Wanted to see what those more knowledgeable in battery technology have to say about this battery from Dakota Lithium:
Dakota Lithium 12v 60Ah Dual Purpose 1000CCA Starter Battery Plus Deep Cycle LiFePO4 Performance
It’s being marketed as a starter/deep cycle:
-1000CCA
-Optimal Operating Temp: -20 to 150F
-BMS prevents charging below 32F, High temp cutoff at 167F
-100A-Continuous | 750A-2sec | 650A-5sec
-Charging: 60A optimal, 80A Max
-24F size (same as stock battery)
-16 lbs
I’m very far from “smart” on battery technology, but I do understand some of the limitations of LiFePO4. That’s why some of these specs seem a little bit suspect to me.
From my perspective:
Things I like:
-25 lb lighter than stock, same size/terminal config
-High CCA/discharge rates for winching purposes
-High cycle life, with greater DoD capability
Potential issues:
1. Engine bay temps. I couldn’t find any definitive data on 4Runner engine bay temps. Seems like it would get hotter than 167F in there, especially on a hot day at low speed/stop. Maybe not as hot up front at the stock battery location? Would a temp shield battery blanket help? On the flip side, it seems like you’d rarely have to worry about the low-temp charging cutoff while the engine is running.
2. Obviously, the charging profile. I believe our stock alternator outputs much greater than 80A (~130 IIRC). Also wouldn’t provide the needed voltages to properly charge it, so you’d have to figure out a way to properly charge it from the alternator. Anyone know of any products out there than can do this? I’ve seen some “alternator regulators” from Sterling Power but I’m not sure how this would have to be wired between the battery, alternator, and vehicle loads.
Thanks for any thoughts and feedback! I think it’d be really advantageous to run this battery, but it seems like the effort required to make it work might not be worth it.