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CalZook
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:44 pm Posts: 87
Vehicle: Sierra Ute & Tintop
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 Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:56 pm |
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I'm looking to relocate the battery in my sierra to help with weight distribution and while im at it i thought id upgrade to something a bit more powerful as I've just installed a winch and EL falcon alternator. What's people suggestions on both battery type and where to put it? It's a 92 SWB soft top that's been lengthened and chopped into a ute by the way.
Cheers Cal
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striker99
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:13 pm Posts: 269
Vehicle: Suzuki Jimny 2013
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:02 am |
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Have you considered a dual battery setup?
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Gwagensteve
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 13007 Location: Melbourne
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:04 am |
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Optima d34 under the passenger seat.
The weight, complexity, cost and unreliability of a dual battery system isn't required.
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J--A--C--K
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:48 am Posts: 253 Location: melbourne
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:48 am |
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+1 on d34. I wouldn't buy one from any of the big car parts stores, I've had good dealings with kpd4x4 and 4wd products on eBay
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Gwagensteve
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 13007 Location: Melbourne
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:15 am |
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31zook
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 9242 Location: maito
Vehicle: <3 Edna <3
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:21 am |
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D34 
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Mike57

az supporter
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2011 11:09 am Posts: 1009 Location: Melbourne
Vehicle: Suzuki Jimny 2009
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:49 pm |
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Not sure KPD still deals with Optimas?
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CalZook
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:44 pm Posts: 87
Vehicle: Sierra Ute & Tintop
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:59 pm |
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Gwagensteve wrote: Optima d34 under the passenger seat.
The weight, complexity, cost and unreliability of a dual battery system isn't required. I'm hoping to avoid a dual battery setup for these exact reasons. I'll look into the D34. I wouldn't think it would fit under a seat?
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Gwagensteve
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 13007 Location: Melbourne
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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:25 am |
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Floor needs to be cut to drop the battery through. Been done on heaps of cars.
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MrRocky
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 4731 Location: perth
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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:55 am |
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I run dual batts for my engle ect... 770 cranking amps big euro batt. Got about 5mm clearance $120 for redarc kit 
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CalZook
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:44 pm Posts: 87
Vehicle: Sierra Ute & Tintop
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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:26 pm |
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Cheers guys.
KPD4x4 still do Optima Batteries too, I've just ordered a D34. I'll wait until it arrives and then start playing around with locations.
I considered moving it to the left guard MrRocky but I have the older model ARB compressor which is already taking up that real estate.
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whincup

az supporter
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:30 pm Posts: 1588 Location: Gracemere, QLD
Vehicle: '94 suzuki maruti
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 Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:03 am |
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Gwagensteve wrote: Optima d34 under the passenger seat.
The weight, complexity, cost and unreliability of a dual battery system isn't required. complexity? unreliability? no offence but thats a load of crap. they're quite basic, and maybe a few hundred dollars for a good quality setup including battery. small price for people who need it. and in 3 years im yet to experience this unreliability. obviously not what the OP is chasing though
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Veilsd
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 7:35 pm Posts: 6
Vehicle: Vitara SE416
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 Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 10:37 pm |
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I have a friend with acid burns to the back of their legs from an exploding battery under the passenger seat. I wouldn't do it as you need to have the battery box vented which means acid will escape of it explodes. The under seat battery was a factory fitted job on a police car, not a backyard job.
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got_bar_work
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 8:30 pm Posts: 2214 Location: Brisbane
Vehicle: SQ625
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 Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:53 am |
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The battery box needs to be vented to outside not into the cabin. a dual batt is only needed to run a fridge and should really be charged by a dc to dc charger. All other isolators really should be the same battery type age etc so they charge equally. I just run a big batt swich that I can choose what combination of batt I want connected. No electronics to fail and drain power.
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Gwagensteve
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:30 pm Posts: 13007 Location: Melbourne
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 Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 5:37 pm |
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I'll stand by my opinions Whincup. I have seen enough dual battery systems die and wipe out one battery or the other over the years. I fully expect the dual battery system in my defender to die before I sell the car.
If there is a requirement for a battery to run a fridge, mounting a gel or lead acid battery charged by a DC/DC charger is all that's required.
I hve had no issue with underseat batteries over many years. Always optimas.
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DC3PTIKON
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 3:16 pm Posts: 149
Vehicle: Vitara SV420
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 Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:04 pm |
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whincup wrote: Gwagensteve wrote: Optima d34 under the passenger seat.
The weight, complexity, cost and unreliability of a dual battery system isn't required. complexity? unreliability? no offence but thats a load of crap. they're quite basic, and maybe a few hundred dollars for a good quality setup including battery. small price for people who need it. and in 3 years im yet to experience this unreliability. obviously not what the OP is chasing though I agree, I have a dual battery system set up in my personal work van. A simple 140a VSR connected from my starting battery to a 100ah AGM with Andersons just behind the drivers seat. The battery runs a 80L compressor fridge, electric oven, tool battery chargers, and a 240v invertor. I switch the fridge on for work Monday morning, and stays on all week until home Friday night, so running around 100 hours a week. The oven, chargers and invertor are only switched on as needed. I bought the van new and installed the system the day I got it home, so this set up has now seen 99,937kms and 4.25 years of use as of today, and I have not one issue or have I had to touch it. No DC-DC or anything fancy. It cost me around $400 all up to do, and still works as well as the day I fitted it. Not too bad for around 22,000 hours of use and still going strong!  Also I have just fitted the same set up into my SWB Vitara with my new battery box. viewtopic.php?f=14&t=49787But with the battery behind the back seat.
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