battery relocation/cut off switch

[sweetbmxrider]

what are the nhra rules on moving the battery to the trunk area? i'd like to do it on the driver side out of the ttop well, not sure if that is legal though. do you have to have a cut off switch if you move the battery? it also has to be in a box and vented out of the car, right? can the cut off switch be on the driver side? thanks



thats how you have to wire it?

[Tru2Chevy]

If the battery is not in the stock location, you must have an external cut off switch per NHRA rules. I don't think which side it's on matters, but it has to be clearly marked and on the back of the car. Yes, if the battery is not separated from the passenger compartment by a firewall, it must be in a sealed box, vented outside of the car.

The NHRA rule book may have more specifics on mounting the cutoff switch.

- Justin

[sweetbmxrider]

ok thanks justin. where could i find a rule book?

[Tru2Chevy]

Here: http://store.nhra.com/product.asp?3=180

I believe Jegs / Summit carry them as well.

- Justin

[racerz]

ALSO THE RULES MANDATE THAT THE BATTERY HAS TO BE MOUNTED 2 THE FRAME. I got snagged at Maple Grove last week and mounted the battery in the spare tire well and drilled from the trunk into the frame.

[sweetbmxrider]

where did you have it mounted before? in the well? or not bolted to the frame? is there specifics as how it attaches? like nuts/bolts or studs welded or self tappers? thanks for the heads up

[LTb1ow]

Why do you wanna do this?

[sweetbmxrider]

moving the weight from in front of the wheels is a good thing. want to do it right the first time. is that ok?

[LTb1ow]

No I understand the relo part, but you need to drill through the car somewhere for the switch, just seems a bit extreme for a street car.

Means people can run behind your car and turn it off when your at a red light.

[sweetbmxrider]

i believe i can do things to prevent that. they also have the rotary switches. can mount it to a tail light or behind the plate and install it for track days only. there's ways.....there's ways....

[Tru2Chevy]

When we were talking about doing this on Little G's '02 Camaro we were planning on a push-pull switch, with the rod either hung under the bumper or through a spare taillight (only installed on track days). This way drilling was avoided, and we were gonna use threaded rod that could be removed when not at the track.

- Justin

[sweetbmxrider]

that was pretty much exactly what i was thinkin. definitely on the to do list. were you going to change the overflow tank?

[Tru2Chevy]

IIRC he had a 1 quart overflow tank from summit / jegs and the little Hawker / Odyssey battery strapped down in the stock location. Once he got the little battery, we were gonna move it from in front of the front passenger wheel, to behind it, right in front of the firewall. Plenty of room there after !A/C, and far less weight since we weren't running 0 gauge cable to the rear of the car.

- Justin

[LTb1ow]

Bitty battery up front!

[sweetbmxrider]

thats not a bad idea but i don't think that little battery would be great for dding

[Tru2Chevy]

Don't remember how long Craig (Little G) used his as a DD with the little battery, but it was at least 5-6 months before he parked the car and then sold it, maybe longer. By that point he had far less electronics in the car using up power though.

You could go a step or two up from the tiny one and still save a good deal of weight over stock size.

- Justin

[Mike]

yeah i take the rod off the switch when i drive mine around town

[racerz]

originally in the "trunk" area. but was told that is not considered correct. I relocated it to the spare tire area and used 3/8 studs and a sealed box.(Moroso makes a complete kit with box and all hardware) must use a sealed box because r cars do not have a rear "firewall". hope this helps.

[sweetbmxrider]

yeah thanks guys!

[Pampered-Z]

Few other options:

Friend had his battery mounted under the bumper/quarter panel, behind the rear wheel well and the cutoff mounted off that. This seemed fine for a track car, not sure I'd want that an a street car?

For the on/off switch. I plan to mount mine behind the liscence plate. This way no one can mess with it, and at the track all I'll need to do is remove the plate.

Make sure the box you get is NHRA certified, so of the cheaper plastic ones are not, mostly because they aren't vented. BMR makes a nice battery mount specificly for 4th gens that bolts into the area where the spare tire is. The switch must be labeled so the saftey crew can quickly shutoff the car ( PUSH OFF or labeled ON and OFF for the turn style), Also remember that the battery box must be grounded or you'll fail tech! You have to wire the on/off switch into the harness so that the switch shuts the car off and not the power to the ECM you can't just have it disconnect the batt becuase the car will run off the alternator and you don't want the ECM to have to relearn.

[z28rob18]

you dont HAVE to have a sealed box. but if you dont then you need a bulk head for the trunk area. also there is specifications on bolt sizes. and whoever stated that it needs to be frame mounted thanks. i just started my relo and didnt know that. the sealed box is better then a bulk head.

[sweetbmxrider]

i'm going to have to look at boxes and see what works. thanks for the pointers. i think most switches come with the on/off or push off labels, right? the wiring diagram i have up would kill power to the alternator so i'm good there. gotta find the nhra certified boxes i guess. what bolt sizes have specifications?

[racerz]

the Moroso "blue box" which is the kit I told u about was the kit that "duke" the head tech guy at Island told me that was one that is acceptable and reasonably priced. Not familiar with affore mentioned boxes but double check that they are NHRA certified.

[sweetbmxrider]

that blue box looks very nice. i think thats what i will be doing

[racerz]

any other questions on install don't hesitate to ask, hope it all works out well 4 ya