battery tie downs

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • ptownTSI
    E30 Fanatic
    • Jun 2005
    • 1265

    #1

    battery tie downs

    what are you using that is auto-cross safety inspection approved to hold down your battery's, i don't have a stock battery and currently have no tie downs.
  • ptownTSI
    E30 Fanatic
    • Jun 2005
    • 1265

    #2
    http://www.batterymart.com/p-odyssey-pc680-battery.html i think i want to use this battery, it would save about 35lbs compared to my damn yellowtop.

    maybe i'll just mount it to the inside wall of the battery tray area with one of these. ain't goin anywhere! http://www.odysseybatteries.com/accessories/pc680hd.htm

    Comment

    • browntown
      No R3VLimiter
      • Jun 2004
      • 3524

      #3
      i dont know the rules, but a marine battery box oughta do er.

      Comment

      • ddavidv
        Grease Monkey
        • Aug 2006
        • 344

        #4
        Here's a more serious solution:
        sigpic

        Comment

        • JGood
          R3V OG
          • Jan 2004
          • 7959

          #5
          I was in the exact same dilemma a few month ago for autox. I went to autozone and bought the universal battery hold down. It's actually a heavy duty product. for about $3.

          You remove the battery tray, set the battery on it with the lip under the factory tray "wedge" that's on the front edge, line up the autozone holdown piece, drill a hole where needed and reinstall tray with bolt through the bottom. Put the wedge shape piece over the lip on the bottom of the battery. Tighten the nut, and that battery isn't moving.

          I could lift real hard on the battery strap and nothing budged. The battery tray will break before anything else.

          All for $3.
          85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i
          e30 restoration and V8 swap
          24 Hours of Lemons e30 build

          Comment

          • PiercedE30
            R3V Elite
            • Apr 2005
            • 4220

            #6
            I've got a ratchet strap holding my battery.....safety steward saw it, laughed, and said nice...
            My 2.9L Build!

            Originally posted by Ernest Hemingway
            There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.

            Comment

            • JGood
              R3V OG
              • Jan 2004
              • 7959

              #7
              Originally posted by PiercedE30
              I've got a ratchet strap holding my battery.....safety steward saw it, laughed, and said nice...
              That's probably the strongest and most reliable hold down you can have. When's the last time you saw a stationary ratchet strap break?
              85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i
              e30 restoration and V8 swap
              24 Hours of Lemons e30 build

              Comment

              • jlevie
                R3V OG
                • Nov 2006
                • 13530

                #8
                A concern w/respect to a ratchet strap would be that acid vapors can weaken the strap material. Under high G loads the the strap could fail and the battery could come loose. There will not necessarily be any obvious signs of damage to the strap beforehand. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out why I'd be concerned about this.
                The car makes it possible, but the driver makes it happen.
                Jim Levie, Huntsville, AL

                Comment

                • backtrail69
                  R3V Elite
                  • Jul 2005
                  • 4471

                  #9
                  I have the factory tie down on both my cars... never had a problem driving hard or Auto-xing.
                  :: PNW Crew ::
                  '87 325 4dr, '74 2002

                  Comment

                  • ptownTSI
                    E30 Fanatic
                    • Jun 2005
                    • 1265

                    #10
                    so run a sealed battery!

                    Comment

                    • ptownTSI
                      E30 Fanatic
                      • Jun 2005
                      • 1265

                      #11
                      Originally posted by ddavidv
                      his work was awful though. good idea, bad outcome. that battery only needs to slip 1/2" and zap...lots of sparks.

                      Comment

                      • AndrewBird
                        The Mad Scientist
                        • Oct 2003
                        • 11897

                        #12
                        Originally posted by jlevie
                        A concern w/respect to a ratchet strap would be that acid vapors can weaken the strap material. Under high G loads the the strap could fail and the battery could come loose. There will not necessarily be any obvious signs of damage to the strap beforehand. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out why I'd be concerned about this.
                        Most straps are made of nylon, I.E. - plastic. So I don't think battery acid would hurt it any.

                        Comment

                        • ddavidv
                          Grease Monkey
                          • Aug 2006
                          • 344

                          #13
                          Originally posted by ptownTSI
                          his work was awful though. good idea, bad outcome. that battery only needs to slip 1/2" and zap...lots of sparks.
                          Yeah, we busted on him a little about it. All it really needs is some side support/another beam the other direction to stabilize it and it would be rock solid.
                          sigpic

                          Comment

                          • Sean
                            R3V Elite
                            • Oct 2003
                            • 5793

                            #14
                            Here's my optima mounted in my car. Battery cover is a tight fit, but it works.

                            I can move the whole damn car with my battery. :)

                            - Sean Hayes

                            Comment

                            • Dave
                              E30 RAT
                              • Nov 2003
                              • 11675

                              #15
                              Mine is similar to your Sean - I ran a piece of steel stock with holes in it under the battery tray and used the j-hook kit.

                              At tech, they yank it hard, and the whole car raises up.
                              Current Cars
                              2014 M235i
                              2009 R56 Cooper S
                              1998 M3
                              1997 M3

                              Comment

                              Working...