Bracket car battery suggestions

[hotrod 80]

My battery failed last weekend . Looking for suggestions . I have a huge 1000amp fleet battery now and it is heavy . Looking for something that will start the truck , can be run between rounds with fan and water pump , 12Volt and maybe some weight savings .

[71Dragtruck]

I use a yellow top, it's a deep cycle so you can discharge it over and over and not wreck it. Had a red top previous and it eventually didn't want to charge.

[cdowns]

I'd b lookin for a real lightweight smaller the better// then i'd build an auxillary battery stand(with weheels to roll around) that you can quickly attach by remote cables between rounds to power the accessories that you only use when in the pits disconnect between rounds and you stash the cables and battery that has no need to go down the strip

[hotrod 80]

I have a charger I typically hook up between rounds , as I always have a trailer with a generator . I also have a CS 130 105 amp alt .

[Marv D]

Been using red tops for a decade and they haven't failed me yet. I know their made in Mexico now,, but I have to believe their still made to spec, just with cheep labor that isn't afraid of a little lead poisoning.

Their light and 100 CCA as I remember. I run electronics and throttle stops, data logging electric fuel pump water pump, win radiator fans and a fan on the trans cooler (reads a power hungry bit**h,,, and a 65amp racing alternator. I do charge between rounds sometimes but only when it's 90°+ and I run the pump and fans to cool down a lot between rounds.

works for me, but your 2¢,, spend them as you see best.

[Kyle@FTP]

The optima batter debate is like ford or chevy debate. I wouldnt run a optima for anything. I have had nothing but poor luck and I know other guys that say the same. But there is a equal amount of guys out there that run them and love them .

I personally like Odyssey batteries. We ran them in baja for years with zero issues. Or a good old fashion interstate.

[BR3W CITY]

For sake of proving your argument ^^ I'm friends with an Optima rep, and I've had 3 of them now last the life of the vehicle (7-9+years on the old ones, 4-6 on newer ones).

You could always normally run a full size battery, and just make a little bracket to toss in a 1/2-stack race battery at the track for the 15+lbs difference.

[hotrod 80]

First off I should have never gone 5 years on this battery and it is heavy like 60 plus pounds . At the first NHRA race they brought in the NHRA regional tech inspector . He told me that all batteries have to be incased . Be in the bed with a bed cover , in the trunk with a firewall or in the bed with a box . I bought the Taylor box and mounted it in the bed If I can get 2-3 years from an optima I guess that's the way i'll go . I can always us the 3 year old battery in one of the trailers and rotate them that way .

What color Red or Yellow ?

[Marv D]

Lots of guys run the yellow because it will go to 4-5v and recharge over and over.... Issue I have with the deep cycle / no alternator is they are HARD on electronics, and I would rather have things like trans brake, throttle stops, two-steps bla bla bla NOT work at all,,, rather than push through the beams because there was just barely enough juice to activate the transbrake / line-lock,, not to HOLD it on because of a low voltage deal. Besides,, one of the hardest things on a 12v motor is to try to run it at 5 or 6 volts!. Waterpumps, fans, etc,, short lived on a repeated diet of low voltage.

The Oddesy and the MSD batteries are really taking hold in the upper end machines. I'm just not ready to throw the towel in on the Red-top until I see some problem.

That said,,
I DID have a HUGE issue with a Powermaster 150amp billet alternator in my El Camino (part of Billet Specialties Billet serpentine package) I toasted it 3 times and John Babcock was a stand up guy and rebuilt it 2 times,, the third he said throw that damn Optima battery away or your on your own!

If you look Optima site it has a specific / propitiatory charger for their batteries,, it's a SLOW trickle charge. As I understand it ANY Absorbed Glass Matt battery will NOT take a high amp charge,, it simply can not take in as much as a high amp alternator can throw at it. You have this catch 22 deal where the voltage regulator senses that the battery is low,,, so it cranks up the amps,, but the AGM battery can't absorb what it's throwing at it, so the regulator says,, hmmm not enough??, lets cranks it up more....until it burns the internal regulator up,, or worse, the windings.

I mention that,, because if you have anything more than a 65amp alternator and spinning the motor to 6000 or 7000,,, you may see some of those issues,, or not! Who knows just sharing my 2¢
(so now it's only worth 1 or 2 peso's )

For alternator I had a buddy recommend these CVR Alternators way back, I put one on the Nova I spin to 7800,, in the 50 amp version and has worked flawlessly with a RedTop (the SAME redtop) for about 9 years. Put the same setup in the truck when I did this 434 deal,, no problems and no issues. Their about $40 cheaper if you have a NHRA comp number and ProShop account with slummit. VERY deep groove, ballbearing, windings tolerant of 8000rpm.

[hotrod 80]

Good info here thanks

[71Dragtruck]

Well damn, I just bought a new yellow top to try this go around, might have to use it in the trailer and put the red top back in. Did a recondition cycle with my charger after things were strange last year with my red top and all went normal tests good now, with Marv's info I think maybe my smart charger was just going into protect mode and wasn't a battery issue, but on the other hand my charger has a mode for that type of battery.

Now I don't know what to do either LOL.

[hotrod 80]

My charger has an AGM , deepcycle and standard settings.

[hotrod 80]

Well under a buddies advice I bought an O'reilly's brand AGM battery . It was fairly expensive . You have to set the charger on AGM every time . I have also had some issues about it . I really cant run the fan and water pump unless the truck is running as it acts like the it wont start the truck . My old fleet battery never acted like this until the end .

[vin63]

I ran two Yellow Top Optimas for almost 20 years...changed them out once after 9 years. I kept them charged and on a battery tender during the winter. My last couple of seasons in Super Gas, I ran a single 16V battery that had a 12V and 16V post to reduce the voltage drops to my MSD box, which my car really hated from a consistency standpoint. The last couple of seasons I ran a lot in Vegas, Phoenix and Bakersfield in the summer where I ran my water pump and fans a lot between rounds, which put a strain on my voltage to the ignition box on the hot laps.