FJ40 OEM Small and Large Battery Tray and battery options - 2024 update

[Vae Victus]

Did some battery research today. Thought I'd share.

Seems like the days of finding good batteries are waning. Everyone wants to sell you a battery every 24 months now so that's becoming more than norm.

It's also becoming harder to find batteries that fit the older smaller OEM battery tray.

OEM Small Tray
The OEM Small tray is 10.5" x 7 x 8.5 to 9.25 LWH. The height is important here. The height is measured to the top of the terminals and the terminals are about 7/8 of an inch to 1" tall. In the smaller OEM battery tray the threads on the posts start at about 7 1/2 inches so the body of the battery needs to be at least 7 1/2 inches tall in order for the bracket to hold the battery in place. Otherwise the bracket won't get tight because the threads don't go down the rods far enough. So when you look at the height of the battery you have to subtract about an inch for where the top of the body is. That's the point at which the bracket will sit in the important number here. Several batteries will fit in the length and width of the battery tray but very few of them will actually be held down firmly given their short stature.

A Group 24 is the size quoted for this tray, but there are not many choices that *I* found. There are a few, and it's easy to find a battery and put it in there, but I did a little more research just to see what was out there because I kind of wanted to buy the Toyota TrueStart battery with the 84 month warranty. They don't sell one in a group 24.

EDIT:
Just found Odyssey Group 24. ~$350 if you can find it local. $400 shipped.

ODP-AGM24M

Looking for an ODP-AGM24M (24M-725) ODYSSEY Performance Series Battery? Buy it online at OdysseyBattery.com - the official manfacturer's website. Whether it's a battery for your car, boat, RV, a powersports battery or a heavy duty / commercial application battery - powerful performance starts here!

www.odysseybattery.com

And the Odyssey model with extra mounting posts for accessories ~$375 plus shipping

ODP-AGM24M

Looking for an ODP-AGM24M (24M-725) ODYSSEY Performance Series Battery? Buy it online at OdysseyBattery.com - the official manfacturer's website. Whether it's a battery for your car, boat, RV, a powersports battery or a heavy duty / commercial application battery - powerful performance starts here!

www.odysseybattery.com

Here's an X2Power at BatteriesPlus (SLI24AGMDP X2Power Premium AGM 840CCA BCI Group 24 Car and Truck Battery). Also around $350.

X2Power Car and Truck Battery | Premium AGM | 840CCA | Group Size 24 - SLI24AGMDP

Discover the relentless power of the X2Power Group 24 premium AGM car and truck battery with a powerful 840 cold cranking amps. Only available at Batteries Plus.

www.batteriesplus.com

This website was very helpful. It gives other battery groups that are similar sized.
Group 24 Battery Dimensions, Equivalents, Compatible Alternatives - https://batterygroupexpert.com/group-24-battery/

Here's some of the groups that might work. The ones that say "terminals reversed" means the terminal would require you to turn the battery around such that they are closer to the middle of the truck. It works, but you need to be sure your cables are long enough if you go this route.

• Recommended: Group 24 terms norm (positive on left by fender) 10.25 x 6.8125 x 8.875
• Good option: Group 25, 9.0625 x 6.9375 x 8.875
• Good option: Group 124, 10.4375 x 6.9 x 8.43
• Group 24T maybe
• Group 28 terms in middle (too tall?)
• Group 63 terminals reversed
• Group 22 HF terminals reversed
• Group 35 terminals reversed

If I cannot get a good Group 24, I am leaning towards a group 25 battery and I'm going to call Toyota and see if they have one.

Note: you don't want to buy a battery from Amazon because they don't warranty it after 30 days. So says an Optima buyer.

I'm also going to see if Interstate has anything worthy anymore. I've heard people say that Evermaxx is good but I'm not seeing those pop-up in my searches. I'll report back as I find more and edit this post.


OEM Larger tray:
I didn't do research on this one as I have the smaller one.
Group 27 is the standard OEM battery for this one. There seems to be quite a few options for the size battery including Toyota.

If someone else wants to chime in here on the group 27 batteries that they like in 2024 then please feel free to do so. I thought I would document the size here so that people could find it easier when they go looking for it like I did earlier with little luck.

Odyssey Battery in Group 27

ODX-AGM27F

Looking for an ODX-AGM27F ODYSSEY Extreme Series Battery? Buy it online at OdysseyBattery.com - the official manfacturer's website. Whether it's a battery for your car, boat, RV, a powersports battery or a heavy duty / commercial application battery - powerful performance starts here!

www.odysseybattery.com

GROUP 27 DIMENSIONS AND SIZES (LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT)
12.0625'' x 6.8125'' x 8.875'' Inches 306 x 173 x 225 Millimeters

EDIT: Adding Group 27 similar sizes (Links in orange go to website in first post):

BATTERY GROUP NUMBER	DIMENSIONS	SHAPE	VOLTS	CELLS	POST TERMINAL TYPE
Group 27 Battery	12.0625'' x 6.8125'' x 8.875'' in. 306 x 173 x 225 mm		12	6	"A", "A2"
Group 27H Battery	11.75'' x 6.8125'' x 9.25'' in. 298 x 173 x 235 mm		12	6	"A"
Group 64 Battery (Reversed terminals)	11.625'' x 6.375'' x 8.875'' in. 296 x 162 x 225 mm		12	6	"A"
Group 46 Battery	10.75'' x 6.8125'' x 9'' in. 273 x 173 x 229 mm		12	6	"A", "A1"
Group 24F Battery (Reversed terminals)	10.75'' x 6.8125'' x 9'' in. 273 x 173 x 229 mm		12	6	"A", "A2"

 

[Green Bean]

Really nice in depth write-up. I noticed when researching the DEKA 9A34 that it states "Battery can be used as replacement for BCI Group 24F when used with this.

 

[Vae Victus]

That probably would have helped me with my optima yellow top Group 35 battery which is just about an inch too short. I read about those spacers but didn't see where they were available for the Optimas. I just put it in my future son-in-law's 2001 Saab 93 so I guess I found a place for it.

 

[flx]

I have the large tray (was standard on euro spec FJ40).

Last time I changed battery (2020) they installed me a Bosch S4 028, 95Ah (I guess it's a group 28), was readily available at my local garage for ~100€. Length and width it fits nicely, height is ok.

If a Bosch S4 027 is a group 27 then it would feel quite small for the large tray...

 

[Vae Victus]

I have the large tray (was standard on euro spec FJ40).

Last time I changed battery (2020) they installed me a Bosch S4 028, 95Ah (I guess it's a group 28), was readily available at my local garage for ~100€. Length and width it fits nicely, height is ok.



If a Bosch S4 027 is a group 27 then it would feel quite small for the large tray...

Is your tray the same dimensions as the large tray measurements stated on CCOT website? Interesting that this battery doesn't come close to filling the tray.

EDIT: ah I see, the Bosch S4 027 is a group 65 battery. See on the battery the small "Group size 65"?

Group 65

DIMENSIONS AND SIZES (LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT)
12.0625'' x 7.5625'' x 7.5625'' Inches 306 x 192 x 192 Millimeters

Where the Group 27 is

DIMENSIONS AND SIZES (LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT)
12.0625'' x 6.8125'' x 8.875'' Inches 306 x 173 x 225 Millimeters

So yes, they are pretty similar.

BUT wait, if the width of the OEM large tray is 7" how does that group 65 fit in there unless it is narrower at the bottom? IT MUST BE narrower at the bottom! Well, that is something that could open up other batteries but we'd need dad drawings or field measurements to really know! (This is true for the Group 24s as well, they are longer at the top but fit at the bottom. Didn't know this until seeing a detailed drawing of ALL the measurements).

Here is the drawing of the Odyssey Group 24. See how the max length is 10.87" but the base is 9.96" easily fitting in the 10.5" small tray? That is why the group sizes info is not cut and dry.

I realize we don't necessarily need lots of alternatives since most of these batteries are readily available, but with all the recent supply shortages, might as well have the info.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I buy the biggest battery I can. I cut a piece of plywood to fit into the tray, so the battery had a flat place to sit and not contact the lip of tray. At one time my goal was to extend the tray to hold 2 big batteries. Both batteries grounded to the frame/engine. I would make a knife blade switch for the positives so I could run either or both.
+1 for a very nice write up.

 

[flx]

Is your tray the same dimensions as the large tray measurements stated on CCOT website? Interesting that this battery doesn't come close to filling the tray.

EDIT: ah I see, the Bosch S4 027 is a group 65 battery.
View attachment 3646582

Group 65

DIMENSIONS AND SIZES (LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT)
12.0625'' x 7.5625'' x 7.5625'' Inches 306 x 192 x 192 Millimeters

Where the Group 27 is

DIMENSIONS AND SIZES (LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT)
12.0625'' x 6.8125'' x 8.875'' Inches 306 x 173 x 225 Millimeters

So yes, they are pretty similar.

Weird doesn't look like the same batterie.
European Bosch S4-027 is a fair bit taller and less long. No explicit mention of a group.
261 mm * 175 mm * 220 mm

Bosch S4-028 is 306 mm * 175 mm * 225 mm

I don't have the dimensions of the battery tray itself under the hand but the 95Ah battery fit snugly in it...
The partnumber of my tray is 74403-60050 which is different from what CCOT is listing (64403-60050)... but I'll bet on a mystake from CCOT on this, I just checked the US EPC and PN are the same than in European EPC for this part.

As I'm checking the EPC, it specifies the battery sizes as N50z for the small carrier and N70z for the big one. Searching for N70z I find references which seems to match the correct size but mostly in NZ/OZ... maybe they are the last places to still use this norm x)

 

[flx]

I buy the biggest battery I can. I cut a piece of plywood to fit into the tray, so the battery had a flat place to sit and not contact the lip of tray. At one time my goal was to extend the tray to hold 2 big batteries. Both batteries grounded to the frame/engine. I would make a knife blade switch for the positives so I could run either or both.
+1 for a very nice write up.

At some point I wanted to source a 24V HJ45 battery tray. This thing can hold 2 big batteries in a row!
This is the big daddy of battery carrier xD

They are extremely rare... HJ45 started their life as 12V in Europe and when they moved to 24V they were quickly replaced by the BJ45 (that has the 2 batteries on 2 different corners). You would also need the special support that attaches on 2 different places to the chassis and on a FJ you would need to move a few things around to fit it.

 

[ryanwk628]

Really nice in depth write-up. I noticed when researching the DEKA 9A34 that it states "Battery can be used as replacement for BCI Group 24F when used with this.

I made a homemade spacer, but that plastic one seems to be exactly what I need for my Interstate MTX-34 AGM, thanks!

 

[Vae Victus]

Good comments coming in. Thanks folks. European batteries (Bosch at least) don't follow the Group XX format - interesting.

I bought the BatteriesPlus AGM Group 24 battery today. Easiest to get. G-24M (Marine) model. Has the extra posts on it which I like. I hope there's not something hidden in a Marine model which makes it wrong for a truck. (Do tell!)

$399 minus $15 for online purchase. 48 month warranty.

It fits in fine, but I have a larger alternator, and Vintage Air so some close tolerances. It was touching the alternator wires. Decided to trim it a bit on the outside casing where it was extruded.

This looks as if Odyssey makes this battery.

I had to tweak the AC pipe with the red fill port a bit to clear it.

Wing nut threads on fully, but just. I wouldn't go any taller.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Back in the day the big Diehard battery would last me about 9 years before I would have to get a new one for winter. I have a block heater, too - very handy when its -25 below. They were 5 year ones. My current battery is the biggest one Shucks sells, was about $180 OTD. Still good so far on year 3 or so I think.

Keeping the contacts clean, have it secured and never let it go flat seems to help them last as much as they can. OBW I pry the caps off and keep the fluid level up when I get close to the warranty.

I think they all have it dialed in to fail a month or two after the warranty.

 

[45Dougal]

Great thread with some really useful info, thanks.
I just pulled the whole battery bracket and tray out of my 1977 HJ45, after realising it had cracked due to the modification to take a bigger battery in a higher position.

Can anyone confirm; should the battery tray sit tight down on top of the bracket, or were any models elevated as mine is?

It's currently fitted with a fairly large battery of 355 x 175 x 190mm, so i think I'm just going to weld up the crack and stiffen that area of the bracket, and then cut down the hack tray to lower the battery and hopefully reduce the moment enough to stop it happening again.

Any thoughts?

 

[firemanj92]

Great thread with some really useful info, thanks.
I just pulled the whole battery bracket and tray out of my 1977 HJ45, after realising it had cracked due to the modification to take a bigger battery in a higher position.

Can anyone confirm; should the battery tray sit tight down on top of the bracket, or were any models elevated as mine is?

It's currently fitted with a fairly large battery of 355 x 175 x 190mm, so i think I'm just going to weld up the crack and stiffen that area of the bracket, and then cut down the hack tray to lower the battery and hopefully reduce the moment enough to stop it happening again.

Any thoughts?
View attachment 3844950


View attachment 3844948

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