Best to start with the same battery and the same age. If 1 battery is older and dying it will kill the other battery. I had a Ford Diesel once(we all make mistakes in life) and the best luck I had was replacing both batteries at the same time. I do the same in my race car.

I would try putting the biggest power and ground cable on it you can, first, then add second battery if needed.

I had an Optima Red Top in my Racetech in front of the foot box....

Added an XS in the nose that just fit and ran that combination of 2 different batteries for years with NO problem

East Coast mini alternator.....12 volts

I liked having weight in the nose and had no problem with cranking power...and the added weight was not a concern to me at all.

HOP starters....spun over great with 12 volts and plenty of power from 2 batteries....

quote:

Originally posted by imakehp:
That’s the bottom line really. I have 45lbs of weight in the nose so I figured I’ll replace lead with a 2nd battery. While I’m there I put a new battery switch and took out the 30amp alternator and replaced it with a 100amp alternator. I don’t get to race much out here so I do things to the car because I enjoy the tinkering. And most of all I’m doing things to it because I feel like doing it. I originally asked about using same battery as what I already had. That’s all. Obviously THAT was a fuc’n mistake.

Makes sense.

Backhalf it 4 link. I'll hook ya up with the Penske shock guy.

Couple dragsters around here, did the work themselves. Seem to work good.

If you wanna tinker.

Talking to the Penske guy, he likes a conventional two shock four link with an X link and the shock 1 to 1 with the rearend housing.

How difficult could that be?

Betcha, Ray Miller will sell you a kit he can send you.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mike Rietow,

There's a business, bracket racing dragster backhalf 4 link kits for when the lefty's finally accomplish their mission of turning America into a banana republic, third world, dystopic shyt hole.

My good friend was the first hardtail dragster S&W 4 linked and that was at least 15 years ago

They sold it as a diy kit after that

His car worked great

I seriously doubt Dave wants to 4 link his car

One of my good friends has a Racetech hardtail and has done a lot of winning in it and runs 180+ in S/C

2 different batteries was a non issue for me as I stated and the XS was never replaced and at least 5 years old.

Hard tails are a lot more finicky on nose weight and various other things like converter and tires

If you need that nose weight find a battery that fits and use it.

Two different batteries age/ brand/ cca is a none issue, agreed.

Charge em separately, leave one disconnected till the day of race.

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:

2 different batteries was a non issue for me as I stated and the XS was never replaced and at least 5 years old.

Hard tails are a lot more finicky on nose weight and various other things like converter and tires

If you need that nose weight find a battery that fits and use it.

Absolutely, on my hard tail Front Engine Dragster. tires and weight placement was critical in getting that car to work good. And it really did not take a lot of weight to make a big difference.

As for Rietow saying "Charge em separately, leave one disconnected till the day of race." Would never happen with me. It may work but I am not going through that hassle. If they go bad would buy two new ones same time. The whole idea of two batteries is to make it easier and more dependable.

I have 2 battery chargers
One is a Sears from the 1980’s
Typical 10/2/50 amp boost transformer type with a voltage sensing circuit board
The other is a Schumacher wiz bang supposed fast charger
I never used the Schumacher because it lies and is unreliable

I used the Sears and it was on my car 24/7 all year and I never disconnected anything

The RedTops lasted 6-7 years and were still good. I’d replace one because I thought I should.
The XS never went bad

I’ve used RedTops for 20+ years on every car I’ve owned and never had one fail

I took one out of my dragster after at least 5 years and put it in my Lance Camper and it went bad after another year or three in the camper

I had one Redtop go stone dead when I left something on in the car. I brought it back using the method Optima said to do and it was good for a long time after that

I left the fan running on my Firebird stocker one day for hours and that Redtop started that car right up.

I use what worked for me. Yellow tops fail, seen it more than once on friends cars. No warning, just KAPUT …..

I have had excellent results from the Optima red tops. First one came with a car I bought in 2011, I ran it for maybe 4 years and changed it because I needed trailer battery so bought new one for car and put old one in trailer. The second one was still on car and working good when I sold it 2019? I sold my trailer with that original red top Optima earlier this year and it is still working good in his trailer. I do not even know how old it was when I got trailer in 2011 but I got my moneys worth out of it long ago.

I do keep battery on small trickle charger and I run a good alternator.

I changed the battery on my Front Engine dragster to a 16 volt XS power battery and I did have some issues with it in less than one year but they replaced it no charge with a good one under warranty. After that no problems. The dragster came with one of those little dual Odessy light weight batteries and it was not heavy duty enough. But it came with car so I tried it.
My Gold and purple Altered has 12 volt system and the Green and white altered has 16 volt system. I will not be changing either of them they are both fine as is.

Have had several Schumaker chargers and they were junk. I tried to support them because of the racing support but they were junk and useless.

45lbs seems like a lot of weight. In my experience trying to keep a hardtail from pulling the wheels was bad. Finding the right balance of nose weight, tire pressure, launch rpm and converter to have a controlled consistent wheels up launch.

Again, the OP doesn’t have a chassis issue he has an electrical issue and that’s the reason for this thread

quote:

Originally posted by imakehp:
That’s the bottom line really. I have 45lbs of weight in the nose so I figured I’ll replace lead with a 2nd battery.

Little Ed, what part of that did you not understand? Pretty simple surely even you can understand that.

He posted a question to get an answer not an argument from an Ediot.

quote:

Originally posted by imakehp:
I want to put a 2nd battery in my dragster. I have an Optima 800cca in it right now. Do you think it's a must, or at least a good idea, to only use the same brand?

I also lose 1/2 volt through my battery switch....normal or F no?

curly cue, what part of that did you not understand? Pretty simple surely even you can understand that.

NO mention of needing weight to band aid the car to work AND he already has 45 lbs. in the nose. This thread/his post is all about a cranking issue and nothing more!

Someone doesn't like the TRUTH & FACTS, now have a NICE CUP OF STFU Monkey...See...Monkey...Do...Boy!

2BKING

first we had dumb now we have dumber, two nobodies that ain't got shyt nor done shyt worth talking about that is the FACTS and the TRUTH!

quote:

Originally posted by imakehp:
That’s the bottom line really. I have 45lbs of weight in the nose so I figured I’ll replace lead with a 2nd battery.

That is from the OP, I would think he knows what he wants. You saying he is saying is not what he means?
The guy is wanting to make some off season improvements and make his stuff work better. Makes sense to me to replace lead that is just dead weight with something that may give him a little longer time between charges or bigger safety margin. We all want to save weight but if you have to have weight then at least make it serve a purpose.

quote:

Originally posted by imakehp:I have 45lbs of weight in the nose so I figured I’ll replace lead with a 2nd battery. While I’m there I put a new battery switch and took out the 30amp alternator and replaced it with a 100amp alternator. I don’t get to race much out here so I do things to the car because I enjoy the tinkering. And most of all I’m doing things to it because I feel like doing it. I originally asked about using same battery as what I already had.

I believe this will work well.

I suggest using 2 gauge to go from the alternator to battery. The larger alternator cable will increase charging voltage at the battery/s. I terminate my alternator cable at the starter solenoid using the existing 2 gauge from the battery to starter as the charging connection. My rear Master Cutoff is not used for the battery/ alternator connection.

quote:

Originally posted by B KING:
Someone doesn't like the TRUTH & FACTS, now have a NICE CUP OF STFU Monkey...See...Monkey...Do...Boy!

2BKING

Hey there BUDDY, you didn't STFU; but you do know you're a MONKEY.

2BKING