Batterys back in the day
 

Does anyone know if batterys back the day had top or side post? This one I've bought has side post, (why I don't know) I don't like the side posts myself.:gmc2:

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

im gonna go ahead ans say top post, i dont remember what year started side post....someoone will chime in with the date....

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

My 72 has side post. I really cant tell you with 100% certainty that it is original equipment though. But why would you opt for side terminals???

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

Don't know anyone would ? Who would like them?

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

in 71 GM went to side post.
They are a severly flawed better design.

Maybe a better idea that they shoulda thought about a little longer. But there's ways to make them far better than top post.
I always take a 3/8 inch bolt, cut the head off, and thread it into the side post. Then I remove the small worthless bolt out of the GM style battery cable, trim the rubber off the end, and slode the remaining ring terminal over the stud. Then I secure it with a nut offf a freightliner style battery nut... but a regular 3/8 nut will work fine.

The rerason this is a better idea than a top post is the gasses that come out of a battery are highly corrosive. Why have the cables right there? Move them to the side where the corrosive gas won't get on them... cable already want to corrode, no need in feeding it.

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

thats why i opted for an optima;):metal::lol:

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

I think the biggest reason for side post batteries was hood clearance on some GM cars. On certain cars I have seen batteries short out on the hood when someone put in a top post battery to replace a side post. That and our penchant for laying a wrench down on top of a battery.

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

I guess I'm the odd man out.... still have the side post in my '72, and it's never been an issue for me in 32+ years.

I've been told, like Andy said, they went to the side post design to move the connectors further away from the corrosive vented fumes -- and possible acid -- coming from the top of the batteries.

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

yeah, that is the reason GM gave back in 71.

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

On the topic of batteries back in the day, all I can say is that someone screwed up pretty good in the engineering dept at GM if you ask me ! I have never seen a 67-72 that was not eaten up by battery acid :uhmk: WTF happened to the great idea they had in the older trucks where the battery is out of sight and away from critical parts like core supports, inner fenders bottom of outer fenders . My 68 GMC only has 60k 1 owner from new but needed everything because it sat untouched with the original battery just leaking away on top of the front sheetmetal. Did no one look at a battery in those days ?:uhmk:

Re: Batterys back in the day
 

I could be wwwaaaayyyy off here, but isn't that about the same time that they started using "sealed" batteries? Just a guess as to why they changed terminals, location, etc.