swapping car battery for motorcycle battery?

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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I was reading SCC and in their project car, they swapped out the stock battery for a motorcycle one. They used an Odyssey battery that's normally used for Harley Davidson bikes. It was mainly for weight savings, the stock was 35 lbs the motorcycle one was 15.

Would this cause any problems, as long as the voltage and cold cranking amps match?

 

Bignate603

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
13,897
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It can't have near the same amount of cranking power as a car battery so I would think you would run the risk of not getting your car started in cold weather or if you left a door cracked so a light was left on.
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
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I'd probably work, but remember that you're going to get a lot less chances to start the car before the battery dies. Also, if you make a lot of short trips in a row that don't fully chrage the battery, the car may just eventually refuse to start.

And if you want your car to be 20lbs lighter, there are better ways to do it. I don't see what's so great about shaving 20lbs anyway, unless youre building a racecar.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
1
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Originally posted by: notfred
I'd probably work, but remember that you're going to get a lot less chances to start the car before the battery dies. Also, if you make a lot of short trips in a row that don't fully chrage the battery, the car may just eventually refuse to start.

And if you want your car to be 20lbs lighter, there are better ways to do it. I don't see what's so great about shaving 20lbs anyway, unless youre building a racecar.


I see, knew there had to be a catch, thx.

The project car was an AE86 corolla, a mid eighties RWD hatchback that is really good for drifting and tossing around. Cutting down the weight helps a lot with handling. The car barely weighs 2000 lbs to start with, so saving 20 lbs matters more on a light car like that, than say, your mustang ;)
 

Salvador

Diamond Member
May 19, 2001
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It's not going to run your high powered audio system. ;) I can imagine someone using it for a street racer or a car that gets taken around the block for fun, but I'd stay away from it if this is your "daily driver". I can't imagine it cranking the car over that well and when you are sitting in traffic and your alternator isn't recharging the battery because the car revs are too low, you'll find yourself stuck the next time you want to start your car when you're out at the mall.

A better option would be to move it to the hatch area, especially if you have a fwd car. This will help with the weight distribution and make your front driver lean more towards oversteer than the typical understeer with these cars...

You know.. It always cracks me up when I see ricers put double decker wings on the back of their civics, especially when they don't have any extra downforce on the front end (air dam). All they are doing is creating a worse handling car because Civic's are front wheel drive cars and tend to understeer. The wing counteracts oversteer and creates extra understeer. Besides.. Where are you going to drive a car on the streets at the speeds where a wing like this would even matter anyway?

Sorry.. Off on a tangent..

Sal
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,015
114
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I know there are several people over on www.turbododge.com that are running lawn mower batteries in their cars without any problems. They do it because the smaller battery will fit on the other side of the engine compartment and allow them to run a CAI a lot easier, plus the weight saving, and it transfers weight over the tire that usually spins first.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
1
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Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I know there are several people over on www.turbododge.com that are running lawn mower batteries in their cars without any problems. They do it because the smaller battery will fit on the other side of the engine compartment and allow them to run a CAI a lot easier, plus the weight saving, and it transfers weight over the tire that usually spins first.

Cool, are some of these cars used for daily drivers?

If it turns out there are minimal side effects, I could go for it. Cheap and easy to do.