Rascole's dual battery install.

[rascole]

I finally finished my dual battery install this weekend. Much easier than I thought and would say ANY one can do this over a 2 day weekend. I did use weld nuts but rivnuts can be used just as easily. I did not add an isolator or disconnect yet. I have not fully decided on one way or the other, leaning towards just a disconnect switch. But at least for now I have double the capacity and the bulk of the work done. Thanks to the members and their ideas, hope this encourages someone else to do the mod.
My list.
1. NOCO TZKIT3 Lead-Free Military Grade Zinc Battery Terminal Kit - $7 on Amazon.
2. Optima 34/78 Dual battery tray from Plasmathought1 - $42 for 2 singles off of eBay. (Hint: Order them with the tray tabs unbent straight up not out)
3. Optima 34/78 Yellow top - $420 for 2 on Amazon.
4. 4 gauge battery jumper cables with soldered lugs - $20 from local radio shop.
5. Weld nuts, bolts, rubber mat, & paint from Home Depot - $25
6. Ice cold Sam Adams when it was all done – Priceless!

 

[Highatop]

Looks good. Thanks for the thread

 

[Bigunit]

Sweet! Nice work and great DIY write-ups. Thank you. I just might tackle that mod.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapataint

 

[Happy Hummer]

Nice.
Chris

 

[poncho1965]

Good job, this is on my mod list!


Mike

 

[persius1]

Very clean!

 

[58Bisc]

Good job! Wish I would have tacked the nuts on mine. I did not think of it until after I fought with tightening up the loose nuts.

 

[Renagade132]

Great job!

 

[RamRod]

Looks great! Thanks for posting.... One day I'll follow suit!


Sent from handheld smoke signal device

 

[abearden]

Clean install, but I have a question: is that positive terminal as close to the bracket as it looks? Looks like any movement of wires may put it contact.

Also, it's not a big deal but for electrical balance you want to pull the positive off of one battery and the negative off of the other. Otherwise you have slightly more resistance in series with one battery than the other so load isn't 100% equalized.

 

[rascole]

Clean install, but I have a question: is that positive terminal as close to the bracket as it looks? Looks like any movement of wires may put it contact.

Also, it's not a big deal but for electrical balance you want to pull the positive off of one battery and the negative off of the other. Otherwise you have slightly more resistance in series with one battery than the other so load isn't 100% equalized.

1. If you look at the picture above you can see that the distance from the bracket to the post. The posts are slightly elevated from the surface so the clamps will not touch. BUT, I did have the same concern, that's why I plastic coated the top brackets.
2. Good question on the balance. I asked one our electrical engineers here at work and he said that there is no difference. Since the negative goes straight to ground and not part of a closed loop it will make no difference. Just like having both batteries go to a ground, it's just that the second battery on mine ties to a common ground, the clamp. The only time he said it would be an issue is if I used a smaller gauge wire than what goes to the starter/BCM to connect the 2. The clamps are acting like a common point of contact. Power draw/charge will be the same as long as the cable is the same size or larger. In effect, my set up is a 12 cell battery instead of a 6 cell.

 

[abearden]

Not practically an issue vs. electrical anal retentiveness.