Light weight batteries - experience??

Anyone have any experience (good or bad) with light weight batteries? I posted this thread a while back about the Braille battery:

http://camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=505779

The 550CCA 21# battery is available for $171 from Tire Rack.

Anyone used the Odyssey (PC680 or PC925) or Total Power (TP-1200) light weight batteries?

I saw a reference to the Hawker Genesis GP26 in an old post, but the manufacturer's site indicates it is not recommended for "motorsports", since it won't handle severe vibration well.

I need a replacement for my 7 year old AC/Delco Professional 75/7yr battery. Car is essentially "track only", often sits for extended periods without use. Had poor results with an Optima Red Top.

I've used the Braile and the Odyssey batteries, both very sensative to keeping a proper charge, neither of them have much cranking power in the heat UNLESS you leave them near the starter. Unless your a comp eliminator type racer (and even they don't like them) I wouldn't shop for light weight in exchange for lesser performance.

There is a new lightweight 16 volt that seem to address the obove listed battery short comings, the battery sells for around $400.00 and I think it requires a special charger.

Anyone have any experience (good or bad) with light weight batteries? I posted this thread a while back about the Braille battery:

http://camaroz28.com/forums/showthread.php?t=505779

The 550CCA 21# battery is available for $171 from Tire Rack.

Anyone used the Odyssey (PC680 or PC925) or Total Power (TP-1200) light weight batteries?

I saw a reference to the Hawker Genesis GP26 in an old post, but the manufacturer's site indicates it is not recommended for "motorsports", since it won't handle severe vibration well.

I need a replacement for my 7 year old AC/Delco Professional 75/7yr battery. Car is essentially "track only", often sits for extended periods without use. Had poor results with an Optima Red Top.
More than a few road race / track day / autocross F-body and Mustang guys run the Odyssey 680 (metal jacketed version) or the equivalent Hawker. Search over at FRRAX or Corner-Carvers.

Brailles are less common because until recently, the Odyssey was much cheaper. The price gap seems to have narrowed.

With proper care, the lightweight batteries appear to hold up very well.

You just have to keep in mind that there is almost no room for error with the reduced capacity. They obviously don't tolerate repeated starts with little run time, lights left on, or any sort of electrical gremlin.

I'm not sure how they would fare on a drag car. Not many of us lefty - righty - brake using guys run big ignitions, electric water pumps, or other current draining gadgets. Also, our cars usually run for more than 12 seconds at a time. :)


FWIW if my new wheels don't break me, I'll have a new 15 lb Braille in the stock location by spring.

For your use a light weight battery should be just fine, I have known several folks who daily drove with them. I have ad similar issues with my red top, the best thing I found was keeping it on a batter maintainer when parked.

Thanks for the info. I think I may give the Braille a try.... I haven't spent any money on the car in three years.

Thanks for the info. I think I may give the Braille a try.... I haven't spent any money on the car in three years.

Make a few runs this year.........its good for you

i look on thunder racing last nite, they have one that weights 15lbs or something but its 150-175+ the mount for 125. So for almost 300 i think i can spend the money better elsewhere.

"Batteries are us" sells a lightweight 16v that on paper looks like the way to go check them out. Unless you have 2 or 3 brailes hooked in series I would not recommend using them especially if your battery in rear mounted.

I've been using the same lightweight battery in the car since 2003. It's 14 pounds, turns over my minirammed 385 just fine. All I need to do though it keep it on a trickle charger when the car sits more than a few days. It is indeed a reduced capacity battery but in terms of performance, it has a great delivery of charge. I think the idea that a high-performance ignition will require a bigger battery is bunk. The battery can deliver 650 cranking amps! What makes us think that it can't deliver 50 - 100 amps for ten or twelve seconds during a drag race?? I logged my battery voltage last year on each run and never once did it ever fall below 14 volts. The only time voltage droops is at idle, when my alternator underdrive pulley reduces the charge current. Now that the battery is four, nearly five years old I have noticed a reduced capacity and it's time to replace it. However as long as it's kept on the charger when I'm not using the car, it doesn't seem to be a problem.

To put it in perspective, a trunk mounted battery takes about 14 pounds of 0-gage copper wire to get the current back up to the engine compartment. Why not put that 14 pounds (via lightweight battery) back up front and leave the 41 pounds of Optima at home on the camper where it belongs?

ive thought about that too. Whats the point of a remote batt when you add 20lbs of cable? Just throw in a light weight one up front. So you ll actually lose 25lbs instead of picking it right back up in cable threw out the car. I know the weight comes off the nose of the car but it still cancels out the weight loss.

ive thought about that too. Whats the point of a remote batt when you add 20lbs of cable? Just throw in a light weight one up front. So you ll actually lose 25lbs instead of picking it right back up in cable threw out the car. I know the weight comes off the nose of the car but it still cancels out the weight loss.

Not really, even if you add wt. having it in the right place is a pretty big deal. Plus sometimes you have to run a cut off anyway...... I have had a car on fire and the cut off switch was the only thing that kept it from burning to the ground

Make a few runs this year.........its good for you
If I didn't have a job that requires 12-hour days all week, and a 1/2-day on Saturday, I'd be in the garage working on my car, and taking it to the track. But when you're my "advanced" age, its not easy to find a job that pays 6-figures.

And then there's my wife.... I told her I wanted to race the car this year, and she told me I'm too old and probably going to kill myself. :D :D :D :D

I've thought about the rear relocation, but to do it right, there's the expense and weight of the cable, the sealed and vented box and the master disconnect, with a hole in the body. I know how to avoid that.... George B. had a beautiful 16V rear relocation, OUTSIDE the car, with the disconnect totally invisible when the handle was removed and the car was driven on the street. Of course by that time, it had two holes in the rear fascia for the chute mount, so it really didn't make any difference whether the switch was visible.

http://www.injuneer.com/images/photos/GeorgeB/DCP03816.jpg

The Braille at 21# has:
-Pulse Cranking Amps: 1380
-Cranking Amps: 742
-Cold Cranking Amps: 550
-Amp Hour Rating: 31

..... so it would appear to be able to stand on its own. It doesn't need to start the car in cold weather, and its no problem keeping it fully charged in the pits. I do have some healthy fuel pump requirements - dual 205's - plus the big low-impedance injectors, so I don't want to get caught with any significant voltage loss. The MoTeC logs system voltage, so any loss will become quickly apparent.

I guess its just going to be a $171 experiment. I wouldn't buy a bracket, they are too easy to make.

I just saw an advertisement in the current National Dragster for a new lithium battery, 16V and only 13.5#, which they claim is good for drag applications drawing up to 100 amps. The price is.......









$750 :eek:

I just saw an advertisement in the current National Dragster for a new lithium battery, 16V and only 13.5#, which they claim is good for drag applications drawing up to 100 amps. The price is.......









$750 :eek:

:lol: Forget that. I can see spending some money but damn. $750 is crazy for a battery

The $750.00 16 volt lithium battery is also sold by Batteries are Us.

$650 is still a bit high for my budget. Then there's the $350 for the 12/16V charger.......

http://www.batteriesareus.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=9113

http://www.batteriesareus.com/bmz_cache/0/0cd1916816141b139446ea162035da86.image.732x550.jpg