Batteries you run (1 Viewer)

[Code Red]

If you really want a game changer battery, look at Battle Born or another lithium solution. If they live up to all of the potential, you can end up with something that is half the size, a quarter the weight and offers the same usable capacity and recharges so fast that you can replace the energy drawn by a fridge in 30 minutes or an hour from the alternator. The biggest factor for me is the charge time. Lithium recharges just about as fast as you can push the current to it. Lead Acid - including AGM, charges slower the closer it gets to full. IF you have a charging system that will put 100 Amps to the battery, it will still take 5-6 hours to put 50 AH back into a lead-acid battery, where you could put that back into a lithium battery in less than an hour.

You also get a significant bump in usable capacity. The combined wisdom of the internet says that you shouldn't take your lead-acid battery below 50%. So you get 50AH out of a 100AH battery. I disagree with that, and am content to buy a cheaper battery and beat on it down to about 80%. Hence the Flooded house battery in my install. Lead acid batteries also start to lose capacity if you don't recharge them to 100%.

Lithium batteries don't seem to care much. You can run a 100AH lithium down to nothing and it's happy. You can leave it at 50% discharged for weeks and its happy. in essence, Lithium batteries seem to be more like the bucket that we want a battery to be. But they are sensitive to voltage and overcharging. And they catch on fire. And they will accept current so fast, that your alternator will try to push them as much as it can generate, which means your cables will get hot and catch on fire. All of this can be controlled, but it takes equipment and knowledge. Despite the marketing materials, I don't think they are plug and play yet.

So lithium batteries wonderful, but they aren't cheap, they require special chargers and some knowledge to set everything up, and if you do it wrong you either kill a $1,000 battery or burn your truck to the ground.

Even so, ff I could go back in time and get back all of the money I have spent Forrest Gumping my way around on this stuff, I would get a 50 or 100AH lithium and a 60amp B2B charger from Sterling or someone. The way I operate, that would eliminate the need, or even temptation, to get solar, and I could just leave the fridge plugged in all the time.

 

[Miloslavich]

Lithiums are cool, very very costly.

i doubt most in the Mud crowd would be willing to pony up 1000 bucks or more on a car battery when they can toss that at other goodies for their rig.

 

[gregnash]

Yeah I have a hard time just spending the $250 for a good battery seeing as my DieHard Platinum is really only 6yrs old (well will be in January).

 

[JHE4601]

Yeah I have a hard time just spending the $250 for a good battery seeing as my DieHard Platinum is really only 6yrs old (well will be in January).

Yes even the $250 is a bit steep. The price we pay for quality stuff on our toys

 

[gregnash]

Well interesting enough I stopped at the O'Reilly's that is right by my office on my way home from work, literally maybe a mile away. Had them check it and the guy runs his machine, says it is showing 11v. Start the truck up and says, you got a fault detector for the alternator, at least that is easy to replace. Seems a bit odd to me, and I say, yeah maybe but this is an OEM refurb that I replaced only maybe 4yrs ago so should not be going out. He changes his story and says, Well no it said it was the voltage regulator, you need to get a new voltage regulator.
Again, I am like ?????? This is an OEM new that was replaced at the same time as the alternator but whatever. Close the hood and leave.

As I am driving home (another mile and a half) I am thinking something is fishy here. Run to the local Batteries Plus and guy tests, says I have 12.7v, which is good. Asks how long I had been driving and I told him about 15 minutes. Ok so you have a decent charge from that, let me go get a different reader. Brings out a load tester, tests and says Well you are only getting about 800 cranking amps and your battery says it is rated for 850. Since it is an AGM it could possibly be going out with its age (after telling him it is about 6yrs old) so what is probably happening is the super cold mornings after sitting most of the night are causing it to lose power. Basically, he believes it is on its way out, not done yet but definitely getting there.

Sigh..... X2 Power, Interstate AGM (MTZ) or go with a little something different with an Interstate MTP 3476 equivalent (giving me the lower connections to run some accessory lines off of? The later would be the cheaper route at around $180 with the other two running probably around $300.

 

[boerboel313]

Two Optima Redtops. Before installing the two bat system, my first one lasted 8 years.

 

[gregnash]

Think most guys around here have had enough bad taste in their mouths from Optima with the whole bad production coming out of mexico that they won't purchase again.

Keeping an eye on her as it wasn't as cold last night and this morning no lag or slow turn. So we will see, may end up having to get something once the weather gets real cold but we shall see. Gonna check the date code on the battery tonight to see what her exact "birth date" is.

 

[Code Red]

I agree lithiums are expensive. But we all spend time reading about engine swaps, SOA, lockers, LED headlights, big tires, $2,000 rear bumpers, etc . . . I don't really see how this is all that different. It just depends on what you're into.

The numbers get a lot closer when you factor in the depth of discharge numbers for lead acid. If you subscribe to the 50% rule, then you would replace that 100AH AGM with a 50AH lithium. Now you're at $500 and change which puts you above, but in the same ball park, as a 100AH Odyssey AGM. But the lithium will charge 5-7 times faster, won't lose capacity if you leave it half charged, and if properly treated will last much longer.

The charge speed is what makes them interesting to me. It takes 5-6 hours or more to fully recharge a lead acid battery that's down to 50%, and if you don't do it, then it will start to lose capacity. I don't drive that much when I'm camping, so that means I will either need to plug it in, or add solar if I am going to stay out more than a couple days. The cost of solar will more than make up for the price difference between a good AGM and a 50AH lithium, perhaps even enough to make up for a 100AH lithium. And solar will require more wires, take up space in the truck, and I'll have to screw with it when I could be drinking beer by the campfire.

My current system is pretty bare bones and gets me what I need with a $105 (I think they're a little more now) Duracel Group 31 Flooded Lead Acid from Batteries Plus, a Blue Sea ACR, and misc cables, fuzes, etc... But my daily commute isn't long enough to keep up, so I have to plug it in to keep it charged. Lithium batteries are getting better, and the costs are coming down. People are installing them and working out the kinks. Pretty soon they are going to hit the tipping point where it's worth it to me.

This is all about the insane, but cool, practice of running refrigerators in our cars. Which makes perfect sense if you are going to be running around Africa for 7 days without access to stores, but not so much when you're just out for the weekend. I don't know anybody that needs a second battery who isn't running a fridge. The sensible answer is a good ice chest and cooling packs, but a Corolla is also a heck of a lot more sensible than a land cruiser. So just by being on this forum, we have sorta opted out of "sensible." And Lord knows we will turn over the whole apple cart if we start asking whether it makes sense to put money into an old car.

 

[Longfinger]

Lithium battery performance sounds awesome, but I’d bet a quality lead acid or AGM battery will get us all by long enough for the price to come down on lithium’s by 50% or more. Over all you spend less and get years longer service for your money, plus give manufacturers time to get the plug and play charging perfected

 

[JHE4601]

I have been using an X2 Power battery for a couple years now. I will buy another for my other Cruiser when the time comes. Get a group 27F for the 60. They are a well made battery.

Did you put it on the drivers side? The X2 is a little higher I think than a normal battery. I think they are 8.45" I think the normal is 7.5"

 

[JHE4601]

Batteries Plus also sells Duracell branded batteries made by Deka. They are very good quality. You can get an AGM if that's important to you, or a regular flooded lead acid. Either will work well for you. Prices will be significantly lower than the X2. I have an X2 for the starter and winch, but the flooded Duracell FLA deep cycle has been great as a house battery.

The Stainless Battery Tray is very nice, and in my opinion is worth the money. It makes everything else much easier. I managed to squeeze the Duracell FLA Group 31 in it. But it's tight and there were some sparks. Hood clearance is uncomfortably tight.

I have not enjoyed my experiences with the NL isolators. If you haven't bought it yet, consider a simple ACR from Blue Sea, or if you have the budget for NL, then consider the CTEK or Redarc systems. Both of those will perform the isolating function plus they will give you a little uplift in charging voltage (handy for our landcruisers that seem to idle at very low voltages). The Redarc and CTEK units also have a built in solar controller. That'll save you a bit later if you want to add solar, and if you really need a dual battery, then you will eventually start thinking about solar. I have had the NL, and now run a Blue sea. I want the Redarc, and may convince myself to spend the money. It would have been a lot cheaper if I had just gone there first.

what REDARC system grabs your attention? I was looking at the SBI12KIT for my main option. It has the isolator and also the fuse holders to the main and aux battery. Not bad for $215. That and maybe the gauge in the cab would be a pretty nice set up.

 

[lcolon]

I still run optima yellow tops and I do not have a problem with them lasting 6-8years. I have a dual battery setup. I used the stainless steel trays I got off of the MUD vendor Stainless Steel Battery Trays for TOYOTA LANDCRUISER + I run the IBS dual battery system: Dual Battery System - IBS that I got from Mudrak. Everything works flawlessly.

 

[bwesty]

Did you put it on the drivers side? The X2 is a little higher I think than a normal battery. I think they are 8.45" I think the normal is 7.5"

In my 80 series yes the X2 is on the driver's side. I still have my Optima yellow in the 60 and it hasn't died yet so no need to move to the X2 on that truck yet but the battery is on the passenger side on my 60.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

only way i Roll ....................

Never a issue , always exceeds the warranty by years , one installed in the entire family fleet

 

[LandoNick]

Hey guys. There are a lot of theads with dual battery set ups which are great and I got a lot of great info on many of them. I am currently in the process of doing a dual battery set up for some camping accesories I need. So I am getting set up with another auxiliary battery. I will probably run the NL system but was wondering what everyone recommends for a deep cycle second battery? I would love an optima but can't spend that kind of money now. Also do I necessarily need to run the same brand and same type of battery for the start and the second? Final question is battery tray. Is the stainless tray with the relocation of the coolant overflow worth the money? Thanks for all the help.

Full river accessories battery, Oddesey for starting. National luna monitor and seat solenoid.

 

[LandoNick]

Hey guys. There are a lot of theads with dual battery set ups which are great and I got a lot of great info on many of them. I am currently in the process of doing a dual battery set up for some camping accesories I need. So I am getting set up with another auxiliary battery. I will probably run the NL system but was wondering what everyone recommends for a deep cycle second battery? I would love an optima but can't spend that kind of money now. Also do I necessarily need to run the same brand and same type of battery for the start and the second? Final question is battery tray. Is the stainless tray with the relocation of the coolant overflow worth the money? Thanks for all the help.

yes the stainless tray is worth doublers the money he is selling them for! get the relocation bracket too.

 

[WILLD420]

I've run all the cheap batteries. Some optimas as well. AGM batteries don't like to be used intermittently. They like daily charging / use. I use desulphators regularly. I have batteries that are 8-9 years old that have lost capacity but still hold a full charge. I've had good luck with the lower amp lead acid batteries.

A group 27 that only cranks out 650-700 amps has more room between the plates for sulfates to grow without shorting out. They will typically last longer but crank slower. I know it's blasphemous talk in our modern world but an 8.0-1 258 cu inch 6 cylinder that can be equipped with a hand crank doesn't need 900-1800 cranking amps to kick over.

 

[JHE4601]

Ended up getting the X2 and putting it on the drivers side. Found a used OEM battery tray with J bolt and cross bracket ($30) and just did a tiny bit of grinding so the angle piece worked on that side of the bay. Also had to tap a couple new holes on the fender and wheel well to secure the tray. Welded on the overflow bracket to the J bar and voila I got a dedicated area for the second battery. Fits perfectly in the area and I found out that Northstar is a group of engineers that broke off from odyssey and started their own battery line. So basically super high quality stuff. Going with BS isolator and making my own cables to run the wiring. I will post pictures in a new thread once I start the set up.

 

[Cruzerman]

AFAIK, there is nothing special about Toyota batteries. IMHO, there are better, cheaper choices.

 

[gregnash]

So dumb question. What should my battery read first thing in the morning before starting it up. Been having a harder time cranking over after sitting all night in the teens and 20s temps. Volt meter in the truck still reads between the first tick and the middle tick (so between 8v and 12v). And if the battery is dying a slow death, would that manifest more as having a hard time cranking or not wanting to keep a charge? Really don't want to run into the issue of going to start her up one morning and having a dead battery.....