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Battery relocation

tRustyK5

tRustyK5

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I'm sick of my battery trays breaking. My truck sees a lot of Forest service roads on the way to trails. These are usually quite rutted and full of potholes. The constant jarring just beats the crap out of the stock mounting system and creates a serious safety hazard IMO.

I recently had a small fire when an oil cooler line blew (See "caught my junk on fire"). Not much damage, but in a way it was a blessing in disguise. While the trail fix was going on I noticed that both my battery trays had broken loose.

So, I could weld up the busted mounts on the trays and bolt them back up with larger washers but I no longer have any confidence that it'll stay fixed for long. It seems like this'd be a good time to move the battery's to a better location. I'm thinking of a couple of recessed wells just ahead of the rear fenderwell. One battery on each side.

First question is do I have to worry about fumes from the batteries inside the truck? Second question is how much ventilation should a battery have? I can make sealed lids to keep fumes out of the truck if it's needed...and strategic vent holes also.

Rene
 
I'd make sealed lids and vent them to the underside of the truck, or run Optima's.
 
Are you lost Rob?

The Lounge is the second one from the top...:haha:

Rene
 
No offense, but I'm not about to drop close to $200 US for two plastic boxes...I don't care if their certified by NASA. :haha:

Rene
 
I used a Marine battery box from Walmart. If i remember correctly they were less than $20 a pop. Plus a remote battery mount kit (wiring) from Summit. Bought it years ago for another project, but just was a bunch of 1 gauge wiring.

But mines any Optima in an open top k5, so no worries about fumes.
 
Ya, if you dont have some sort of sealed battery, I'd put them in a box for extra security from fumes. And for added protection from something possibly falling on them and arching...
 
Wal-mart has plastic marine boxes for around 5 or 10 bucks. I was messing with them the other night and id cut 1 of the clips that hold it down off cause you get one undone and the other doesnt want to let go, Id just strap the top down so it wouldnt go nowhere.
 
Your best bet for cables is welding cable, there are many strands of wire and good copper wire to boot.
 
In this very old pic ( when just got home ) I found my the P/O on Marvs advice moved the battery here . I do plan on wrapping my exhaust headers , and wrapping the battery with a blanket from Summit .

700784_40_full.jpg
 
Thanks guys, good info. Looks like I'll be building a couple of sealed integral boxes for my batteries then. No more having to worry about the trays breaking, and it get's 100+ plus lbs in a lower more central location. Every little bit helps, and I've never been happy with that much weight up that high and so far forward anyways.

I'll post some pic's when I get it done.

Rene
 
So when running the wires back to the batteries, should you wrap them in anything if they are being run on the underside of the truck? Or are they ok? Also, do you just run straight wires as they are run factory? Or do you need to do something since their is such a long length of wire and you may loose some power?
 
liv24wheel said:
So when running the wires back to the batteries, should you wrap them in anything if they are being run on the underside of the truck? Or are they ok? Also, do you just run straight wires as they are run factory? Or do you need to do something since their is such a long length of wire and you may loose some power?
Click to expand...

You may want to insulate them if they pass near exhaust in close proximity. Never hurts to use some loom to protect them form rubbing. Definitely protect them if they pass through a hole.

Use large welding cable like previously mentioned. The bigger cable will have much less loss.

Don't use the frame as a ground cable.
 
What would be a good way of mounting the batter box behind the rear seat of a K5? I am thinking of making a couple of metal brackets that will slide down over the box then drill holes in the tub, slide bolts through them with washers and weld them to the body then bolting the brackets down. Any other ideas?
 
venting schmenting.

afc-50301_w.jpg


from summit... $24.99

j
 
liv24wheel said:
So when running the wires back to the batteries, should you wrap them in anything if they are being run on the underside of the truck? Or are they ok? Also, do you just run straight wires as they are run factory? Or do you need to do something since their is such a long length of wire and you may loose some power?
Click to expand...

I used cable ties and 'P' clamps on the cables underneath the body to keep them where they need to be. I did wrap a few sections with the corrugated wire loom where they go over anything with an edge that might chafe the insulation.

My longest cable goes to the starter and is only about 18" longer than the stock piece it replaced...but it's much heavier gauge.

Regarding using the frame as a ground, it might not be ideal but i already had the cables made up and installed before reading that it wasn't the best. FWIW, even using the frame as a ground I have much better cranking speed and shorter 'glow times' when starting the truck now. I will eventually run a pair of ground cables right up to the starter. :rolleyes:

A couple of pic's:

DSC00833.jpg


DSC00897.jpg


DSC00895.jpg


I have no fender creaks anymore either, even though i have quite a few bsuted spot welds where the inner and outer parts of the fender meet. Without the weight of the batteries up front there is very little to get the fenders to creak and groan anymore.

Rene
 
From the outside.

Driver's side looking forward:

DSC00975.jpg


Dead on from the side, you can just see the bottom corner of the batt box peeking out. My rear fenders are cut pretty agressively though. I plan on some low profile rubber fender edging/flairs in an effort to keep the truck more legalish. :p:

DSC00976.jpg


Passenger side, same view:

DSC00978.jpg


Dunno how clear this is, but it shows the fender well edge just about even with the end of the upper shock stud.

DSC00977.jpg





Rene
 
4X4HIGH said:
Your best bet for cables is welding cable, there are many strands of wire and good copper wire to boot.
Click to expand...


and to add to that... search ebay.. I got 3/0 welding cable for $1.70 a foot..... for my winch.... :bow:
 
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