Battery Recommendations

Terminals on opposite sides, or you just didn't want to turn it around?

Looks like you have plenty of slack to reach the front of the battery there, Cory.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Terminals on opposite sides, or you just didn't want to turn it around?

Looks like you have plenty of slack to reach the front of the battery there, Cory.

Yes, you are correct, I didn't want to turn it around and have the posts at the front. I could have moved the cables to fit, sure,...but what I wanted was what was in there, so that everything fit as it was previously. I realize that is being a bit nit picky...lol, but sometimes we just want what we want...whether it is right or not lol.

I wish I had met the 3rd guy first yesterday...lol. I went to three different places...one of the local Ford dealers and then two auto parts shops. It wasn't until I got to the 3rd place that there was an old guy there that knew everything about batteries.

To be honest I don't think that I've had to purchase a new battery in 20 years.

Absolutely right.
We want what we want...

My original Motorcraft battery lasted at least a dozen years.

When my 2G alternator started screwing up, I was lucky to get five.

All these batteries are made by three companies.
Just labeled for dozens of brands.

BTW, my 65 sits with the terminals forward.

Gary, when you say later model tray, do you mean like from 87+ model years?  Where can I find this?  Also, what bracket are you using for the top of your battery?   is that part of the later tray assembly?  

Bricknose.
'87 - '90
You need the diagonal stay that comes from the inner fender too.

Gary milled those hold downs from aluminium channel himself.

The '87 up trays use a wedge shaped retainer 'shoe' and a 5/16 (8mm) headed bolt at the front.

You can get the parts from LMC

Diehard Silver or Gold.

If I can get Gold in my size I go with it for my vehicle otherwise its the Silver.  Every Diehard Ive had lasted at least 6 years.  Ive gotten up to 8 years out of the Diehard Gold in my truck.

As far as gelcell batteries like Optima, I wouldnt go with them.  They are no longer any good, we see them at work all the time 1 year old and wont hold a charge.

Sears Holdings (crazy Eddie Lampbert ) sold Die Hard to Advance for an outrageous sum.

Now we see an elderly Bruce Willis shilling them.

But... at least Advance is good about their prorated warranty!

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Sears Holdings (crazy Eddie Lampbert ) sold Die Hard to Advance for an outrageous sum.

Now we see an elderly Bruce Willis shilling them.

But... at least Advance is good about their prorated warranty!

Yep I dont really care about it cause ive had better luck with diehard than other brands.  Continental is lucky to last 1 year for me, napa batteries are lucky to last 1 year for me, duracell automotive batteries is lucky to last 1 year for me.  Diehard is the only one I have ever had that would last more than 3 years.

I thought of getting a drycell battery for my Fairlane but I am not sure since optima batteries dont even last a year down here they have gotten bad now.  I know the drycell I am looking at is a reproduction of the original 29N ford battery and not an optima but it makes me question the quality of the internals how ever cause some battery manufacturer has to have made the internals for them.

There's only Yuasa and Johnson Controls left as anyhow, right?

What the consensus on the 86 trucks?  56 or 64?  I’m replacing a 65 but the tray ears and hold down are gone. I put a motorcraft 56 in tonight it and doesn’t look quite right- a bit on the small side. I’m ordering the hold down gear from lmc, but don’t want to swap out for the 64 if the factory tray won’t take it.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

The '87 up trays use a wedge shaped retainer 'shoe' and a 5/16 (8mm) headed bolt at the front.

When I had to change Big Brother’s battery last COLD winter, I discovered that I could get rid of the "plastic handle" retaining and use instead the bottom "shoe", the tray and the new battery were shaped so.
I understand that I am now equipped in the 1987+ way?

About the triangular plate bolted to the radiator support, what is the goal, really required?  Part greyed out between #7 and #8 on LMC 1980-86 diagram…

Never saw it on BigBro

The 80-86 battery shelf fits beneath the plastic fender liner (with the retainer bolt ears sticking up through) while the 87-96 style is entirely above the fender liner, with a diagonal strut going to the fender and an inboard bracket attaching to the radiator support.

The triangular brace for the earlier style resists side to side shifting of the battery.
I know that there was a bit of discussion about them back when Gary was finalizing the dual battery install in Big Blue and he milled some hold downs from aluminum channel.
IIRC Scott was unhappy with the fitment of his triangular brace and was looking at part numbers because he felt it was wrong.

If you have the later style battery tray that grips the base flange of the battery there is no reason for the triangle brace.

Right. But the problem Scott and I have is that our batteries don’t use the base clamp like most batteries do. So while we have the 87-96 battery tray we have to have a top clamp.

and there is the reason I use later model trays on modified trucks!

So what you're saying is it's only a problem with Optima (or whatever) batteries?

What are your thoughts about the greyed out unavailable triangle bracket?

Do you recall what Scott ended up doing?

Yes, the problem is with the batteries we are using - Odysseys. (Can't say about the Optimas as I haven't tried one of them.) I've included pics of what I did below. But I think Scott 3D-printed something for his batteries, although I'm not finding what he did via a search.

As for the triangular bracket, given the way the Bullnose battery tray is supported it is probably needed. But I don't think they are necessary with the later tray. However, since I use Big Blue off-road I did use them on both batteries to ensure the really heavy batteries cannot move.

Gary Lewis wrote

My complaint was that the driver side triangle bracket for the aux battery looked crooked when I installed it
Functionally it works though. Whether they are required or not with the original tray - I'd consider them highly recommended just because you never know what can happen and they are a simple piece to install that adds significant support to the j hook setup.
As Gary mentioned, with the Odyssey batteries they don't fit quite right with the factory hold downs as they have a tapered stepdown at the top. I printed spacers to adapt the two.

For better or worse I used a nylon webbing strap for mine, laced through the tray slots... when I got it, there was no hold down, and the triangle bracket was removed (but found it behind the seat, not knowing what it was for until a lot later).



A good part of my tray support is rotted away too.... but it works.

My battery is an old (12/2017) ValuePower Group 65. Came with the truck, been a very good battery (made by Johnson controls like Ever Start and other brands).

years ago i decided to put my battery in a battery box with a lid like you would in a boat. it also uses a nylon web strap. that was probably 25 years ago and i do not have the rust issue in that area that many do. might be a thing. i dont know.