Lightweight Battery?

[jay05]

Batteries may be replaced with those of alternate manufacture provided they are of similar amp-hour capacity and weight and are fitted in the standard location.

Can similar be 10 lbs. lighter?

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1∂=ODY%2DPC680MJ&N=700+4 294769489+400109+4294895855+4294895849+4294777926+ 115&autoview=sku

[Greg Amy]

No.

[Ron Earp]

Only if your OEM specs and group size calls for a 225 CCA capacity. I'd say not.

But, on the other hand, using the proper group size for my 260Z, with the proper CCA rating, I found about a 9.2 lb difference from the heaviest to the lightest battery by comparing about nine different "brands". The reason I use the term "brands" is that clearly some of the batteries were OEMed from a battery company and re-labeled as "Pep Boys" "Advance" and so on. Incidentally these less expensive OEM units were the lighter batteries I found.

Do a bit of research with a scale and I bet you'll find a battery that is lightest of the legal ones available for your car.

Ron

[dickita15]

I don’t believe that battery is legal either, however I when I needed a new battery I went to the Auto Palace web site and typed in 82 RX7 and found a spread of 20 pounds amongst the recommended batteries.

[ScotMac]

So, what is the official word? It seems like "similar" is way too nebulous. How is the OEM battery weight determined, since most OEM specs will not designate the weight?

Seems like this either needs to be removed, or the wording needs to reworked to make it clear exactly what is required. I would vote for removal, since we already have an overall weight limit.

[dickita15]

There is no official word and certainly not on this website. The only way to get an official word is to have a protest reach the Court of Appeals and even that is imperfect.
What you can get is a reality check on you position. If you have position and you get support for rational people than you can feel better about pushing the envelope.

[BruceG]

I don’t believe that battery is legal either, however I when I needed a new battery I went to the Auto Palace web site and typed in 82 RX7 and found a spread of 20 pounds amongst the recommended batteries.

Dick...Do you know if the lighter batteries have less capacity?
Just wondering...in Ham Radio, the more the weight, the better the boat anchor.

Bruce
N1MZI

[shwah]

There is a 10-15lb spread on battery weight for my car, but that is because the cars with AC came with much larger batteries, and they all come up in a search. I have never seen more than a 5# swing on the same capacity/size battery, and yes the el-cheapo brands are best for this IMO.

[ITA_honda]

ahhh I see.
you're trying to make the car lighter to catch Billy right? lol

[Mike Mackaman]

Maybe the club has some secret file of OEM battery weights and is just waiting to pounce when someone files a protest. I am definately not in favor of rules that are not clearly spelled out. Don't have a rule that says must be stock unless you can define what stock is, and then share that with us, so we can know that we are kosher. Makes an old Quality man like me stumble and mumble!

Mike

[JeffYoung]

Mike, I agree. That's my problem with the rule. From the above posts, we seem to think we will all just "know" when someone has abused the rule. My guess is what we "know" will depend on which side of the protest line you are on.

The battery rule always ranked right up there with the washer bottle as one of the sillier ones we have left over from the dual purpose days (and this is from someone who has a battery in the trunk stock).

[shwah]

The battery rule is not silly at all. It is simple. Go to the auto parts store and buy the right battery for your car. Weigh a few if you want, but in almost all cases the cheapest one you find will be the lightest.

One more thing that we DON'T have to do to the cars to race them. Yay.

Said the guy with the battery in front of and above the left front tire on a fwd front heavy car.

[JoshS]

The battery rule is not silly at all. It is simple. Go to the auto parts store and buy the right battery for your car.

I agree. It's a great rule.

Unless your car is like mine, where the battery is in the passenger compartment (under the hatchback's floor, separated from the driver only by the stock carpeted plywood floor), in which case, scratch your head a few times to figure out how to be compliant with the rules.