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The Best Battery for the Zook

Tech Talk for Suzuki owners.

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The Best Battery for the Zook

Post by bushpig59 »

Whats the best Battery to go in the zook SJ70? Im mean the biggest that will fit in the Battery holding area
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best battery

Post by want33s »

Have a look on Ebay for "AGM battery" They are gel filled (sealed) so are vibration proof and are much safer in the event of a rollover. Never have to check fluid. These AGM batteries have more grunt for the same size as a lead acid battery. Can even mount upside down if you want!
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Post by Squik »

Optima have a small gell-spiral core as well that's foolproof, will fit into any zook too.
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Post by nicbeer »

I have just put a delkor sealed battery 22fr-520cca in there. 85 amp reserve

Nic
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Post by bushpig59 »

nicbeer wrote:I have just put a delkor sealed battery 22fr-520cca in there. 85 amp reserve

Nic
Thanks nicbeer how much did it set you back?
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Post by nicbeer »

$88 inc

biggest i could find was the 610cca version but being same size as the 520 the plates were thinner and worse off getting damaged in a 4x4 situation from vibration.

I have had one of the 520's before, lasted me about 4yrs being heavily abused in the zook. constantly discharged etc.
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Post by Gwagensteve »

OPTIMA, every time. Fits the stock tray once the little lug that is screwed into the base of the tray is removed.

The best battery money can buy.

IMHO It doesn't really matter what colour.

Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
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Post by christover1 »

http://carl.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopi ... ht=battery
I got a battery that was listed for a Commodore.
$88 I think for a maintainance free heavy ish duty.
On mine the original mount point was still used, tho spun around, for the tie down bars.

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Post by PJ.zook »

Mate get a cheap battery from Supercrap, as they have a year warranty on em, just go in every 10months and say its faulty and get a newie.
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Post by suzuki boy »

I have dual batteries on mine and they are both 13 plate baterries! About the size of a normal 4x4 batterie!

BUT if they die i will go the optima or that sort of thing for sure! :cool:
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Post by sierrajim »

Gwagensteve wrote:OPTIMA, every time. Fits the stock tray once the little lug that is screwed into the base of the tray is removed.

The best battery money can buy.

IMHO It doesn't really matter what colour.

Steve.
x77.253

By far one of the best batteries i've had. I now have two in the Hilux, one for the zook and two going in the cruiser
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Post by Pinball »

Gel cells 'd be nice...

but wet i run a pair of Century Marine 400's... take a lot of abuse in vibration, laydown and discharge before you kill em.

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Post by Highway-Star »

Sorry for digging up an oldie guys...
(sorry for typing a novel too)


It seems the battery in my Sierra is on the way out (couldn't start engine after 10 miniutes with CD player going with no engine). My cars booked in to see the sparky on tuesday to get headlights done, But I'll ask them to check my battery and alternator.

Anyway if the sparky agrees its the battery and the alternater is all good I'll get a new battery this week hopefully. I've decided Gell is the only way worth going. I've found two examples so far off of the net:

- Absorbed Power AGM GT12-55C (see: www.absorbedpower.com)
- Optima D51 (see: www.optimabatteries.com.au)

I think with both of them the last number is the ah value. Anyone think that these are appropriate batteries, or are they too small or too much for a standard Sierra alternator?? I know these ones will fit in my battery tray.

My car has only a CD player, and (as of tuesday) upgraded headlights, WRT extra power draw. I may add a set of point spot lights, and a UHF radio at later dates, but no interest in anything else.

I just like to know whether those batteries are suitable, as I dont want the sparky talking me into the wrong battery or whatever. I managed to tell them what lights a wanted (they agreed suitable though), so the same might happen here.
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Post by Gwagensteve »

By the look of the website, the AGM battery you were talking about has just over half the CCA of an optima, and is still a fairly expensive battery.

I'll say it again..... just put an Optima in. It is the last time you will ever think about a battery for the life of that car, and possibly the next car too.

Sorry to sound like a sales rep, but they really are just the best product available.

Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
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Post by cj »

Optima gets my vote too. Not cheap but worth the money.
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Post by Liam »

Optima, no question.
Years ago I was replacing one of my batteries every six months or so. Swapped to two optima yellow tops and have finally (last month) killed one of the batteries I bought in 1998! they've put up with being run flat winching, dead shorted, not touched for weeks on end, driving the car on the starter and such.The second one is still going strong. Thats much better value than any parts store peice of crap.
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Post by mugginsmoo »

optima all the way, best by far.

Mitch
[quote="Gwagensteve"]
nope, apparently I hate suzukis so nobody should be surprised by that :roll:

Steve,[/quote]
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Post by Highway-Star »

Yeah cool guys, the optima sounds good (I've read an online report too), but do you think the D51 model is the suitable one for the Zuk? They do have bigger ones but to me they seem unescarily large (I can't spell).

I dont mind the high price if its gonna be a good battery. I've worked that many extra hours this past week It wont be a problem.
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Post by bazooked »

PJ.zook wrote:Mate get a cheap battery from Supercrap, as they have a year warranty on em, just go in every 10months and say its faulty and get a newie.
that wont work dude, warranty goes from ur original purchase date.
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Post by mick85 »

yeah but they reissue your receipt upon giving you the replacement item.
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Post by bazooked »

yes that is true, but u dont keep on gettin replacement batterys for free every year.
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Post by zookimal »

mick85 wrote:yeah but they reissue your receipt upon giving you the replacement item.
Your warranty card has the original purchase date on it though, and isn't reprinted for the replacement battery. Having managed a store back in the day I've seen that trick many times. I'm sure it worked for many people too, but not on my watch. I've since gotten out.
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Post by rosie »

Optima all the way. Mine one was stolen off the mines somewhere in the nineties, used in a boat for years, then outside beside my cousins shed for years, then in an old Holden EH that we got hold of with a bung genny and it has been in my boat for 20 months now running my electric engine and gets drained down flat all the time and charged by a $9.95 charger.

It also lives in the bow of the boat and for anyone who's seen how i drive it the hull was destroyed and the battery's still going strong.

Well worth the price, Ben.
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Post by Highway-Star »

Yep the batteries cactus (confirmed by the auto electrician)

Anyway done some research by phoning and visiting some shops and this is what I've found:
-No Optima battery imported into Australia will fit in a standard Sierra battery tray (The D51 is not imported anymore due to some problems they had with it. From the horses mouth, to say.)
-Those absorbed matt batteries, I can get the one one I mentioned earlier for about $220 locally.
-Alternate brand: Odyssey, recomended by 2 battery shops. The place that imports the Optima said this is the next best thing, and says can get one that will fit for around $250.
-The other battery shop said its not worth buying a dry cell battery unless the car is going through hell, and actually recomended I buy a sealed maintenance free lead acid supercharge thing for about $120. Which actually had the best warranty on it (3 years, as opposed to 2.
-Auto electrician said drycells aren't worth the cost, what would I really want one for.

Things have gotten interesting. I'll be making a decision before the end of the week, as I don't know how long the current battery will last. But I think I'll go for a drycell as they still seem a safer and more robust option.
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Post by croatian4x4 »

I have heard quite a few bad things about the Odyssey. Apparently thery are not worth the money watsoever! This is word of mouth only. I have no personal proof.
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Post by Gwagensteve »

Odessy batteries are OK, but they sure aren't an optima.

The D51 is far too small. The correct part is the D34. It DOES fit in a Sierra battery tray.

Remove the stock battery and hold down clamp.

Unscrew the lug that the rod sits through on the engine side. this sits on the tray about 40mm in from the edge and is what is stopping a bigger battery going in, but it unscrews. If it is rusted in, just drill the screws out.

Drop the optima in - it will fit like a glove.

I have made my own hold downs by fitting a nutsert to the inner guard structure on the engine bay side of the pinchweld, and another on the tray itself. two lenghts of 6mm stainless rod, some 15mm SHS steel and a couple of nylocs and viola! D34 optima in the car.

A universal hold down could be made to work too, but as I have nutserts I did it that way.

I have a d34 in my 1.0 litre, and I have fitted a d34 into a 1.3 the same way, so the brake booster isn't a problem.

don't forget you will need new terminals too - I used the nickel plated brass "projecta" terminals - these are very good as everything can be undone with a 10mm socket.

750-1000CCA and 55A/h straight in.

That's why I can't see the need for dual batteries in a zook.

Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
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Post by Highway-Star »

Gee Steve, the D34 would be a snug fit. I can make up my own hold down, thats not hard; got an old chopping board (thick one) here been chopping up for nylon wearing points, give me a safer polymer one then.

My current lug thing isn't rusty, its covered in bitumen paint. I'd re-use the old rods. I'd need to re-locate some wiring to fit as well.

$425 including GST for a D34 Optima, does that seem about right? Not cheap by any means are they.

What type of terminals are the D34 battery? Bigger, smaller, square? Get these from auto-one or something I assume.

Yep, thats my intention, if I can put a good one in now, it should last ages, and I'll never need dual batteries.

I'll think over my options tonight. Hopefully I should get last weeks pay packet tonight, so I can plan my options from that.

I wont be buying the odessey anyway, if I dont get the Optima I'll buy the Absorbed Power battery; I'm yet to hear +ve stories about the odessey, though I've heard some good stories no bad about the Absorbed power.
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Post by Brendan-s »

Great info gwagensteve. It's made me re-consider putting a dual battery in mine. I'm going to sell off my controller and battery, and the funds of those two combined with how much I would have paid for a Piranha battery cradle, will just about pay for my Yellow Top! I plan on getting a D34 and *making* it fit
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Post by Gwagensteve »

Just like tyres.... if they're not rubbin', they're not big enough :D

It is a snug fit, but not silly - if the tie down is effective, it'll never move. once it's in, it looks like it was made for it.

$425 is pretty steep. I think the last yellow top I bought was $380.

Keep shopping around, you should be able to do better than $425.

What colour are you looking at? I have had red tops and yellow tops, but a couple of zook club members have run blue tops, they have the wingnut extra terminals which are really handy for accessories.

I wouldn't bother with the side terminals on the yellow top, it will only make it harder to mount.

They are conventional round terminals like toyota's etc use. A major parts store shoudl have them, but really, I can't talk up the projecta ones highly enough. I have bought all sorts of stupid bling terminals in the past but the projecta ones are totally the business.

Steve.
[quote="greg"] some say he is a man without happy dreams, or that he sees silver linings on clouds and wonders why they are not platinum... all we know, is he's called the stevie.[/quote]
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Post by Highway-Star »

Thats from the only place in SEQ listed as a supplier on Optima's web site. None of the other battery selling places I went to sell them. Its $386 w/o GST; Steve was your price incl. GST? Dont know what colour actually? But the bloke on the phone specifically said 'its a D34 not a D34M', so I assume it was for the yellow top.
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