which yellow top fits best?

What optima yellow fits best in our first gens?

 

Well I should rephrase my initial question.

How big of one can you get in there? I've been snooping around and can see most of the posters use a common battery(part number D34/78 I think) But was kinda wondering if there were any other yellow toppers bigger/stronger than that one? Side post? No side post?

 

You need to consider height (including terminal posts) in addition to width and length, terminal type, and terminal location and polarity. If the battery posts are too high, a closed hood can easy short a battery and cause a lot of damage.

Tips: The heavier the battery, the more CCA performance or capacity it will have due to the increased lead. Will an OEM charging system designed for a wet low maintenance battery keep and AGM battery fully charged based on electrical load, driving habits and temperature?

 

Are you saying I should look into getting a different type of battery?

My charging system is stock now but I'm upgrading to bama's charging system with the 200A alternator. I run a handful of lights and have a winch. The optima yellow top seems to be popular but I was just wondering if there were more than just one of the yellow tops that guys were stuffing into the stock battery compartment? If you have a good recommendation for me on another brand/type, shoot, I'm all ears!

 

Are you sure you need a gel cell battery? You could get the biggest wet cell battery they make for our Tacoma's for half the price of a yellow top.

Those batteries are nice, but just not a good as they are touted to be.

 

I wouldnt hesitate to run an AGM battery, but I would suggest getting something other than an Optima.

They have moved their production facilities (I believe to Mexico), and the quality dropped. I would suggest reading this thread in all your free time:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/electrical-wiring/913442-batteries-optima-alternatives.html

Long story short, look at other batteries. I like the DieHard Platinums, sounds like there are some other new offerings on the market as well. What can you get locally might also play into things as well.

 

In my opinion, there are a number of very good flat plate AGM batteries on the market. The primary advantage of a spiral wound AGM battery is it's ability to withstand great vibration. The advantage of a flat plate AGM are that they tend to have more CCA performance and amp hour capacity for the same amount of space.

 

Northstar AGM , I got the Group 27F for my 2nd gen

 

Are gel batteries same thing as AGM batteries?

 

I like my 34/78 YT's...

I did have to modify the upper hold down
for the house battery...
and extend the cables slightly.

the cable extension is due to the fact
that the 34/78 positive terminal is on the opposing side
then is what the oem battery is.

so in other words...

a 34/78 would need be position 180*
and tho now the terminal is on the correct side...
The Pos + cable will be too short to reach.

I needed replace the battery's ground wire with a longer one.
The cable to the fuse box was long enough, if I remember correctly.
The positive terminal extension was the most difficult...
and I thought I remember making a splice so as to extend that.

I also ended up using a copper buss bar
because I must have measured a little short...
and needed a little more extension to reach.

buss bar...



boot covered...



because two are better then one !?




I was committed to the Optima YT's
because I altered the original mount to fit the house battery.
And scratch built my Aux. mount.

Didn't want to do another for a different battery.

But if I were in the market for some other AGM battery...

I would look at the re-badged Sears Diehard platinum battery...
it is after all... an Odyssey with a different skin color.

I'm not sure... (and someone else who has these can chime in)
but I think the group 34 Sears Platinum
also has the terminals on the wrong sides.
So might still require making some cable extensions.

I have a 10 year old yellow top residing for my Aux.
But the house battery is only about 4 years old.

No problems thus far.

btw...

many folk damage their 34/78 YT's
by using the side mount terminals
for high loads...
The side terminals cannot handle high amp loads...
and can damage the side terminals if used in this manner.

In other words...
the winch and other hi amp loads.
should only be mounted to the upper terminals.

The Red Top battery sucks...
so don't spend your money on that one.

 

The biggest difference is the electrolyte, but there are several others. Gel cell batteries can withstand a lower Depth-of-Discharge, have a lower and more critical absorption charging voltage, less CCA performance and amp hour capacity, and more expensive to manufacture than AGM batteries.

 

Good info TacoDell.

XS for life!!
http://4xspower.com/bci_group/24F/

At the bottom of the page is the knurled brass sidepost adapters for clamp style terminals, if someone has a need for those. Much better than the big lead melt screw in posts that you get at the parts house. Big flat surface sitting right on the sidepost pad when screwed to the battery,,now you can pull a load on those. Positive is a larger diameter, negative is slightly smaller(end user decision). Seen some guys just buy two kits, so they can have the larger positive post on both sides. A few of the Audio places locally stock these and one installer says it is all he will ever use for that.

 

How about a Pepboys bosch AGM battery.
http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/838890/01440

This is the battery I'm getting. And from what I gather it's an Exide battery.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that the car battery portion of Bosch was sold to Johnson Controls.