Dual Battery Tray Build

Trollhole · 10-04-05, 07:22 AM

On my last wheeling outings we had a guy at the bottom of the mountain who needed to be winched up it. Me thinking my 8274-50 would be up for the task. Well it was but the single battery wasn't and I ended up killing my battery a few time and would have to wait for it to recharge and if I happened to kill the engine I would have to get a jump. Even with a 130 amp GM alt self regulating. I knew a dual battery system was in my future. I found two blemished Optimas for 30 bucks, a battery isolator for $49 and fabbed up the tray. They fit perfect. They are a little higher than the stock location but I did this so I wouldn't have to move the coil and igniter and still be able to get to the oil filter and distributer.

It mounts diectly to the old battery tray location without any cutting.

honk · 10-04-05, 07:37 AM

Pretty nice. What size are those batteries? I have two size 35 redtops that fit in the stock tray with the front lip bent down sideways like yours are, so those must be pretty big ones, like maybe 27s?
are they more than 710 CCA?

Also, do you think that there's any chance of a contact between that isolator and the hood if the hood flexes or a goat jumps up on the hood? Or a dog? Even a cat?

Landpimp · 10-04-05, 07:55 AM

nice set up

I would take a piece of rubber or something and figure out how to put it over the isolator/and battery terminals to keep it from doing what Honk mentions, or for your own good, those will be easy to short out with a wrench or something.......not like I know

I did similar but used the stock tray, made it a wee bit bigger, left it in the stock spot, used a pair of Odyseey 1200's

Trollhole · 10-04-05, 08:02 AM

I'm going to use the rubber caps like they use on most alternators setups for all those connections. It clears the hood by 4 inches. So lets hope I don't flex that much.

Godwin · 10-04-05, 09:43 AM

Waytek carries a selection of rubber caps. Waytekwire.com I think is the website.

honk · 10-04-05, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollhole

I'm going to use the rubber caps like they use on most alternators setups for all those connections. It clears the hood by 4 inches. So lets hope I don't flex that much.

Oh good. 4" should be plenty. The picture made it look to me like it'd be a lot closer than that. Kinda' surprised me thinking that you'd take that risk - everything else I've seen you post tells me that you got pretty good sense and plenty of experience

camcruiser13 · 10-04-05, 10:52 AM

i like that, looks good should be plenty powerful now

cabron · 10-04-05, 11:13 AM

Nice setup, you defintely wont be having the same problem again!!

REZARF · 10-04-05, 12:24 PM

Looks great...

My question is however, did the po' sap at the bottom of the hill help you pay for your new setup

Just kidding, I am always afraid of frying my winch on someone else's lack of preperation.

I think it looks sweet though, clean install. FWIW, I used a few rubber washers between my mounting tray and fender. I think it helps with the corrosion a little bit.

Rezarf <><

Trollhole · 10-04-05, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REZARF

Looks great...

My question is however, did the po' sap at the bottom of the hill help you pay for your new setup

Just kidding, I am always afraid of frying my winch on someone else's lack of preperation.

I think it looks sweet though, clean install. FWIW, I used a few rubber washers between my mounting tray and fender. I think it helps with the corrosion a little bit.

Rezarf <><

Lol. No but hey thats what friends are for. We toasted one winch and one battery. Lesson learned more valuable than the battery or the winch.

Here is a pic. The 55 was at the bottom of the hill. What you cannot see is there is another cruiser down that hill with his winch all the way out and the guy in front of me has his line all the way out. By the way he is the one who fried his winch. We slowly inch wormed the 55 all the way up the hill.

And yes I know I didn't have a towel over the line. ANother lesson learned.

bandy rooster · 10-04-05, 01:30 PM

troll- you mentioned that you got to optimas for 30? where do i go about getting a "damaged" one for that cheap? thanks ..

CruisinTiger · 10-04-05, 01:55 PM

yeah that was quite a trip...he bought the pig for a dollar and that was it's first expedition out. Did fine for a good day and a half and then the distributor and coil were just gone. But none the less it was good to see it out there. I believe it took us about 3 hours to winch him up.

Trollhole · 10-04-05, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bandy rooster

troll- you mentioned that you got to optimas for 30? where do i go about getting a "damaged" one for that cheap? thanks ..

We have a place called interstate batteries here. They have blemished batteries for 21$ each and optimas for $30. Not a bad deal. Though you can get regular and deap cycle batteries all day long the optimas are a hit and mis kind of thing.