Optima Mounting

actaully, relocating the battery makes quite a bit of difference.
you are taking 50lbs off the front, and adding 50lbs to the rear. It makes about 2% difference in the overall weight distribution. :D
 
Optimas are completely sealed (they claim to be "unspillable"), so they can be mounted in the trunk without worrying about leaking onto the carpet, etc. Plus you'd want to put it in a battery box, or at least a tray, and stap it down anyways.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the battery be closer to the sheetmetal of the fenders in it's factory location, and farther away if you put it in the corner of the trunk? :shrug:
 
351wcoupe said:
just curious but why would you want to do that instead of a trunk mount?
Cause I saw some mustang with an optima battery mounted sideways in the fender area, and i thought it looked damn cool... anyways why i dont wanna move my battery to my trunk is because my trunk is tiny as hell, and i barely have enough room back there as it is... (amp, wires, speakers, tools ect...)
 
StangGrrLy said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the battery be closer to the sheetmetal of the fenders in it's factory location, and farther away if you put it in the corner of the trunk? :shrug:
yes you're wrong. :D

I meant don't put the thing inside the fender. The trunk metal is certainly much more durable. I still wouldn't stick a battery in there, because that's my interior, and just because you got an optima now doesn't guarantee that there won't be a leaky piss battery in 5 years.

instead, you should leave the battery up front, and slap a couple 45kg tractor counterweights out back to balance things out.
 
Here's what i was talking about

6947.jpg
 
That is one nice idea until you have a DEER hit your car (because we would never hit a deer on puropse, the evil creatures.) Get a manufactured battery box mount it in the rear, dump the factory speaker boxes and get custom enclosures made for the trunk/hatch.

I can see the relocation argument for racing only. If this is a DD dont worry about it until you have the engine in peak running condition and then relocate it at that time.
 
optima's are a sealed gel battery...the acid is made into a gell... no fumes...if you keep the charge voltage to under 15 volts...

oh and about hittimg the deer...if you leave it in the stock location it's just as likely to get demolished there too... safest place to mount it is in the truck... with the optima you don't have to vent it...so all you need to do is get a mount and strap it in...then run the cables of course....but i like it in the fenderwell... looks like a ton of work though..