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| | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 | Hey All
Ive been scouring the manuals as well as the catalogs, but I cant seem to figure out how to hold down the battery on my 46 2 ton. it has just been floating around in the battery box since I owned the truck.
The box, consisting of the battery box frame, and sheet metal is intact.
But there isnt anything holding it down over the top.
please help. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | Not sure about 46 but with my 38 the battery is held from the sides rather than the top. The band surrounds battery near the top and you tighten clamp at one end. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 | right now Im just using a giant zip tie | | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 | Jay,
I agree with kb3csw, the battery is secured by the sides vs. the top. Are the band irons, and bolts in place? I used an Optima in my 41, so I had to develop a different battery mounting system.
Paul | | | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 | yes
there is 1 very long carriage bolt on the outside of the battery
and 1 short carriage bolt on the driver side of the battery
I can tighten them up but that means the rivets which arent exactly flat will push against the battery. these are the rivets, front and back, which hold the sheetmetal that goes underneath the battery.
If thats all there is, I will make a rubber shim to go between the battery and the frame and then tighten it up. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 |
Last edited by Paul_WNC; 05/18/2014 12:57 PM. Reason: messed up adding images
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,144 | Rivets may not have been a big concern back in the day. The battery cases were thicker and batterys didn't last as long either. Just speculation. | | | | | Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 258 | Hi Paul
making a box is a great idea.
I think I will start with a few large pieces of mudflaps on the front and back sides - the ones that have the rivets.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 581 | Jay Brown,
I agree that the battery was held fast, but not held down! Pinched from the sides.
I have seen trucks that had thin wooden "pads" - like 8th inch balsa or something - around the sides, with holes to match the rivet heads. Equivalent to the mudflap idea you're talking about. Should work fine. I don't think it takes too much pressure to keep the batteries secure.
-Michael | | | | | Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2011 Posts: 1,611 | Jay,
It does seem like a rather flaky design...I suppose these old trucks just lumbered along and saw little "Dukes of Hazard" style jumps. As seen in my first image above, I made a bracket that secures the battery down to the bottom of the battery box. I am not sure if an acid style battery has a tab on the bottom that could serve as a hold down point.
Michael-nice fire truck, did it originally have a 235?
Paul | | |
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