[AustinSchuh]

If you guys have the tools to do it, I would recommend that you fold the top of the side plate over to make it a lot stiffer and stronger.

We made a drive train last year that was 2 plates of 1/8" aluminum side plates on either side of our wheels with spacers to hold the plates together. We folded the top and bottom of each plate over to make a 1/2 inch or so tab. It held up very well.