Battery relocation

[Skinny]

Anyone here done this? The hold-down on the front of my battery is broken, so on a hard launch the battery flips back and the positive terminal grounds on the A/C accumulator. The only way to replace the hold-down is to replace the coolant reservoir as well (about $35 from dealer). I could use the weight off the nose, but is it worth the trouble to put the battery in the back? What else do I need to do to make it NHRA legal? I heard once that if the battery is relocated then there has to be a cutoff switch on the back of the car?? Any opinions/advice?

[Bird_Of_Prey]

To be NHRA legal, you need to have it in a approved containter that is secured by some form of a hold down. And yes, you do need to have a external rear mounted cutoff switch. By the time you run all the wiring, the weight savings are negligible.

[Clark Griswold]

BMR has a battery relocation kit for our cars.

[xjarayax]

I tried it with the generic Summit relocation kit. Couldn't get it to work well. It would crank over about 10 times or so before it would start. I didn't like that much. A lot of headache, eventually moved it back to the front.

Was using an Optima Redtop, too.

I think the problem was not having a good enough ground in the back, our cars are not unibody, and therefore that causes a grounding problem.

[Robafb]

I have moved my battery to the trunk and it is definetly a weight advantage your talking about moving 35lbs or more to the rear which creates at least a 70lbs weight shift. There are switches that use a T handle that you could make come through the floor to handle the cutoff switch. Tha starter is where I ran my + line to and that did away with the clicking problem I had. What happens, is if you dont ground the cable or use a large enough gage you will lose amps to the front of the car, to avoid this you can easliy mount a ford battery solenoid up front as a main + connection for your car which will help with the cranking problem or you can try what I did. #1 thing to get is a bigger cranking amp battery.

[njspder]

the rules about an approved container are dependant upon where you put the battery. on thirdgens we tend to use the spare tire well, this does not require a box because the body panels are considered a "firewall". the safety switch is a definate must.
one of the biggest mistakes peopel make when they relo is using crappy wire. you need to find 1gauge cable, most kits coem with 1 or 2 gauge "welders cable" which is harder to work and has a greater resistance. good wire is pricey, but totally worth it. you can get it at any good stereo shop.

later
tim

[12secondv6]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by xjarayax:
I tried it with the generic Summit relocation kit. Couldn't get it to work well. It would crank over about 10 times or so before it would start. I didn't like that much. A lot of headache, eventually moved it back to the front.

Was using an Optima Redtop, too.

I think the problem was not having a good enough ground in the back, our cars are not unibody, and therefore that causes a grounding problem.<hr></blockquote>


Me too, I tried summit's kit + flaming river battery cut off switch.

Weight transfer ROCKED!!!

Starting sucked :(

[MustangEater8251]

Cracked lip?

Cheap fix, is wedge a roll of electrical tape, between the frame behind the headlight, and the battery, then put a generic 2 pin battery hod down form advanced auto for liek $3, and jsut force it under the lip of the battery tray.

Works great! Past tech with it a many times autocrossing, and that is the thing they check the hardest. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Skinny]

James, I assume you aren't using it anymore?? Do you still have the cutoff switch? (would you be interrested in selling it?) Where did you put the switch?

[xjarayax]

Let's bring this back up-- I'd really love to get my battery in the back again if we can find a sure way to make it reliable starting.

I think my ground cable was 2 ga?

[Wicked 3800 V6]

Screw relocation -- I have a 10.8 lb or so Harken Genesis battery. Cost me actually $24 shipped or so from e-bay (yes, 24), and dropped maybe 20 lbs or so. Never had a starting / cranking problem.
-Rob