Battery Relocation

[TerraCrawler]

I'm running the same shrockworks setup as Keith with a Blue Sea ACR and have been very satisfied with it.:thumb:

What batteries are you using for starter and aux, dual 27F, dual 34's? I like the Shrockworks how it uses the re-enforced battery location, I think you can fit a Group 34 in there. Two Optima Yellowtop D34's are barely more amp hours than even my single Odyssey. It may just be a project I do further down the road once I see how the Odyssey performs. There is room forward of the Goose Gear cabinets being built for me that actually can accommodate a National Luna Power Pack. I just don't know how I feel about a battery inside the cabin. Its AGM, so it doesn't present a lot of the issues of normal batteries, so it does remain an option.

 

[rigtec]

I know Shrockworks makes a secondary battery kit. I think maybe some others do as well. This allows you to add/move the battery to the passenger side of the engine bay. What about actually moving the vehicle primary to that side? So in other words your auxiliary battery is in the normal stock location, and the primary vehicle battery is in the relocated position. This would require battery cables and more, does anyone make this?

Hi Signal,

Something to keep in mind when you're considering making electrical changes to the vehicle. There's a reason that Toyota engineers placed their # one Battery only 10 inches from the main fusebox (Feeding all of it's relays), 16" from the alternator and about 19 inches from the starter... and that reason is the use of 'much smaller copper cable' that'll carry the loads from the main power station to the many power hungry accessories that are typical in most of our luxury suv's these days!

If you've ever looked at the size of the main current carrying cables connected to the NEG battery terminal to the leftside fender, for example (I think it may be 4 or even 8ga conduit); my audio system power amp wiring 'ALONE', is at least 4ga ("EACH") and the amps are only a short distance away from the battery (under the driverseat). So Toyota planned to really cut back on spending their budget on heavy gauge spools of copper conduit on the 4Runner (and possibly other models) lately! Besides the cost, it also cuts down on the gross weight of the vehicles; which also translates to better fuel economy... where this 4Runner struggles to compete with the competition!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can not swap the batteries... just trying to shed some light on the reasons that the late model Toyota's are designed the way that are! 'Best to you',

rig

 

[TerraCrawler]

[MENTION=83083]rigtec[/MENTION] I hear what you're saying, and all of those are good points, I am an engineer so I get all this. Even at 100+ amps, cable length should not be an issue, as the loss is minimal and heck, even 170 amps you could run cable as much as you need within the engine bay and not hit any real limitations. But your point about the fuse box is the key. Having the fuse box next to the battery reduces the unprotected distance. Relocation of the starter battery would present no issues from a conductivity/resistance perspective, but it would certainly add a much longer distance of unprotected wire that would have to be considered. Any short along the unprotected wire will likely start a fire, and the fuse can't help you, and that is certainly cause for concern especially as I am bashing the vehicle about. Too bad that other forward location can't accommodate a Group 31!

 

[JSparky]

What batteries are you using for starter and aux, dual 27F, dual 34's? I like the Shrockworks how it uses the re-enforced battery location, I think you can fit a Group 34 in there. Two Optima Yellowtop D34's are barely more amp hours than even my single Odyssey. It may just be a project I do further down the road once I see how the Odyssey performs. There is room forward of the Goose Gear cabinets being built for me that actually can accommodate a National Luna Power Pack. I just don't know how I feel about a battery inside the cabin. Its AGM, so it doesn't present a lot of the issues of normal batteries, so it does remain an option.

Stock battery in the factory location, Die Hard Platinum 34M in the Shrockworks cage. I wanted to keep the factory wiring relatively untouched so the only thing added to the starting battery is a voltmeter and a pair of Hella fogs. Sounds like you have a lot of options so that's good.

 

[tb-av]

Stock battery in the factory location, Die Hard Platinum 34M in the Shrockworks cage.

Have you had any issues with charging a conventional batt. along with an AGM batt.?

Do you run an alternator "booster" diode?

 

[JSparky]

Have you had any issues with charging a conventional batt. along with an AGM batt.?

Do you run an alternator "booster" diode?

No booster, and I have not had any issues with charging however I do top the aux battery off every now and then with a battery tender/maintainer designed specifically for agm's.

 

[rigtec]

Hey [MENTION=166904]Signal[/MENTION],

Here's a battery that really gets the job done! It's the 'Odyessey Extreme' AGM! It's got 900 CCA/130 min res.

The best thing is: 'It fits in the stock 27F/24F' tray with no alterations!
http://www.westcoastbatteriesinc.com/odyssey/pc1400_35.html

rig, cheers!

 

[nglayton]

Have you had any issues with charging a conventional batt. along with an AGM batt.?

Do you run an alternator "booster" diode?

I ran the OEM Panasonic along with a Sears Die Hard platinum for 2-3 years. I didn't see any issues, no 'booster diode' and it worked fine for me.

I just recently replaced the Panasonic battery with a Northstar 31m AGM, at the same time (give or take a couple months) I installed a DC Power XP-270 alternator...so I'm not expecting any issues.

 

[tb-av]

No booster, and I have not had any issues with charging however I do top the aux battery off every now and then with a battery tender/maintainer designed specifically for agm's.

Thanks, when you top off the AGM, are both batts. connected?

I was trying to figure out if the 'extra voltage' used for AGM would ever be an issue for a conventional connected at same time.

I -think- most AGM chargers run at 14.9. I'm guessing it's not an issue.

 

[TerraCrawler]

Hey [MENTION=166904]Signal[/MENTION],

Here's a battery that really gets the job done!!

That's a nice battery for the stock location, 65Ah. The shrockworks battery kit only allows for a battery 10.1”L x 6.8”W x 6.9”H, and that is larger.

 

[JSparky]

Thanks, when you top off the AGM, are both batts. connected?

I was trying to figure out if the 'extra voltage' used for AGM would ever be an issue for a conventional connected at same time.

I -think- most AGM chargers run at 14.9. I'm guessing it's not an issue.

Naw, it's always disconnected when I top it off.

 

[tb-av]

That's a nice battery for the stock location, 65Ah. The shrockworks battery kit only allows for a battery 10.1”L x 6.8”W x 6.9”H, and that is larger.

I have the shrockworks tray in my hand. I had the same question and still have no answer. To me, the Odssey looks larger at the top. It flares out. So the base must be smaller but I don't know what the dimensions are.

The shrockworks tray is 10 1/4" dead on but to allow for the bend of the tray lip I would say 10 1/8" length. The width however is 7 3/8".

So 10 1/8" x 7 3/8" with maybe a 1/16" of wiggle room each way.

Or 260x188 metric no wiggle room. Also that bend may not matter because a platter sits in the bottom.

So thoughts on that?

Also why not the 35R instead of the 34. Provided the base of each of those batteries are actually smaller than what looks to me to be flared tops.

Anyone got one sitting around that could be measured?



[MENTION=96425]JSparky[/MENTION] -- thanks!

 

[tb-av]

Update...

I got some drawings from Odtssey.

the dimensions are indeed the largest overall. In the case of the Group 34 they would be the top.

Here are the dimensions for the Odyssey Group 34 1500 Extreme series.

Top Length = 10.850"
Bottom Length = 10.069" or 10.000" the numbers are faint and the 6s and 9s look a lot like 0s. Either way it's under 10.1"

--------------------------
Side Width Top = 6.679"
Side Width Bottom = 6.76" This dimension is to that molded section of the case sometimes used as a hold down. There is a molding at base of battery on front and back.

Side Width Bottom = Actual Bottom of Battery 6.26". So if the battery sat on a table it would have a footprint of 6.26". However if the battery were sat down in a tray that had side lips of say a 1/2" high all the way around, the battery width would take up the 6.76".
-------------------------------

Battery Height To top of Standard Posts ( not to include Marine Terminals ) = 7.816" --- +/- .060

Battery Height Bottom Plane to Top Plane ( Not including Posts ) = 7.122" --- + 0.051 / -0.031
--------------------------------------

All of these numbers in the drawing are written as x.xxx REF. I have no idea what the REF stands for.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I believe this battery will fit the Shrockworks tray but after having mounted the tray, I'm not certain there is clearance at the top dimensions. The overall height, engine side, front, and back would be fine but I am not certain on the fender side. I will try to make some measurements.

 

[Gabex35]

Awesome! I have been holding off on adding my second battery as I didn't want to have to use the 1400. Sub'd

 

[tb-av]

I tried to measure things a bit.

The front left corner is --really-- tight. Now I have a 2011 and in that front corner is a curved piece of framework that sits above the tray corner. The curve of the metal is about 8" high at the point just above the front left tray corner.

So -maybe- the top corner of the battery would tuck up under that metal piece. Maybe the metal could be hammer bent a bit or ground out with a grinder.

It's just so close it's almost impossible to tell. I may try to make a model of cardboard based on their dimensions and see what happens.

There are also two soft rubber hoses that I suppose are windshield washer hoses that come right across that same corner with no slack in them. they can be pushed out of the way but it would have been nice to have an inch or two of slack.

 

[JSparky]

Update...

I got some drawings from Odtssey.

the dimensions are indeed the largest overall. In the case of the Group 34 they would be the top.

Here are the dimensions for the Odyssey Group 34 1500 Extreme series.

Top Length = 10.850"
Bottom Length = 10.069" or 10.000" the numbers are faint and the 6s and 9s look a lot like 0s. Either way it's under 10.1"

--------------------------
Side Width Top = 6.679"
Side Width Bottom = 6.76" This dimension is to that molded section of the case sometimes used as a hold down. There is a molding at base of battery on front and back.

Side Width Bottom = Actual Bottom of Battery 6.26". So if the battery sat on a table it would have a footprint of 6.26". However if the battery were sat down in a tray that had side lips of say a 1/2" high all the way around, the battery width would take up the 6.76".
-------------------------------

Battery Height To top of Standard Posts ( not to include Marine Terminals ) = 7.816" --- +/- .060

Battery Height Bottom Plane to Top Plane ( Not including Posts ) = 7.122" --- + 0.051 / -0.031
--------------------------------------

All of these numbers in the drawing are written as x.xxx REF. I have no idea what the REF stands for.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I believe this battery will fit the Shrockworks tray but after having mounted the tray, I'm not certain there is clearance at the top dimensions. The overall height, engine side, front, and back would be fine but I am not certain on the fender side. I will try to make some measurements.

I'm running a die hard platinum 34m which I believe is identical in dimension.. I can't check measurements now but it fits fine. Perhaps compare the dimensions you have with the sears variabts? Old photo I dug up here when I was in the process of wiring everything up. Hope this helps.

 

[jerad]

Tag. I just put an Odyssey 25 PC1400 into a shrockworks tray as my dual battery, I'd love a group 34 Odyssey in that location. If someone finds out it fits, I'd love to know. I'll move my 25 to the starting battery and get a 34 for the Aux.

 

[tb-av]

That Diehard does look like it might be the same battery. I'll see what I can dig up.

That definitely sounds like the Odyssey.... those are as close to identical specs as you can get.

Item Weight :

53 (lbs.)
Length :

10.9 (in.)
Width :

6.8 (in.)
Height :

7.9 (in.)
Battery Type:
Group Size:

34M
Power Ratings:
Cold Cranking Amps :

880 (CCA at 0 deg.F)
Reserve Capacity :

135 min. (RC)
Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate:

68



ETA: [MENTION=96425]JSparky[/MENTION] --- can you see if your truck has a piece of curved metal that sort of wraps over that front corner of the battery. The corner where the last "d" in Diehard is pointing to. If the frame is the same that corner should be tucked up under arc of metal.

If it is, then I think I'm going to start looking for a sale price on a 1500.

 

[JSparky]

That Diehard does look like it might be the same battery. I'll see what I can dig up.

Yea, it's the same CCA and RC.

 

[JSparky]

ETA: [MENTION=96425]JSparky[/MENTION] --- can you see if your truck has a piece of curved metal that sort of wraps over that front corner of the battery. The corner where the last "d" in Diehard is pointing to. If the frame is the same that corner should be tucked up under arc of metal.

If it is, then I think I'm going to start looking for a sale price on a 1500.

Ya I'll see what I can do, I'm laid up with a broken leg right now. I may be able to get my brother to take some photos showing that corner for you.