Battery Relocation

Alpine TSi · 09-08-2004

In an effort to clean up my engine bay I have decided to put my battery in the trunk. I already have some nice 2 gauge wire running back there that will be sufficent for what I need. I do know what needs to be done, and I have the circuit breakers required for it. My only question for those who have done this is, do I need to put it in any type of protective enclosure or have is secured down in a certain way(besides preventing it from moving)? Also is there a specific kind of battery that needs to be used? I have an Optima Red Top, it is a gel cell battery so I can mount it anywhich way. And if it only needs to be held down by some type of strap or bar, where would I find the correct mounting hardware?

I think those are the only questions I have. Thanks in advance.

PS I want to maintain any NHRA legality if that changes anything.

Raptor · 09-08-2004

You have to have a switch to cut power to both altenator and battery as well as an NHRA approved battery box vented to the outside. The bolts have certain requirements as well, mounting to the frame and closed loop etc. I have all the specs at the shop when you need them. Also, if you want to check out how mine is done, it is fully legal and looks pretty decent IMHO

The switch in the back is one of those things where design is somewhat important. If you have a switch clearly visable from the back that is always there, you might find your clever friends shutting off you electrical system in parking lots etc also, people who don't want your alarm to have power. I used a T-handle style that goes through the license plate area. The handle is removed when you are not at the track and the hole then covered by the license plate. The nice thing about it is that you can make another false license plate with a hole in it and the required signage saying "push off" for track use only. It works pretty well and doesn't give any clues when you are away from the track.

Hope that helps.

LightningGSX · 09-08-2004

BTW you should run a ground wire from the battery to the factory grounding locations as well.

Jakey · 09-08-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by LightningGSX@Sep 8 2004, 08:18 PM
BTW you should run a ground wire from the battery to the factory grounding locations as well.

In no way am I arguing with you, but why? I've always thought that when grounding something it is best to have the length of the ground cable as short as possible, at least that is the way with aftermarket stereos.

Enes · 09-08-2004

Grounding as much as posible is good

.. stable ground = less noise everywhere.. at least my experience..

the way unibody cars are designed has a lot to do with that Eric said, but i'm sure he will answer here shortly with fulld and detailed reason...

-E

LightningGSX · 09-08-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by Jakey@Sep 8 2004, 07:22 PM
In no way am I arguing with you, but why?  I've always thought that when grounding something it is best to have the length of the ground cable as short as possible, at least that is the way with aftermarket stereos.

10 feet of chassis or 10 feet of 2awg copper wire, If you think about it, the ground path is close to the same length in both cases.But what would you rather have?

Alpine TSi · 09-08-2004

Der, now I have to find more 2 gauge and another hole to shove it all through...

Mike, I will be up there Friday if I could take look at those specs and your shell that would be great.

**Goat Blower** · 09-08-2004

Follow Lightning's advice. I had some starting problems when I had a rear mount setup. I solved my problem much better with a tiny battery up front, but I'm convinced that using the entire chassis as a ground was my problem.

LightningGSX · 09-09-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by Alpine TSi@Sep 8 2004, 10:39 PM
Der, now I have to find more 2 gauge and another hole to shove it all through...

Mike, I will be up there Friday if I could take* look at those specs and your shell that would be great.

I like to run large gauge wires through conduit underneath the vehicle, alot easier than running those huge wires through the interior.Conduit is cheap, easy to work with and fits nicely along the unibody pinchwelds and/or floor pan supports.You also don't have a large wire(more like antenna) radiating noise throughout the interior.

Super Bleeder!! · 09-09-2004

i have mine grounded to one of the rear strut bolts, been working for a few months now no probs, but what they are saying makes sense. i DID forget to put a breaker in, i knew i was suppossed to but it totally slipped my mind!

Emcee gsxtc · 09-09-2004

You need to make sure its an NHRA approved battery box, NOT MARINE BOXES. You can get away with a marine box that they sell at Wal-Mart but once you go to a track unlike Rock Falls or Cedar Falls, and if you start running sub 12s they get anal. The only approved box I know of is the Moroso. It is this one: MOROSO BATTERY
I just searched google so I don't know if it is cheaper, that is the first site that popped up.

LightningGSX · 09-09-2004

Quote:

Originally posted by gixxer@Sep 9 2004, 03:08 AM
i have mine grounded to one of the rear strut bolts, been working for a few months now no probs, but what they are saying makes sense. i DID forget to put a breaker in, i knew i was suppossed to but it totally slipped my mind!

It may not always be noticeable, but resistance in the ground path will put extra stress on electrical stuff, such as starters, window motors, etc.

john · 09-09-2004

I have/had mine on the strut. I had to temporarily move it to a small bolt in the trunk one night when the connector broke off. Thanks for reminding me. I forgot about it.

After doing mine, I have had several electrical problems. The alternator went out and I am still having problems keeping the battery charged. You need a box and switch as Mike described. Iceman has a swith and box at his house he will sell. Pm him. I also have the switch behind the plate but I do not have the same style as Mike. I have the cheaper Flaming River switch. I believe Iceman has the same.

Raptor · 09-09-2004

I use the polished aluminum Taylor which fits the bill nicely. Welded a stud in the back right to the body and I have never had problems with anything electrical on the car. I don't think it is absolutely necessary to run a full length ground, but I do think it is a good idea as well. In my case mainly because I run off the battery only for the 1/4. I plan to upgrade to a 16 volt system with the new motor and at that point the full length ground will also be in place.

BTW, we get the taylor kits with the cable for just a bit over $100. It is the nicest setup I have seen and I did do my research as always.

LightningGSX · 09-10-2004

I wouldn't worry about the enclosure as much as I would worry about its mounting.A not so solid mounted battery/battery box could fuck you up good in a frontal collision.

Raptor · 09-10-2004

The NHRA has rules for mounting the boxes as I mentioned. They have to be mounted to the frame with 3/8" bolts etc. If you intend on being NHRA compliant, you will be fine in traffic. If you hit something hard enough to break a correctly mounted battery loose, the battery hitting you in the back of the head is the least of your problems. Adhere to the rules and you will be fine.