My OEM Battery died this morning. What better time to step into something mid range LW.
Picked up the Optima red top 35 series. Didnt put it on a scale but OMG its light! Sadly… it didnt fit! With the battery properly in place the clamp that holds the battery in place could not reach the lip of the battery since its too narrow.
Instead of jamming cardboard behind my battery to do a shit job shim i came up with a safer , more secure way to hold it down until new clamps come out… (JHM? ;D )
I dont have a full DIY to remove the battery. I just took pics on how to get an optima to fit in properly. First thing you will need is a 14mm key to remove the plastic backet on which the battery sits. Once its off i put 2 10mm washers on each bolt (total 4 washers) to push the entire bracket towards the clamp… since the clamp cant be re-located.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/xbora_vr6x/2boltswithwasherson-Copy.jpg
Once you have your washers on put the bracket back on. Once its on you can see the nut is not quite flush with the bolt… but i feel i got enough threads on for it to be properly secure.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/xbora_vr6x/bracketbackon-Copy.jpg
Once you get that bracker about 1/4 inch closer to the clamp, you get just enough bite to hold the battery down.
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r17/xbora_vr6x/lip-Copy.jpg
Its not 100% secure! It still has a teeny tiny bit of left and right wiggle. But its not going anywhere. I tried to pull it out once the clamp was in and other then the bit of wiggle its staying in that hole.
Ill keep an eye out now and then to see how its holding out and ill report back.
Hope this helps anyone looking at getting a LW battery without too much modification. This just cost me 40 cents!