Thread: Dual battery box for D2 and D2a coming up...

Can i have a nice Stainless steel one please
Good luck with it

Originally Posted by Jazzman

OK, so I got tired of waiting around for someone to build a dual battery box to replace the standard battery box and jack holder. Soon i'll have a prototype ready, I don't know price yet, but i'd be guessing somewhere around the $200 mark.

I'll keep you all informed how I go, as if I remember correctly many of you want the dual Optima battery box setup rather than the ARB or Piranha setup near the exhaust.

I'm getting expert help with this, I'm not doing it on my own in the back shed so I expect a professionally finished, laser cut and folded stainless steel or alloy product.

If you are genuinely interested please let me know, but be patient I don't expect a finished product until the end of July.

This is not a sale thread, it is an interest thread, so please Pedro don't move it

Hmm, three batteries.
Yes Please.

I ended up making one for my brother's TD5 a few months back(have some pics in the 'what happened to' thread).
Have you designed it to accommodate the TD5's ECU behind the batteries?

I was going to embark on a similar process of offering up a group buy service too, but his TD5 got taken away and is now getting looked into for a vibration issue too.

So it kind'a got put on the back burner, AND I'm kind'a waiting for a bit of durability info on the way I've designed it too.
I was originally going to use sheet steel to make it, but then the weight factor was going to give me concern.
So I made it out of 3mm angle and flat.

If you need any help or just exchange some info/ideas let me know.

Originally Posted by AK83

I ended up making one for my brother's TD5 a few months back(have some pics in the 'what happened to' thread).
Have you designed it to accommodate the TD5's ECU behind the batteries?

I was going to embark on a similar process of offering up a group buy service too, but his TD5 got taken away and is now getting looked into for a vibration issue too.

So it kind'a got put on the back burner, AND I'm kind'a waiting for a bit of durability info on the way I've designed it too.
I was originally going to use sheet steel to make it, but then the weight factor was going to give me concern.
So I made it out of 3mm angle and flat.

If you need any help or just exchange some info/ideas let me know.

Thank you very much for your support, and everyone else involved too.

Yes it will have the ECU mounted on the back, however I've currently got my winch solenoids/switch box mounted in the jack holder. I'm keen to be able to mount the ECU and winch solenoid on the box. I'm doing this so I can have a change over 12 / 24V system to run my winch ONLY on 24V.

Originally Posted by Bohica

Hmm, three batteries.
Yes Please.

I'll have 3 batteries.... too.

On the one I made up for bro, I made sure there was enough room for the ECU and a Redarc battery isolator mounted side by side on the rear upright. Easy to do too.
ECU ended up as far as I could to the outside end, without it or the upright fouling the bonnet, and the Redarc isolator closer to the engine side.
With the ECU mounted as far to the outside of the battery holder, but not too far that whatever it's mounted on hits the bonnet when closed, you have a fair bot of room on the inside/engine side for stuff like solenoids and what not.
I reckon with some smart manipulation I could have also got the std jack in there too.

Depends on what materials you decide to use for the battery box/holder, you also have a ton of room under the batteries if you package it smart.
That's another reason I chose to use angle and flat, rather than sheetmetal.
Base where the batteries sit is angle(3mm) and I welded up a central(flat bar) for each to sit securely on all for sides. I don't think the battery would benefit from sitting on sheet metal. Also the issue with sheet is that it can retain water/muck/gunk and possibly corrode quicker.
With the 'open' bottom, water and gunk can't sit .. so drain holes aren't needed.
The open bottom also allows much more room to fit the securing bolts too.
On brother's original battery box all 4 base bolts were totally covered up by years of muck and mud. Caked itself in, and had to be chiselled out to locate the bolt heads. Two bolts were so badly rusted and heads mangled, we had no choice but to hack them out in the end.


When I get an opportunity I'll try to get some pics uploaded if you like. I have pics of the final install, but not of the actual battery holder.

My two biggest headaches were the thick wire loom running alongside the inside of the quarter panel(possibly the headlight loom). And the space required to allow the lowest mounting of the ECU.
If you're willing to mangle the rear most battery box support and bend it back, this lessens the ECU space issue. I used the captive nut on that rear bracket as another support point for my design.

Maybe something like this would be nice

If it looks like dog poo and it smells like dog poo,, its probably ---- Yep

its a for sale post,,,

or even a Expression Of Interest post,,,

both not allowed here,,

sorry,,

expect this thread to dissappear---

5-4-3-2----