The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Battery Relocation Ideas

I'm close to starting the 48 Thriftmaster I've been building for a friend and, one of his requests was to move the battery from under the passenger floor to somewhere more convenient. What have you guys and gals done? I wanted to put it on the firewall (like my 59 Viking, I even bought that battery tray) but the blower motor and heater core are kinda in the way.

The firewall is pretty much the only place I've ever seen them moved to. Leaving it under the floor isn't all that bad. The truck can be charged and jump started from the stud on the starter without having to mess with the battery under the floor.

I'd leave it alone.

Mine fit.
If the truck is to be preserved as more or less original, I’d consider leaving the battery in the stock location.
Part of the charm of that era of truck is the spacious engine compartment; relocation of the battery to the firewall makes it look much more modern.

I have seen them relocated to the bed using an old cooler or toolbox as a housing.

I like the idea of keeping it as is, as a theft deterrent.

I put the battery in the inner fender. It clears the hood spring, heater hoses.

I never would have thought of that.

Interesting conversation gents! I think it might get more input and further help if moved to the Electrical Bay as that's the more on topic forum. Moving it there for further discussion.

Whatever you do, please make certain the support tray is very strong and well braced. A 12v battery is heavy and as a friend of mine learned if you hit a bump and things go awry, the thing can fall and hit who knows what, the case can split open and in the process you can have wall to wall trouble.

Not that it changes the situation much , but are we talking 6 or 12 volt?

I agree with cmayna. No one is going to steal it if it's under the floor board. Of course, you could keep a spare under there.

When was the last time anybody had a battery stolen from his collector car? I don't think that's really a concern.

Agreed again with Otto.
The primary criteria here is how much concern there is for preserving originality. There might be some consideration for keeping the cable length short/ original if the system is still 6 volt.

Time for a time out until the OP responds.

The reason for my comment above was to help prevent one's truck from being stolen, not the battery. If I know that I will not be using the truck for awhile, I activate the disconnect switch that is attached to the battery, that is hidden under the floor. Yes, I have another kill switch which I use daily, but when the truck will be sleeping for awhile......

You guys have some good ideas. It is a 12 volt system. He wants to get away from the floor for a couple of reasons. First, he's going to be 81 in about 8 weeks and wants it somewhere he can easily service it himself. Second, the original box is pretty well worn out. It's been fixed and poorly modified a few times. I like putting it in the bed but he still uses the bed. (I've seen it full of mulch.) Putting it in the inner fender is pretty trick. I'll ask him about that. Originally he wanted it on the firewall. I assume you would need to reinforce it from the inside? I'll include a picture of what I'm dealing with there.

How about just below the heater motor and control valve? It looks to me like the battery tray could be attached to the firewall there. I don't think reinforcement would be needed, but you may need to modify the inner fender a bit for clearance. See the attached pic that I marked up. I tried to indicate the inner fender location with the dots and the area where you might need to modify in yellow.

The firewall mount is easy. My battery pan is supported by a strut. The firewall does not seem at all stressed. I think my battery covers the back of the fan motor but there is clearance. I’ll get a closer look and get a picture or two tomorrow.

I put one under the bed. It was kind of inconvenient to get to, but it worked.

What was the advantage of having it under the bed instead of under the seat?

If I understand correctly, the owner of the truck in question is elderly and his priority is convenience of access.

That points to firewall.

Cargo box would be my last choice ; I prefer a clear open box. I don’t like tubs , and I really don’t like a noticeably raised bed with air shock equipment underneath.
Just one guy’s opinion.

Agreed for convenience and keep the box cleared, so up against the firewall.

Personally I find it a lot easier to lift a 35-50 lb battery up out of the floor than to reach across a fender and try to pick one up at chest height. Not enough leverage.

General access is maximized by the firewall location.
It is a more difficult lift ; that’s when the seasoned senior calls in backup. The sub-floor location requires bending over in a confined space; that’s problematic for some older guys.

I’ve posted pictures showing the peaceful co-existence between my battery and the heater fan motor , also the support strut from the battery tray to the inner fender. Very solid.

I like the use of a strut on the front. I bought the 58-9 battery tray. It will clear the heater control valve if i use a couple of 90 degree turn outs.

I am thinking of putting the battery behind the passenger seat because I removed the fuel tank and am moving it to outside the cab. I still have to see if it is feasible.

If it is in the cab you might consider a sealed container vented to exterior.

Chuck

You might want to check two things before you install a battery inside your passenger compartment: 1---is it legal in your state to do this? (it isn't legal in some states and can result in fines). Why? Because flooded cell batteries emit hydrogen gas while they're being charged and also when they are being used. This gas is explosive and even with AGM/GEL batteries there is the danger of rupture/release. 2---does your insurance provider allow this sort of modification? If they don't and you haven't told them about this sort of modification they'll reserve rights after a loss which could leave you without coverage...coverage being bodily injury protection to a passenger.

It would be in a battery box and vented to the outside. The classic VW bug had the battery under the rear seat so it does not seem too dangerous. To me, it does not sound more dangerous than a gas tank behind the driver and passenger seat.

I have a slide-in camper with batteries located under a step up to the cabover portion. They are however covered by a plastic box underneath the step and vented to outside. It would take a lot of hydrogen buildup in a leaky AD cab to get to the point of going BOOM with an errant spark.

So why does one want to move the battery from we’re it is originally .I always thought it was a cool place for it .

Sounds to me like a "solution in need of a problem."
I'm in my 70's and it is a lot easier to service the battery in the floor of my 54 than on the firewall of the 56.
It is a lot easier for me to pick up the battery from the floor than leaning over the fender removing one from the firewall.

Same thing I said a page or so ago. You can't get any leverage at chest height, reaching over the fender.

How often does one have to fool with the battery, anyway?

I probably qualify as a young 'un on this site at 42, and I agree with you, comparing my experience with my '50 versus my buddy's '58 (and my '13 for that matter).


Funny how many hot rod and custom builders have taken steps to hide batteries (and brake master cylinders), while AD/ND trucks come with them already tucked away cleanly, and guys go through great pains to move them back out into the open.

My truck came from a wrecking yard, so it was missing many parts. It already had a master cylinder on the firewall and most of the parking brake parts were gone. It had a V8 in that was done poorly and none of the drivetrain was stock. Restoring would be cost prohibitive for me, so it will be what it will be.

I never like to leave an issue unresolved so, here is what I finally decided on. My friend is pretty happy with it's new location. That's what I was going for. He'd been even happier if it was in his garage. lol Back to work I go.

Is that the 58-59 battery tray? It is pretty similar if not.

Looks like it belongs there.

It is the 58-9 Tray. It got shortened a bit on top so it wouldn't go above the cowl seam on the firewall. it's notched to clear the fan motor. I attached it with six 3/8" bolts, adding pretty oversized washers (on the inside) on the upper ones. Had the 'ol truck cranking over today trying to get the oil flowing. Tomorrow I'll add some fuel and spark and see what happens.

I purchased a 39 pickup where the battery was moved to the bed it was in a wooden box. It had grounding issues and the caused the truck behave like it had a dead battery intermittently. They battery was grounded to the frame. I ended up moving the battery back to passenger side floor and grounded the battery to the bell housing. I never had an issue with it after that.

On my ‘55, I made a new, longer battery tray in the factory location to fit the longer battery.

Ed