Pics wanted of big battery in stock location. Who has done it?

I get to buy a new battery for my '04. I'm taking out my good Group 24 to put in the wifes car because she needs one and I want something bigger. It's win win.

Who has gone with a bigger battery in the stock location? Group 27? Group 31? I also don't want it coming lose so I have been searching the web for 3 days looking for custom battery boxes/mounts but haven't seen what I'm looking for. Most of my searches turn up debates about why people love or hate Optima's. I don't want to go there.

It can never hurt to have extra capacity. I'm running a winch, lights, and amp'd stereo.

I've been eyeing standard flooded lead/acid batteries but would also consider an AGM like a Deka. What have you done?

Thanks

 

34/78 Optiumas are an option. TG and many other make battery trays for those that you can bolt or weld in to stock location.

or Columbiaoverland makes a tray.

 

Thanks. It seems there is no short supply of companies making trays for Optimas. I just can't find racks for much else.

Trail Gear makes a box for the Deka. So that's a contender!

That Columbia dual Odyssey rack is nice but I dont think I want to go duals.

 

Columbia makes a single too.

Other then that..really anything else will fit the stock tray i think..

the thing to really watch for is to make sure the terminals are on the right side and far enough on the edges of the battery to make sure the stock battery connections reach.

 

I didn't see a single battery box from columbia

 

huh musta got rid of it..had one when i looked..was two years ago tho..

 

Nobody else?

 

This is the biggest I could shoe horn into the stock location. These Sears AGM's are made by same folks that produce the Odyssey batteries and its the equivalent of their 2150-T.

 

I see that you used the stock hold down. Did you have to make any modifications to keep it secure?

 

Insure you leave headroom between the terminals and the hood. If you need more capacity, check out deep cycle batteries with sufficient cranking amps to start your engine in the coldest temperature you operate in.

 

Hello, What model and group AGM is that. I have been looking on the sears site and can't find the battery with the aux posts. Thanks Ray.

 

No modifications required.
Edit: I did toss the stock plastic battery tray. Replaced with piece of heavy gauge rubber mat.

Ray, it is one of their marine batteries; the 50131, size 31M.
It claims 1150 CCA and 205min RC
http://www.sears.com/diehard-platin...p-02850131000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

Ok, Thanks I found it late last night. Impressive capacities compared to the stock specs. Thanks for the link. Ray

 

The deep freeze has hit the upper midwest, and my old optima red top barely got the truck started this morning.

Looking at doing what jdkilroy did, except with an optima D31M dual purpose (deep-cycle and starting). I know the optima doesn't boast quite the power, but i like the cost savings and the fact that its 15 lbs lighter.

The question is whether or not using a deep-cycle battery for everyday starting of the daily driver will ruin the battery? More to the point do deep-cycle batteries need to be completely drained and recharged periodically? And does the fact that this is a dual purpose (deep-cycle and starting) change anything?

One more somewhat unrelated question is can a battery get to a point where it is too large for the stock alternator to provide the amperage to charge it properly?

If anyone has any insight on this or if jdkilroy did any research into this aspect before buying his, I would greatly appreciate any advice you can provide before i pull the trigger on the new battery. Thanks in advance.

 

A deep cycle battery is fine for automotive use. They are designed to be drained, not completely, but rather drained "often" such as in a trolling motor application where it is used and charged several times during it's life. You do not need to drain it in order to achieve maximum charge or life span.

Your stock alternator is fine to charge the battery, even drained, it will just take longer to charge up due to the extra capacity.

Personally, I feel if you can fit a deep cycle in there, you'd be crazy not to do it. I run two deep cycle orbitals in another much older vehicle and it works flawlessly.

 

I ended up going with a Group 27F. It's much bigger than the Group 24F I had in there. Fit in stock location with no issues. I see now why jdkilroy tossed the plastic tray. I will find a rubber mat as you suggested. Going with a 27F increased my reserve capacity to 165 minutes. I am pleased with that.

Next, I need to upgrade my terminals. I'm still using stock terminals. I bought a set of those HD Marine terminals but the bolts/posts are too big for the stock connectors.

 

Careful on Optima... they are not what they used to be now that production has left the country. Costco has stopped carrying them due to high returns. I think Sam's still stocks the red top.

Die Hard (Platinum if you can afford it) is a much better way to go.

 

Can the Die Hard Platinum be mounted on its side like the Optimas?

 

I don't think so.

 

They should be able to be mounted on their side since they are a sealed AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) battery so nothing to leak but I am not sure that the case has been structurally designed for that....

Don't think there is room for it on its side either.