Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Move batteries to truck bed?

[Woodenhead]

I pulled both batteries and trays to do some work on my motor. After a while I realized it may be nice to keep both batteries in the box instead of under the hood. It'd sure open up a lot of space to help cleanup the wiring mess I have now and make it easier to work on. Anyone ever done this?



I need to do some measurements to see if I can do it with one in each corner and still have 4' in between for loading plywood etc. I have plenty of 2/0 and 1/0 cable I can wire it with and I'd just put a big terminal strip or box under the hood in place of one of the batteries to run power from. Maybe add some marine disconnects at the batteries in case I need to cut power quick for anything. Wouldn't be hard to fab up a box with good hold down clamps, a lock and bolt it to the bottom of the box.



Mike

 

[RyanB]

We did this on my brothers 97 and it really cleaned up the engine compartment and opened up alot of space. There is enough room for two batteries along one side (front of box to wheel well) but if you have stacks its not going to work. My brother doesn't put sheets of plywood in the box so he just put both right in the center at the front. As far as wiring it up... we used 1/0 and seemed to have worked nicely. You will also have to run power up to the grid heaters (I think he did that with his truck) He also made a really nice little steel box for them and put box liner spray on it and looks nice.



RyanB

 

[CCiatteo]

I often wondered the same thing. I was considering in my tool box so they would be out of sight or even in the cab under the rear bench seat? Corvettes have the batteries inside the car and if you did Optima's which are sealed it probably work out pretty nice, although I have not done the measuring to see if they would fit under the seat.



Chris

 

[LMcCary]

Chris

Put the batteries under the seat or under the cab. Be sure to seal off the batt. with a sealed box if under the seat. The weight of he Batt. will break down the tool box.

 

[Shadrach]

I plan on putting 2 group 31 batteries in my box for my 1st gen repower project. It will free up space for more toys up front as well as help distribute weight better. They will easily fit between the front of the box and the left wheel well. Shadrach

 

[Woodenhead]

Thanks for the replies guys. I did some measuring last night. I have Group 31 Interstate workaholics that measure 6. 5x13x9. 5 I could build a box 8x12x30 and have plenty of room to fit it along the side of the box in front of the wheel well. This would leave enough space to load 48" wide objects beside. It's nice to be able to load a full sheet of plywood and still close the tailgate.



I'm going to use welding cable and likely run it along the frame rail through some plastic water line for abrasion resistance.

If and when I get it done I'll post some details and maybe a few pics.



Mike

 

[480RUGER]

I have the same batteries and want to do the same thing to make room for the twins and a second water/meth tank. I wanted to put mine in the tool box. I have 4/0 cable (free) and two marine battery boxes. Just wondering what you plan on using to tie everything together. Who has terminal boxes big enough and where can we find them. Thanks

 

[Woodenhead]

I picked up a 12 circuit marine fuse box from Boaters world to hook all of my accesories into. Here a link to it Blue Seas Fuse Block Ato With Ground - BoatersWorld.com



I'll run all my lights and other accesories from this. I have some #4 welding cable to run power to the fuse box and a Mega fuse fuse holder that'll I'll put by the battery to get power to the fuse box. They have some other bus bars and fuse blocks that may be handy as well.



I picked up some battery terminal connections at NAPA that can crimp and or solder to 2/0 cable. 2 of them are for the end of the cable, the other 2 can have the cable pass through. This will make it easy to connect the batteries in parallel when running the cable up for the ground and to the starter. I can't seem to find a link to these on the NAPA site.



I managed to score some oil, gas, heat and UV resistant wire and some fancy wire that's spec'd for nuclear plants. This will work well for replacing the old wire that's starting to get kinda ratty. All my connections will be soldered and sealed with adhesive lined heavy heat shrink.



I have all of the parts I need, just need to build a box for the batteries and install everything. I still need to find some sort of disconnect that I can put at the battery on the main starter cable that will handle the current when starting.



I have my twins installed and just the battery on the drivers side until it get's moved to the back, however I do still have room on the pass side for the other battery. I have a couple of Heineken mini kegs that I'm going to try and tig weld some fittings into and use for water meth. These will fit nicely where the pass battery used to be .

 

[480RUGER]

Lol Sweet!!!

 

[tgordon]

Just an oddball thought, but I wounder if one could take a box like they use in semis and bolt it to the frame under the bed and put an access hole in the bed of the truck to get at the batteries. Then they would be out of the way and you would have access to the full bed.



If you do put them in the cab switch to something like the optimas or one with a single common vent you could hook a hose up to to ven the sulpher and any possible boil over out of th ecab for safety sake.

 

[2broke2smoke]

i put mine in the bed behind the wheelwells three years ago ...



get some more weight over the rear tires and off the front ...



cleans up the underhood ...

 

[SRath]

I don't recommend the in-cab mounting at all!



I had a $170 Optima in my Class C motorhome several years ago as the "camper" power supply (separate from the underhood "vehicle" battery, but also charged when the vehicle was running through a battery isolator).



One fine day as we were coming home from an out-of-state MX race, my alternator went nuts (internal voltage regulator failed). The volt gauge pegged. We were less than 10 miles from home, so I just crossed my fingers and kept on motoring. Three miles from home, there was a big explosion back in the battery box under the rear bed! The camper motor died instantly.



The camper quickly filled with toxic acid gas as my family bailed out along the highway as I came to screeching stop.



The huge voltage spike from the exploding Optima also fried my HEI module and my cruise control module (an easy fix once I got a ride home to get a few parts).



But NEVER let anybody tell you that an Optima does NOT out-gas! They DEFINITELY do!



It blew because of explosive gas build-up in its supposedly "vented" compartment, which by "ingenious" engineering and design also happened to contain all of the electrical circuitry and breaker boxes for the camper, thus providing ample opportunity for a spark or hot circuit. Gas it vented. And something ignited it. The vehicle battery boiled a little, too, but was OK and definitely was adequately vented under the hood so it did not blow.



That gas was NASTY, corrosive stuff to be sucking into my lungs (trying very hard not to, of course) as I attempted to air out the vehicle so I could ascertain there was no fire and again later so I could fix it.



I agree the batteries would be better located elsewhere on our trucks, but not in the passenger compartment. There's already enough weight on the frontend and enough stuff under the hood. But I would definitely go with a frame mounted box. Preferably a drop-down design. Lots of room under there. Putting them in your bed would probably invite theft and would eventually be in the way of something you wanted to haul.

 

[Woodenhead]

I have no intentions on putting batteries in the cab of my truck. Like you I thinks it's a very bad idea, I have witnessed several battery explosions and it aint pretty. I can build a box that will sit tight to the side of the box in front of a wheel well. I'd still be able to load full sheets of plywood, pallets and motorcycles so I'm good to go. The box will be bolted down and securely locked. I doubt anyone will get them out (safely ) while the alarm is howling away.



I like the idea of a frame mounted box. I'll have to look under the truck and see if something can be made to fit for this. I would want to be able to open it from the side and slide the batteries in and out but not have it hang low enough to snag anything.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

you really only need one big battery unless you're way up north in the cold, but I'd mount them in the dead space between the frame rail and the bed side... just use some double ought cable, and you're in business

 

[SRath]

Just a couple more thoughts now that you have me thinking what a good idea moving those batteries might be:



1) I would put a high-quality, heavy-duty, master shutoff switch in the engine compartment or some easily accessible location.

2) A nice aluminum or even steel battery box would not be too difficult to fabricate. Using marine battery boxes inside it would further protect things.

3) A drop-down frame-mounted setup would take only a little more ingenuity and could make use of a spare tire winch, like our trucks already have, from a junkyard to raise and lower the assembly. Once in place, a couple of bolts or pins or a latch could secure it.



This could be a worthwhile project...



I had intended to run some 00 cable to the front and rear bumpers with forklift-style charging plugs for powering jumper cables anyway, and maybe someday a winch. I actually already have one in front for my snowplow. You would not need ready access to the batteries with those, since you could both give and receive jumpstarts with them.

 

[Willys]

Hi all! I know this thread is outdated, but I am trying to make a bracket myself and I cannot find any more information on this project other than this thread. If anyone has done this do you have pictures I can see please? I've come up with a few ideas myself, but I really don't want to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to. Thanks!

 

[480RUGER]

I didn’t use a bracket. I just have my 31s in the old R&K tool box inside two bolted down marine battery boxes. One on each side. I've been offroading and on the track with no signs of weight problems on the tool box. The hardest thing I did was run the 4/0 through Seal-Tight front to back.



I’m still looking for a good junction box for the big cable. Something I can tie everything together and have a good place to jump off from. Let me know if anything pops up when you do yours.



Good Luck

 

[Willys]

480RUGAR, thanks for your reply!

My plan is to mount the batteries under the bed of the truck, attached to the frame. my ford buddy is working on doing this to his f350. i have had a few ideas, but nothing I'm set on yet.

As far as mounting the batteries in the toolbox, I don't want to lose my storage space, but If I did I don't think it would be damaging to the box as I had a wreck some months ago (totaled a Toyota Corolla) and the toolbox had 300lbs of sand bags in it. No damage to the box!

Delcity.net has good prices on everything electrical.
I bought single aught welding cable for my battery cables and will be purchasing connectors like forklifts use for my jumper cables and winch.

 

[480RUGER]

Your the man. It took all of two minutes to find everything I needed. Napa had nothing big enough.



Thanks Willys

 

[BigEasy]

NAPA = Never Any Parts Available!