Dual Battery Setup

[HotFourOk]

I fitted this dual battery setup and thought I'd post up some details.

I made the cradle to fit the N70 which came with the car when purchased and a auxillary battery, which I opted for an N60 size. I would've liked twin N70s, but space is already a bit of an issue.

I used an old bed frame for the right angled steel and measured, cut and welded til it looked about right
Then the fun part was cutting away the lip of the stock battery tray so the new one would sit flush on the old tray.

We also had to make a couple of brackets to secure the new tray to the guard under the battery tray, through the existing tray bolts.

When installed we found it still wobbled around due to the extra weight, so a bracket was put from the edge of the engine bay onto the battery clamp.

I used a 'Calibre' Dual Battery Kit - Comes with auto switching solenoid, wires and connectors to connect both batteries to solenoid and second earth cable. From Supercheap auto - $99

The solenoid allows charge to flow to auxillary battery when the main battery voltage reaches 13.5v? and isolates the battery when it drops below 11.5v?.... have to check those figures again...lol

I had first used an N60 Century car battery for an auxillary, which was found to be not suitable for running a fridge for an extended period.

I now use an AGM sealed battery (N60 size) for the cranking battery and use the larger N70 for auxillary use. This will be upgraded to a deep cycle AGM in the near future.

I found the cranking battery only needs to supply a desired CCA to start the vehicle, so a large N70 was not needed, as the physical size allows for extended usage as well as starting. This is why I got the 600CCA AGM battery for starting purposes, leaving the large battery free for the extended power demands.






NOTE - PICS ARE OF INITIAL SETUP WITHOUT AGM BATTERY.

[BundyRumandCoke]

Weld a strap from the left front corner of then tray up, and mount the top end of this to the top right hand radiator mounting bolt.

[HotFourOk]

I did put a bracket from the edge of the enigne bay onto the battery clamp bolt and it secured it up a whole heap...
But it can never be too secure
Did you do that strap under the radiator bolt in your design Bundy?

[BundyRumandCoke]

The bolt for the radiator goes through the strap first, then the rubber spacer thing for the radiator. Think of it this way, an extra battery, of N70 size, probably adds around 20kg weight to the inner guard, so anything extra is a help. My dual tray is the same configuration as yours, and I used all the original holes, plus 2 straps downward from below, bolted to the verticle part of the inner guard, and the one mentioned to the radiator support. Its probably 6 years old, at least, and hasnt caused me any problems. Except for below.

Expect extra sag in the right front leaf spring with the additional weight. If you add suspension lift, then you have to either remove the panhard rod, or lengthen the existing one, or get an adjustable one. Because its connected to the chassis on the right hand side, suspension lift will raise the left side, but the panhard holds the right side down.

[HotFourOk]

Cool, thanks David... I mite look into some more support for it.
I can wind the drivers side torsion bar up if it sags at all

[Sweeney]

Hope you know that you can get 120 & 150 Ah Deep Cycle batteries the same size as the N70's (I think the 150 is slightly taller though).
The 120 Ah I've is pretty good (and heavy) and I got mine sitting behind the drivers seat in a battery box in my F60 (not room under the bonnet )

[greyzook]

Good looking setup, you have done well. Are you pleased with the Projecta Dual Battery Kit, 99 bux is a bargin. Did that include everything you need, all wiring etc etc? Jordan

[HotFourOk]

Good looking setup, you have done well. Are you pleased with the Projecta Dual Battery Kit, 99 bux is a bargin. Did that include everything you need, all wiring etc etc? Jordan

Yeah, I'm stoked with it thus far... Been in the mud a bit, last two weekends have had hours of corrugated roads and washing the engine bay down etc, have had no effect on it.

It included the solenoid and all wiring needed basically.
Can't go wrong for $99... Time will tell I suppose. Then if so, I could maybe afford a Pirahna or something later on

[BajanFeroza]

Every heard or used the "painless dual battery kit" from summit ?.
I am soon going to be looking for a kit and buying out of the US is easier for me.

[HotFourOk]

Hey all, guess what? I've redone my batteries and cradle setup

This time I've used 2 x N70S Batteries, both Sealed Lead Acid - Expanded Calcium with 585CCA each.

This is due to my smaller cranking battery packing it in after my glow plug issues. Repeated cranking on them coldish mornings made it not so ready to turn the old Rocky over anymore

So, I bit the bullet and have installed two larger batteries. (Should have did it in the first place)

We remade the battery tray, and braced the bottom of it to the inner guard, made a support from top of the guard to the tray, and also from front radiator support panel to the tray.
When we took it out, we had found one of the aluminium supports we knocked up for the last one had snapped in half And we didn't even know. So maybe lucky in a funny kind of way.

I'll post up some more pics when I can be bothered