Dual Battery setup - or how to fit DieHard Platinum 31M

[Marc311]

I went to Home Depot (or maybe it was Lowes - either one) and bought a 3ft piece of Aluminum Angle "Iron" for about $3. I cut it to the proper length and sprayed it with Plasticoat. The Plasticoat was to insulate it in case it slipped and shorted across the terminals. I think that really is virtually impossible, although I could see me dropping it across the terminals when removing it if I was being stupid.

I did the same thing with the J hooks - 8" ones from the local parts store and cut down the fender side. Also used a regular bolt with loctite (a nylock would probably be even better).

Mine was a convential battery, not a Die Hard Platinum, but they appear to be the same dimensions. I dremeled away the corner portion of the battery box where it is lifted (presumably for the wiring harness). It sits in fine.

 

[Ebag333]

You can buy group 31 batteries at your local heavy duty truck shop for ~$55 each fyi.
I just bought 2 Group 31 chassis batteries (850 CCA) for $53.00 each in Houston at Freightliner of Houston.

Those will no doubt work just fine, but they're quite a bit smaller than the PM-1's from Sears.

The PM-1 have 1150 CCA. The PM-2 (about three quarters the size and weight of the PM-1) has 880 CCA.

Neither one is $53, however.


I would be curious to know more about those truck stop batteries. One of my biggest reasons for getting the PM-1 was the heavy duty construction, which presumably will help it last much longer when wheeling.

 

[largeone]

Group 31 homemade bracket

I am looking forward for mounting solutions for the switch.
Currently mine is just sitting on a piece of silicon. It will be nice to mount it securely.

largeone, don't forget pictures.

OK...Here is the bracket. I still have to tap the end that goes under the fender in the first pic. A small bolt should hold it in place. I also had to find bolts that were about 1/4" longer to hold the bracket into the radiator support.

 

[Bluetribal]

BRILLIANT! Very nice design.

 

[largeone]

Thank you, Bluetribal.

I did forget to mention that I had to trim the radiator bracket slightly. You can see it in the last pic. I saw this as a small tradeoff to have the batter held down tightly. I was able to trim it with just a small cutting wheel on a dremmel tool, so it was really easy.

Also, Thanks to Barry McCoin for his fab help. I'm new to welding, so he was inspirational.

 

[Bluetribal]

Yeah considering that the left J hook is holding on the flimsy plastic battery tray this is a much stronger bracket by far... I think I will need to copy this design, thanks.

 

[NLXTACY]

Make up a bunch and sell that bad boy!!

 

[rhyary]

my second battery finally died with 10.8V at rest.
manufacture date of the dead one I think was 02/2007

replaced today 01/13/2013 with the same 31M with manufacture date 05/2012. couldn't find a newer one.

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