110 Defender battery relocation

[uninformed]

Hey all,

well since ill probably be in a retirement village by the time an engineer gets back to me regarding my trailing arm mods, and that relocating the batteries was part of that, Im looking to move them seperately to the TA mount mods.

look at the pics and tell me if you think this is a bad place for the battery. NZ70 size, one each side of the vehicle. The height as actually 30-50mm lower than the current battery location. It moves and spreads the weight back to the rear axle. The trailing arm at full bump/stuff would have min 30mm clearance from the bottom of the tray.

Im open to all ideas. And any reasons not to run it here?

One thing I wonder, is it a bad point to fix to the chassis regarding forces/stresses?

BTW dissregard the angle clamped to the chassis rail. This was just a quick way of sitting the battery in place to check a few things. I would be designing a proper tray.

[Sitec]

As long as you have a decent front mud guard and decent covers It seems like a logical place to put them. On my 130 I didn't have the space there so sat mine behind the rear left wheel just above the muffler with access through the tray floor. I'm away with work at the moment but can post pics a week today if you like. Your other option is to buy two of those Kingchrome/Sidchrome (can't remember which but think Mitre 10 supplies them) under tray lockers, and mount your batteries in them.....

[modman]

When my config was a ute there was a large dead space between the chassis rails in line with your battery now
A smart person might be able to make a sealed box/cradle fit in this gap with access through the tray
I like the idea of central and low weight
Batteries are pretty much no maintenance these days and Anderson plugs front/back or sides is easy and handy
Allows you to make a 6m set or real jumper leads
David
Ps check out burbs engineering for the sweetest 110 extra cab you will ever see

[uninformed]

thanks Dave,

Im trying to visualise the spot your referring to (my truck is not with me atm ) Im thinking it would place the batteries higher by almost 300mm than where I have them? It would have to be behind the A frame crossmember and enought above not to foul the A frame right?

The other thing is Id rather not have access through or fixed to the tray. It would mean having to unload to get to the batteries if needed. Off to the side like in my pic is easy access for various reasons. Id also like to build a new tray and just cant do all the things Id like to at once. So if I can break the jobs down and have them independant of each other it also helps.

Im sure If seen that 110 extra cab somewhere online maybe here? Im still yet to see one done with longer doors (only in my dreams )

[Bush65]

I would bolt (or weld) the battery tray to a pair of cross members that span across both chassis rails, and cantilever out sufficient for the battery, rather than weld it to the side of the left chassis rail.

For the rear cross member, there are existing, unused body mounts (used in wagons) on the inside of each chassis rail near the shockie mount - labelled (C) on the attached pic. You could bolt a cross member about 910 - 920 mm long, to both of these mounts and cantilevered out about as far as the spring perch on the left side - you need to check clearance for the tyre when it is articulated. Bolt (or weld) vertical members to drop down from the cantilever section, and support the rear of the battery tray.

For the front cross member, extend the angle I can see in your pic, at the base of the front legs for your tray mounts. The do mount the front of the tray to it, as for the rear cross member.

[uninformed]

Thanks John,

Those yellow shocks are just cheap temporary items while im painting my Konis, which mount another 125mm higher via custom mounts and I have a strut brace between them that uses those body mounts as per your attached diagram.

The current tyre wheel combo pretty much rubs the spring perch so clearance is an issue. I also have a larger set of tyres so even on more offset rims the dia still comes in close.

[Bush65]

Then you could bolt a cross member to the rear gussets from the chassis cross member that the 'A-frame' mounts under. You can see this in your 2nd pic - the gusset with the hole through it, between the top of the battery and the eye of the shockie. If this cross member only cantilevered just past the centre of mass of the battery, for a single vertical dropper to the battery box, it would be good (assuming 2 verticals from the front corners of the battery box).

[VladTepes]

The problem I can see with your plan is some low life stealing your batteries !

[uninformed]

The problem I can see with your plan is some low life stealing your batteries !

that is very easily delt with