Battery location
 

I like to look up 3100 stuff in my downtime. I'm not much of a Facebook person. Sometimes I run across some interesting things that I save for later. For example...


Here's a pic of what someone did to an inner fender for the battery. Anyone here done this? Im trying to think of a new place for mine and firewall won't work. I'd use the under floor spot, but I plan to carpet the truck and I'm not sure how well that will work for access. Any advice here?

Re: Battery location
 

not the worst idea...but I'd close up that hole...I'm planning on under floor or under bed on mine....leaning more towards bed though

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Do you plan to carpet?

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probably no carpet for me....

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Hey, that IS interesting, thanks for posting it.
This is one I haven't seen yet.
I've also been considering moving my '54 battery.
Cool

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drop down battery box under the cab

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Since I don't have a tank inside I am planning on putting the battery (vented to the outside) behind the seat in a special made compartment this time around.

My other idea is building a wood chest that is tall enough to hold the battery that runs across the front of the bed side to side and holds the battery in one side and what tools, parts and supplies I carry in the other compartment (s) With some nice looking stainless hardware on it it could look pretty presentable.

I've seen a couple of them put in an old style cooler in the front corner of the bed that looks pretty decent. Cooler being bolted down to the bed. Those were pretty well show trucks though. Last one was a nicely painted Coke cooler and I wouldn't have known it had the battery but one of the truck owners buddies asked if he had an extra can of pop in the cooler he would share and he said it had the battery in it.

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I'm kinda liking this idea. I won't have to worry about how to do the carpet... I'll tack battery door down and use a sealer so it's there and can be used if you I wish at a later date. Behind seat is an option if tank is elsewhere...

Is it better for wires and resistances if battery is under the hood instead of behind seat or in bed?

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Primarily regards to the high amperage draw of the starter motor.
The further away, the larger the cable should be.

There are tables online depicting the ratings and cable gauge/type recommendations.

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Mine is right behind the passenger side fender under the floor. I will try and get pics tomorrow. You have to remove the wheel to change it out.

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I've seen cars like that. Pull tire to change battery. Is it sealed up?

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here is my under bed battery box. it is a frame swap so the box floor is raised to clear the frame bump. lots of room under there so I built a box to hold "stuff" and a battery. doors/lids lock. drain is from rear floor area of an envoy xuv but also looks similar to the box drain in a chevy avalanche. home made tool to make the depression.also need a vented battery or vent the box. vented battery takes a hose from the battery directly outside the box so easier and less dirty if you drive in rain etc
red and black "through panel" insulators are from cole hersey
black thing mounted to floor under red connectors is a large AMG fuse holder. one red terminal goes directly to the starter and remote booster connection, the other goes to supply the fuse relay panel after going through the AMG fuse. don't want any surprises.
battery sits on a 3/4" plastic grid so any moisture can get out the drain.

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sorry, a couple of pics got lost in transition. try again.

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I put my battery under the pickup bed, with an access cover:

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I've often thought about hiding an AGM battery in the rear fender would be cool. On the other hand, if going the AGM route, behind or under the seat would be simpler.

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I plan on putting the battery in the stock location. I ran it there for years in the stock location, with carpet over it. A few screws to remove the threshold trim and there it is, not a big deal. If you maintain the system you don't have to be getting in there all the time for goodness sakes.
It's like the brake system on my daily driver Rambler, the master cyl is under the floor too. Every year I open it up, check the fluid, adjust the brakes, takes about an hour, done deal and drive it every single day for another year.

Brian

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I use the factory under floor location. For carpet have the edge sewn like floor mats and velcro down the edge. Any upholstry can sew the edge.

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PDW would you mind taking a couple of pics? I'd like to see how it looks.

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pdw, I was just gonna mention the same thing. carpet suppliers or upholstery shops can usually do that edge, like a sample carpet in their show room. then Velcro like said. nice and neat and no sharp edges. the pieces can also be removed for cleaning that way. snaps would be another idea but Velcro is easier for sure.

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Don't have pic's. I sold my last one, and my truck now is not finished.

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Good idea.
I started to mention this as well and was going to add, you would likely have a floor mat over it anyway ..... I would.

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I can picture it I think, that spot and the carpet around can have clean edges and it can be velcroed. Look like floormat style. That or shape a floormat to also cover the door.

Thanks guys, just another item I was over thinking. Should the box underneath be water tight? My box was more of a shelf than a enclosed box...

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Matt,
This is a question I asked when redoing my 56, stepside, and there were multiple pros and cons to just about every location. I chose to remove the battery from the firewall, only to have a cleaner look when looking at the engine compartment, but I got some boos when I said, "behind the seat". Just make sure the battery box is a good one and is secured to the floor. So, you choose what is the best location, my reasoning is I want access to mine and a good looking engine compartment, my opinion solely.

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battery box does not need to be water tight..its needs to be able to vent

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Here's where it ended up on my TF, on the passenger side frame rail between the frame and cab step. I used the stock battery tray, modified to drop down for battery R&R.

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behind the pass seat in truk since 2010, no box, no vent, just the battery
the cover with the finger hole, cover held in place with velcro
just swapped out the battery 2 weeks ago, easy to get to

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Thanks guys, I've got some food for thought. I think I was also overthinking if the battery needed to be protected from water and road debris. Mine looks like a hacked up version of Black Sheeps. If I go factory spot route, I'll need to make of buy a new shelf.

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I was going to put it behind the seat but opted to mount it to the firewall.

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ironic that the AD guys move them under the hood and the TF guys move them out from under the hood :D

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that IS ironic :lol:

I like them under the hood, big cables and connectors can be a big expense.

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I'm not very picky on location. Under hood seems more convenient.... my concerns were how to carpet floor and still use factory spot, or how to put under hood and be able to install ac/heater too.

I had thought of the wires and connectors... is there that much of a cost difference between under hood, in cab, or under cab?

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no pic but i am doing a 55 2 chevy with a duramax with 2 batteries they are side by side inside the frame and can be removed from under the truck. They are at the tail end of the trans, and under the cab

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If you are buying new cables the incremental cost is minimal. The biggest expense would be some kind of drop down battery box if you choose to keep it under the cab.

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No dif in cable. AD bat is very close to the starter, no need for longer cable.

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This is what I did too except mine is more on the driver side and not in a box. It’s an AGM battery.