install the Aventos cabinet bracket, the Aventos door bracket and the 3mm hinge plates, all with the 1/2" Phillips countersunk screws.

Line each hinge plate up with its pre-drilled holes. Each pair of hinge plates matches one door, so work from one hinge kit at a time.

Step 10: Hinges on the doors

Set a hinge cup spacer around the hinge cup hole on the door, then screw the hinge in with the 5/8" Phillips countersunk screws.

Which hinge goes where: blind corner hinges on the Component Door (P), half overlay on the Fuse Panel Door (N) and inset on the Battery Door (O). See the hinge guide for photos.

Step 11: Slam latches

Install the Southco slam latches with the latch arm facing the latch keeper, then install the keepers with the 1/2" Phillips countersunk screws.

Step 12: Utility panel, front lip and lower fuse panel brace

Screw on the Utility Panel (Q) with the 3/4" black pan head wood screws.

Attach the Front Lip (K). Push the Lower Fuse Panel Brace (J) up against the back of the Front Lip and secure it.

Step 13: Fuse panel

Rest the Fuse Panel (L) between the grooves of the Lower and Upper Fuse Panel Braces, then screw it in place with the 1/4" black washers and button head screws.

Step 14: Back support

Install the Back Support (M). Reinforce the cabinet by driving the 1" black trim head screws (#1 square bit) into the pre-drilled holes.

Step 15: Hang the doors

Attach the Battery Door (O), Component Door (P) and Fuse Panel Door (N) by clipping each hinge onto its hinge plate (see below). Then connect the lift arm and make your final adjustments.

Hinges: attach, release and adjust

To attach a door: set the hinge on its hinge plate and push the back of the hinge arm down. When you hear a click, it's secure.
To release a door: press the lever under the hinge arm.

Once the cabinet is together, adjust the hinges so every door closes and latches and the gaps (reveals) around the doors are even:

Side: turn the front screw to increase or decrease the door overlay (±2 mm).
Height: turn the cam screw on the mounting plate to move the door up or down (±2 mm).
Depth: turn the rear spiral cam screw to set the door gap (+3 mm / −2 mm).

Lift arm (Blum Aventos HK-XS)

Attach the cabinet mounting plate (the Aventos cabinet bracket) inside the cabinet.
Attach the door mounting plate (the Aventos door bracket) to the door and insert the hinges.
Hang the door on the cabinet using the clip mechanism in the mounting plates.
Attach the lift arm to the cabinet mounting plate, then connect the lift mechanism to the door bracket.

Adjusting: turn the screw at the base of the arm until the arm holds the door up on its own.

Removing: unclip the lift arm from the door bracket first by pushing back on the clip, then remove it from the cabinet bracket. The arm is spring loaded, so unclipping it from the door first keeps it from snapping back at you.

Products this guide covers

Need a hand?

You can do this, and we're here if you get stuck. Email support@featherbuilt.com or send us a message from the chat on featherbuilt.com. Photos of where you're stuck help us answer faster.