i was wondering if you relocate the battery to the rear is it required to have a pull out style switch to turn off battery power? i have heard either way, i dont plan on running less than 13's if it matters but i think it would be a good cheap upgrade to transfer weight better.

 

NHRA requires that if the battery is relocated there has to be a master cutoff. It must be installed on the rearmost part of each vehicle and easilly accessible from outside the car body. The cutoff switch must be connected to the positive side of the electrical system and must stop all electrical functions. The position must be clearly indicated with the word "OFF". If switch is a "push/pull" type, "push" must be the direction for shutting off the electrical system. Any rods or cables used (to actuate) must be 1/8" in diameter. Plastic or keyed switches prohibited.

It does not have to be a push/pull switch. It can be rotary.

You will also need a sealed and vented battery box if you locate the battery inside the passenger compartmen (including the hatch area).

 

I was thinking about doing this for better weight distribution at the track (mounting the battery in place of the spare tire/jack). However, I will occasionally take the car to the quarter mile track.

Do the regulations you mentioned apply to a certain class based on time, or do you have to do this if relocating the battery period? I would just be doing the occasional test and tune.

If so, can anyone think of a good inconspicuous place to mount the cutoff switch?

Also, if mounted in the spare tire well, behind the plastic interior panel, would it still be considered inside the passenger compartment?

Thanks,
Eddie

 

Any battery not in it's factory location must follow the above rules no matter how fast or slow it runs. A master switch is mandatory on cars running 9.99 and quicker no matter where the battery is.

Sticking it into the spare tire compartment won't pass tech unless it's in an approved battery box or behind a metal firewall.

You can't have it hidden when at the track. You could mount the switch inside the car with a hole out the rear that a rod can go through. It would be installed as a push/pull and when you leave the track, you remove the rod.

 

Ok, but would I need a sealed box if putting the battery behind the interior panel, or could I use a mount like the BMR one?

Can you recommend a good place to find the necessary cutoff switch components.

 

Behind an interior panel will not pass tech. It must be inside a sealed box or behind a firewall because it will still be classified as inside the driver's compartment.

www.jegs.com
www.summitracing.com

 

Batteries (even Optimas) vent hydrogen, which is explosive. My neighbor had a nice fire in his garage when his brand new Infinity Q45 overcharged the battery on the drive home from work, and it exploded about a 1/2 hour after the car was parked in the garage. Wolfe claims their aluminum bulkhead, which replaces the flip up hatch cover, meets NHRA requirements, but I would hope its actually sealed to the body, so fuel and battery vapors can't get into the passenger compartment.