How to hold down an Optima with dual posts (1 Viewer)

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Mar 27, 2003
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Frederick, MD
So I picked up an optima red top the other day from Pep Boys ($105 on sale) for my 97.  I bought the one with the top and side posts.  To make a long story short, the factory hold down thingy shorts the two front posts of the optima.  I  currently have the battery strapped in place with a piece of webbing similar to the stuff off of a climbing harness.  It works, but I dont trust it too much.  Is there another (one bannana) solution that doesn't require a bunch of frabrication to securely hold the optima in place?
Thanks
CJ
 
I use the factory hold down bit to hold down my duel post... A very simple trick I used to hold the tray is insert nuts to the threaded part. This made it easier to hold down the batt at the corner. I will take a pic and post...
 
What about (carefully) wrapping some rubber around the factory hold down so it doesn't short the posts? Alternately, can you reverse the battery so the posts face the other way?

By the way c-dan, if you are reading this, I'm interested if there is a part no. for that hold down. Mine has a metal fatigue kink in it so that it gradually bends out and I have to go hammer it straight again. My dealer says it's not a listed part but he has said that before... Not worth a separate post so I was going to get a piece of angle iron but now the subject has come up, OEM is king, right?
 
I would be a bit careful about trying to insulate the tie down bar. First, things that we think as being good insulators can conduct some electricity and result in a short. Second, and more important in this case, the constant rubbing will likely chafe through the insulator causing a really nice short at the most inopportune time! :tear:

Cheers, Hugh
 
This will clear things up...
1053027830_PIC00007.jpg
 
httpRe: How to hold down an Optima with dual posts

Gumby beat me to it...
Here's another, remember don't make this overlly hard on yourself. Keep it simple :banana:
1053027700_PIC00009.jpg
 
Todd,

That be a stocker............


Simon,
Bar: 74453-60060 $14.32
J bolt x2 74451-60040 $3.63 ea.
Nut x4 90179-06206 $.63 ea.

Dan :beer:
 
So, I just figured out that I win the stupid award for the week.
I didn't know that Optima sold two different Red Tops with Side Posts until I saw your pics. "Man their batteries look a bit different than my battery."
I asked the kid behind the counter, "How much for the Optima Red Top with dual posts?" I wish he would have replied "which one?" So I walked out of the place with the wrong battery. I knew that price was too good to be true!
Deep breath....
I am now fully prepared to take you mockery.
 
Curran,

Your self-inflicted tongue lashing is sufficent. It cost ya a hundred bucks too....................

Now I myself have NEVER made a silly mistake even remotely like that one....... ::) I generally do much more damage :slap:
 
Thanks for the part number dan, :beer: :beer: :beer: I ordered a new battery bar today (CDN$22). The dealer parts guy is becoming impressed. Wants to know how I find stuff after this and the 20004 filter. I just talk vaguely about the internet.
 
A quick chat with the dude behind the parts counter, and $10 dollars later, I had the right battery and my strap down issues were solved.
Life is good. :beer:
 
I'm running the Optima blue top dual post (marine) as my sole battery in my 4Runner. The posts are the standard SAE posts on top, plus a pr. of stainless wing-nut posts right next to it. There are no posts on the side. But now that I'm moving to AZ, I've been told that typical car batteries only last about 2 yrs. Is this the same for the Optimas? The deep cycle should be able to handle the increased discharge at higher temps, but I read on one Aussie website that the way to go for hot climates is a non-sealed battery so one can replenish evaporated fluid. Can anyone in the desert SW shed more light on the hot weather issue?
 
Jim,

I'm an odd man out. It seems that I am one of the few on the forum that does not use an Optima. I have a Toyota Truestart (not sure why ::) ) I like it because it "looks" right and I can Add DISTILLED water to it as needed. And if it bifs on a Sunday I know a guy with a key to the store.

THe Optima must have something going for it as most everybody has and likes them. I'm just wierd :ugh:

Cheers, Dan
 
Jim,

Good to hear of another soon to be Arizona Cruiser. Optimas do really well up here in Flagstaff, and I've not heard of any 2 year failure rates even in Phoenix and Tuscon, where it gets too hot for me...

Personally, I've pulled Red Tops out of junkyard vehicles that have sat for 1.5 years and they've worked great. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about adding water etc., and knowing that battery problems are not very likely when I'm in the middle of BFE. There's a lot of BFE in Arizona...

-H-
 
I'm running the Optima blue top dual post (marine) as my sole battery in my 4Runner.  

I'm not really sure this is the best choice for you. A starter battery (red top) is made to provide a high amount of cranking amps for a short burst. Just enough time to start your car. At that time your alternater takes over the task of powering yuor truck. A Blue top (marine battery) is designed to put out a low leval of amps for a long time. Every time you start your car your draining life away from your blue top. Think of them as trickle batts. They are meant for their amps to be trickeled away for long bit and in turn are supposed to be charged as such. Every time your truck starts it's trying to top off your battery. That's a bad thing. If it's inteded for a winch that's a whole nother story.  But if it's just meant for a DD your gonna kill that thing.

And as for the hot temps... There is no liquid to be evaporated. It's more like a jello.

HTH. ;)
 
Jim,

 I'm an odd man out. It seems that I am one of the few on the forum that does not use an Optima. I have a Toyota Truestart (not sure why ::) ) I like it because it "looks" right and I can Add DISTILLED water to it as needed. And if it bifs on a Sunday I know a guy with a key to the store.

 THe Optima must have something going for it as most everybody has and likes them. I'm just wierd :ugh:

  Cheers, Dan

I do like the Optima, but the best battery I have ever owned was the Panasonic that came stock in the Cruiser. Almost 8 years old before it started to give me problems and then it was no crank after sitting for 2 or more days in extreme cold.
 
According to the Optima website, they recommend using the deep cycle battery for ambulances for deep cycle purposes AND starting. They claim their deep cycles can easily be used as starting batteries, although the CCA is less. The previous Delco battery I had only output 450 CCA, less than the Optima bluetop. I had a coworker w/ a Hummer H1 diesel who ran the bluetop. I'll see how goes...
 
I am with Jim on this one to a point. Those marine deep cycle batteries have to be able to start big v8s and diesels after sitting idle in a smelly bilge for many weeks at a time with a periodic drain from the auto-bilge. If you have the dollars, I can't see how they could perform worse than a typical car battery. However, why do you need them in a car?
 

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