Tie Down for Optima Battery

[jim97gst]

I have an optima battery in my car. It's shorter than the factory size battery, and the factory tie down doesn't work very well. It holds it down OK, but it doesn't push square agaianst the battery. I tried using the plastic tray that comes with the battery to raise it up, but it raises it so high that the negative cable won't reach the terminal. I have a few ideas of things to try, but I thought I'd check with you guys for ideas.

TIA

 

[jesselyons2002]

You could buy the optima battery tray from ebay or just get a adapter kit from optima

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[vanilla gorilla]

All the optimas I have ever ran, fit fine. Are you sure you bought the right size?

 

[red97tib]

That skull holder is the shiznit, time to hop on ebay. As for your problems, first check to make sure you got the right size battery like someone already said. If you are still having issues, you have 1 of 2 things you can do. First would be get a new battery tray and tie down. Second, and my favorite option, use either a wedge under the battery or grab a belt a tie down the battery with the belt. I have personally seen the belt trick pass tech at events, altough I don't think it is legal, it works.

 

[jim97gst]

Mmmmmm, I like the spider web one better.

At the autozone where I bought the battery, there were only 2 options. Both were about the same dimensions, they were just different specs. I wasn't aware there were different sizes. Mine is about 6 3/4" tall. Do you guys have taller ones?

This is actually my second optima. The first one was the same size, so the tie down has never worked all that great. On this new one though, they moved the terminals closer to the outside of the battery, and closer to my strut tower bar. Now I'm worried about it sliding over and the positive grounding out on the bar. Like I said, the factory tie down holds it down pretty good as-is, it just doesn't sit very square on the battery. I'm sure I could bend the tie down to make it work better, just wanted to see what other people were doing.

 

[InfiniteGSX]

Bringing this thread back from the dead because it goes along with what I'm doing. I used to have my redtop tired down with the stock battery tie down and using top posts by puting a 1/2" thick peice of stryofoam under the battery and not using the stock battery box cause it crushed it.

Now since my ex room mate seems to have fried my battery with his car that has an alternator that charges at 20volts! I just got my battery replaced and I moded the top cover/tray so it will snap down on the top side of the battery making it a pretty sweet cover. I clear coated this peice so it keeps its look cause I've been cleaning everything in my engine bay up with my new built 6bolt painted black and the valve cover polished and all of that junk. I don't want to use the stock battery tie down. I want to it it down from the bottom. I know I can use the Adaptor it gave to bolt down one side of it, but needing to figure out something for the other side. Cause when I bolt down the battery with the adaptor that came in the top cover, the battery wobbles when cornering hard right.

anyone have any idea's so I can keep things lookin good this time around?

 

[Fotowntalon]

i think the question most people are forgetting to ask, or state when posting about there battery, is exactly what battery model they have. This makes a huge difference in the size of the battery which in turn effects the type of battery holder. For example, I have the odessy PC680 battery, an amazing battery, only 15lbs. but the damn thing is tiny and severly limited my options in battery brackets. (not that i can complain cause of all the room is saved)

 

[greathuskie]

aanyway to bolt those optima tiedown kits to the firewall? they are cool but dont look very functional for our car...

 

[InfiniteGSX]

34/78. Most common battery I see used. I was going to use two of the bolt down tie downs but there is no place to bolt the dang thing down on the opposite side. I'm thinking of taking the tray out and seeing if I can fab something up with the battery on it.

*EDIT*, This is why I need a tie down from the bottom...

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Anyone have any nifty Idea's for the Passenger side of the battery? I was thinking maybe I could get some thick steel, something that is a PITA to bend, bend it to A 7, Put the bottom side on the lip of the battery on the bottom, and the top part will bolt up to the frame. Dunno if it would work. Another thought is some sort of C Clip to wrap around the bottom lip of the battery and the battery tray. But It has to hold like no other, This car takes hard turns all the time. And I wanna be able to prove that the battery isn't going anywhere to the inspection at the strip everytime.

aanyway to bolt those optima tiedown kits to the firewall? they are cool but dont look very functional for our car...

Yes, look closer to them. They have areas to screw the cages down to the stock Battery Tray. I would use one of those cause they look great. But I want to cap off the top posts. I don't ever want them to be used. I'm staying side post now. Right now I have some battery post quick disconnects that rock! But I might go complete side mounting like GM Vehicles.