Asuarez737

it actually depends on what you will be doing. since im going to be racing off road, the rules state that the battery has to be tied down with metal to metal surfaces. i havent seen anyone do that, and i def wouldnt recommend it. my idea is that since i have a lot of room by my intake, im going to get a small deep cycle battery for just ignition, and for my accessories, ill probably be using an optima (but im looking into Odyssey) in the stock location. If youre crawling, or doing anything thats not racing, id mount the batteries right behind the rear seats by the wheel wells.

ellex44

I like that Idea but let's say one wanted to power a portable winch when needed using a jumper cable set-up (hope that makes sense). Would you need to hook the jumper cables up to the battery in the rear? Or does the 2nd battery just supply extra juice to the main one under the hood, allowing one to hook the cables to the front battery? I suspect that you would need to hook it to the rear battery. Thanks for fielding my questions I know they must be novice for most out there.

XtraSlow_XtraCab

That would depend on how it is hooked up, if the second battery is even wired to the original charging circuit and if it is ran in series or parallel.

Does anyone consider a GM 1-wire alternator? They're pretty cheap even for the high amperage ones. I will be going that route once my stocker craps out.

Asuarez737

like XTRA Cab said, it really depends how its wired. but if youre using a portable winch, then i would say use the dual battery system kit that can link both batteries when needed that way you dont have to worry about which one to plug into.

DD51

Maybe I'm wrong but I think the GM 1 wire has a self exciting regulator that charges at a preset rpm, in other words does not charge at idle.
Asuarez why don't you mount the batts in the rear, I don't know about off road racing but in circle track we move them to the rear to help with rear weight % it always helps the car turn and corner with the weight behind the center of the vehicle.

XtraSlow_XtraCab

Hmmm... I thought regulators were powered by a keyed source, but I'm not an alternator guru by any means. Well worth looking this up, good thought

x2... thats why the Datsun Z took all

You said baja racing right? Like jumps and stuff? I imagine weight distribution is imperative.

Asuarez737

the reason i cant put them in the rear is because of the fact that i have a 4Runner. racing regulations state that there has to be a firewall between you and the batteries. therefore by having them on the inside, there is nothing between me and the batteries. also, you have to have them in a metal box so that if the acid spills, it stays within that box. its really not worth all the trouble going through that, so i decided to keep them in the engine. since im going to have a 36 gallon tank where the spare tire is, weight distribution wont be a real prob.