Computer Help
 Contact
 Search
 
  
    

Jeep JK Lift Kits
Black Diamond JK Lift Kits
Black Diamond PR
Poly Performance JK Lifts
Teraflex Jeep JK Kits
Skyjacker JK Kits
Rancho Jeep JK Kits

Rubicon Express JK Kits

ATV World
ATV Clubs
ATV Tire FAQs
ATV Tire Mounting
Cool ATV Products
LiteFoot Track Sys
ATV Lift Installs
Quad Tire Reviews
ATV Laws By State
ATV Repair
ATV Manuals

Jeep Project CJ-7

An ongoing Budgeted Rebuild/Build up of a Rock
Crawling Machine.

Offroaders Guide to Gearing up for Offroad
From Basic Equipment to Well Equipped.  An extensive list guide to help you prepare your vehicle for the offroad.


Trailering Safety and Trailer Hitch Information


Off-Road Truck Driving Techniques and Safety

25 Top To Do Tips Before Going Offroad
 

Troubled
Computer?

Got Pop-ups
Spyware & Viruses?
Offroaders.com feels your pain. Let our Geeks help you...
RalphtheGeek.com

 


Rausch Creek
Off-Road Park

 

Jeep Central
From Jeep History to Tech Specs and Projects.  This section is all about Jeeps.
Jeep Technical Info
Engines
Transmissions
Transfercases
Axles
Engine Swaps

Installing 23,000 Volt Offroad Lights


Onboard Air
Converting a York
AC Compressor
to Pump Air

What are HID Lights?

Onboard Air
Converting a York
AC Compressor
to Pump Air

Warn 9500i Winch Installation

Warn X8000i
Winch Installation

 

HEI Ignition
Installation & Review

Lockers, Limited Slips &
other Differentials Explained

 

 

 

Wheeling in the Valley of the Ferns

1.jpg (70086 bytes)
Tellico North Carolina


Paragon Adventure Park
Rock Krawl

Thousands more photos here..»

 
 

 

 

 

Optima's Spiralcell Battery Tech

Useful Optima Battery Links:

Optima Performance Batteries
Truck Battery Selector
Optima 4x4 Battery
Optima D34/78 Deep Cycle Starting Battery

 

  
SpiralCell Lead Plate Technology

 

What is a battery and how does it work?
Read about the details on how a battery works.

Just about every 4x4, just about every vehicle for that matter has a battery or more specifically a Lead Acid Battery.  The battery is an integral part of of your electrical system.  Without it, you're practically dead in the water, or dead on the trail miles from civilization and help.  

As a matter of preparation and a basic maintenance program, it's important to have a good understanding of your battery how to prolong it's expected service life and reliability.  Equally important is buying the right battery for your applicationThe rigors of offroad are not typical when you consider what an average car battery has to deal with.  4x4's can be particularly demanding on a lead acid battery.  Offroad lights, winching, low RPM driving for hours on end, frequent restarting of the engine all can be part of 4 wheeling and can contribute to high stress and demand on your battery.  The extremes of offroad go beyond the electrical demand. Extreme vibration, constant varying degrees of off camber angles, even the occasional roll-over; all of these conditions by default are not good for the typical lead acid battery.  Choosing the right battery for offroad can be essential to "bulletproofing" your 4x4 and if you ask anyone who has been around 4x4's long enough, your going to hear about the Optima battery. 

It's pretty common knowledge that Optima makes a good battery.  But it may not be so clear why the Optima battery is the right choice for the demands of offroad and other motor sports where intense demands on the electrical systems are seen. 

 

The Spiralcell Optima® battery is like no other lead acid battery found in today's market. Optima's unique Spiralcell design offers the greatest technology in providing a strong and clean power source that far surpasses any of today's filled lead/acid batteries. With OPTIMA under your hood, you can count on a longer lasting battery life under starting and deep cycle applications. Today's power demand from cars, trucks, and SUVs are greater than ever.

Over the course of the century we have upgraded and customized our vehicles in such a way never imagined by early engineers. There continue to be more lights, LCD screens, gaming systems, stereos, laptops, and cell phones going into cars, all demanding a greater power source. OPTIMA can provide all the power needed to run these power pulling vehicles. OPTIMA batteries always has safety in mind, with its spill-proof case it helps to ensure the safety of the environment, your family and you. Powerful, 2x longer-life, safety, spill-proof, vibration resistance, multi-position installation whether you're working, driving cross country or for just play, let OPTIMA help you maintain the power demands you require.

 

 

What is a battery and how does it work?

The standard automotive battery in today's vehicles is 12 volts. Each battery has six cells with 2.1 volts. A car battery is considered fully charged at 12.6 volts.

When a battery drops voltage, even a small amount, it makes a big difference. For instance, when a battery drops from 12.6 to 12.0 volts, its power drops from 100% to 25%.  At 12.4 volts, a car battery is 75% charged. At 12.2 volts, it's 50% charged.*

A car battery is considered charged at 12.4 volts or higher.  It is considered discharged when it's at 12.39 volts or less.   A fully charged specific gravity of 1.265 corrected to 80°F is assumed.

An electrochemical battery that uses lead and lead oxide for electrodes and sulfuric acid for the electrolyte. Lead-acid batteries are the most commonly used in photovoltaic (PV) and other alternative energy systems because their initial cost is lower and because they are readily available nearly everywhere in the world. There are many different sizes and designs of lead-acid batteries, but the most important designation is whether they are deep cycle batteries or shallow cycle batteries.

Shallow cycle batteries, like the type used as starting batteries in automobiles, are designed to supply a large amount of current for a short time and stand mild overcharge without losing electrolyte. Unfortunately, they cannot tolerate being deeply discharged. If they are repeatedly discharged more than 20 percent, their life will be very short. These batteries are not a good choice for a PV system.

Deep cycle batteries are designed to be repeatedly discharged by as much as 80 percent of their capacity so they are a good choice for power systems. Even though they are designed to withstand deep cycling, these batteries will have a longer life if the cycles are shallower. All lead-acid batteries will fail prematurely if they are not recharged completely after each cycle. Letting a lead-acid battery stay in a discharged condition for many days at a time will cause sulfation of the positive plate and a permanent loss of capacity.

Sealed deep-cycle lead-acid batteries are maintenance free. They never need watering or an equalization charge. They cannot freeze or spill, so they can be mounted in any position. Sealed batteries require very accurate regulation to prevent overcharge and over discharge. Either of these conditions will drastically shorten their lives. Sealed batteries are well-suited for remote, unattended power systems.

 

SpiralCell Lead Plate Technology

SpiralCell Technology has some real advantages over conventional batteries.

  • 1.5 - 2 times longer life than traditional batteries
  • Optimal power for starting regardless of temperature
  • Extreme vibration resistance
  • Long Storage times without damage or discharge
  • Non spill able - even upside down
  • Can be fitted and used in any position
  • Maintenance free
  • More starting power in a smaller package than conventional batteries
  • Less deterioration due to deep discharge than conventional batteries
  • More "cycles" before aging than conventional batteries
  • Can be used in extreme temperatures
  • Faster charging is possible compared with conventional batteries

SEALED, VIBRATION RESISTANT, AND LEAK PROOF EVEN WHEN BROKEN
In an Spiralcell battery, the lead plates and separator are wound and tightly compressed into a cell tube so they can't move, shed, or break, even in severe shock and vibration applications. In independent SAE tests, the Spiralcell OPTIMA battery kept working after being subjected to vibrations up to 5G for 12 hours. As in all AGM TECHNOLOGY BATTERIES, there is no "free acid" that can leak out or spill and the OPTIMA can be operated effectively in any position -- even upside down -- without any risk of leaking and because it is sealed, no corrosion can form on the posts, connectors, or cables.

OPTIMA's SpiralCell RedTop™ batteries are designed for short term high current applications such as starting engines, and short high amp uses of a winch motor.  They do not like to be "deep cycled" (like ALL automotive starter batteries) however the Red Top battery with its SpiralCell Lead Plate Technology, will suffer much less from the occasional deep discharge such as leaving your lights on or winching until the battery dies.  Because of the fact that SpiralCell technology can store more energy for a given sized battery these types of battery are ideal for use in offroad vehicles where reduced weight is important because a much larger "conventional" battery would need to be used in place of an OPTIMA to give the same starting current capability.

They are excellent at delivering very high starting currents in the most extreme of conditions. They suffer less damage from deep discharge, long term storage, and vibration than any conventional battery. They are not specifically designed as "deep-cycle" batteries, for constant deep discharge/recharge cycles you will need to look at the YellowTop Optima batteries.

More about the Optima RedTop Battery

 

 

OPTIMA YellowTop™ Batteries are designed as DEEP-CYCLE batteries and have many uses. Everything from Recreational vehicles, golf carts, electric wheelchairs, alarm systems, emergency lighting, backup power systems, orbiting satellite communication systems, emergency vehicles etc can use these batteries. Anything that uses batteries in a cyclic manor, benefits greatly from these batteries. Unusually for DEEP-CYCLE batteries, they are happy to produce large currents and so can also double as starter batteries. This allows the use of a single (deep-cycle) battery in a boat/car/generator/race vehicle, or one with auxiliary systems or equipment that runs when the engine is stopped.  Also suitable for heavy winching situations where the battery is drained due to constant winching.  This kind of treatment would mean very short battery life in the case of a "conventional" style battery.

 

Some typical deep cycle, and Dual uses:

  • Recreational Vehicles, camping power supplies
  • Alarm systems, emergency lighting
  • Backup power systems
  • Orbiting satellite communication systems
  • Emergency vehicles outfitted with lots of electrical equipment and need to start engines
  • Electric Vehicles and multi fuel vehicles
  • Trains
  • Buoys, standby generators
  • Industrial cranes, diggers, and road maintenance equipment.
  • Boats
  • Golf carts, Electric wheelchairs
  • Cars with powerful sound Systems or entertainment Systems.
  • Anything in fact that needs a Deep-Cycle operation or/and a starter battery

Optima YellowTop is made to install and forget. No matter the conditions, be it dampness, heat, dirt or exposure to extremes in vibration or discharge, it is guaranteed to deliver uninterrupted power throughout the entire discharge cycle. The ability to hold a high charge throughout the discharge cycle makes it possible to utilize more of the stored power in the OPTIMA, compared to ordinary batteries. All of these benefits are due to OPTIMA's SpiralCell Technology®, which combines the advantages of a starting battery (High current capability) with those of a deep cycle battery (no damage due to repeated deep discharge cycles). It handles discharges as well as recharges without losing significant capacity and is ideal for seasonal use because it has a very low self discharge rate.

More about the Optima YellowTop Battery

 

Deep Cycle Batteries and their capacity

Lead acid batteries vary in capacity according to how quickly they are discharged. You often see a specification like C20, C100 etc. This relates to their capacity in amp hours at the 20 and 100 hour discharge rates.

Parallel Connection of Deep Cycle Batteries

1. BATTERIES IN PARALLEL: Smaller capacity batteries are sometimes cheaper (per Ampere) than larger batteries. This may be because the smaller batteries are more ‘mass produced’. This cheaper cost sometimes leads customers to place several in parallel to achieve the desired higher capacity rather than purchasing larger capacity batteries.

In many cases of system failure, there were batteries in parallel. While this may not be the core reason for the failure, it is an indication of poor practice. It has been noted with parallel batteries, even when wired correctly, is don’t try … even when they are identical type, age and capacity …’.

The biggest problem with parallel batteries is that they will tend to charge/discharge unevenly, which can lead to sulphation and stratification of the electrolyte.

If you must place batteries in parallel, you should limit this to two parallel strings. Great care needs to be taken to ensure that there are equal current routes through both strings. The positive lead should come off one string and the negative through the other. The cable size must be identical, as should the crimped terminations.

 

Battery Links:

 

Kilby Dual Battery Tray
The Kilby Dual Battery Tray allows for secure installation of two 34 and 34/78 series Optima Batteries to provide more power

Optima RedTop Battery - Optima YellowTop
Spiracell Technology Batteries for Demanding systems.

 

 
 

Jeep Project CJ-7

An ongoing Budgeted Rebuild/Build up of a Rock Crawling Machine.

All Terrain 
Mud Terrain
Tire Reviews & Info

All Terrain
AT Tire Reviews


Mud Terrain
MT Tire Reviews

 

 

Ramp Travel Index
RTI / Ramp Travel Index What it is and how to calculate it, with and without the ramp.

Offroad Tire Info
P-Metric Tire Sizes Conversion to Inches
Tire Terminology
Wheel Terminology
How to Pick the Right
Tires for your Truck
Truck Tire Info
Tires - What Hits What Fits
  
All Terrain  Mud Terrain
Tire Reviews & Info
Mud Terrain MT Tire Reviews
All Terrain AT Tire Reviews
Super Swamper Bogger
Super Swamper SSR
Super Swamper SX
Super Swamper Vortrac
Interco IROK TSL
Super Swamper LTB
Super Swamper TSL
Super Swamper TSL Radial
Super Swamper Narrow
Interco SS-M16 Swamper
Thornbird TSl Radial
Thornbird TSl Bias
Thornbird TSL
Parnelli Jone Dirt Grip
BFGoodrich Krawler
BFGoodrich MT T/A KM
BFGoodrich MT T/A KM2
BFGoodrich AT TA KO
BFGoodrich Mud King XT
Bridgestone Dueler MT
Cooper Discoverer ST
Cooper Discoverer STT
Cooper Discoverer ST/C
Federal Couragia MT
Firestone Destination AT
Firestone Destination MT
General Grabber MT
General Grabber AT2
Green Diamond Icelander
Ground Hawg Mud Tire
Hankook Dynapro MT
Hankook Dynamic MT RT01
Hercules Terra Trac MT
Hercules Trail Digger MT
Kelly-Springfield Safari DTR
Kelly-Springfield Safari MSR
Kumho Road Venture MT
Kumho Road Venture KL71
Kumho Road Venture AT
Dick Cepek Mud Country
Dick Cepek F-C II
Dick Cepek Fun Country II
Dick Cepek Fun Country Nylon
Dick Cepek Fun Country Kevlar
Mastercraft Courser MT
Mastercraft Courser HTR
Mastercraft Courser HTR Plus
Maxxis BigHorn Radial
Maxxis Creepy Crawler
Maxxis Trepador
Maxxis Buckshot Mudder
Maxxis MA-SW
Maxxis M-8080 Mudzilla
Maxxis MT-754 Buckshot
Maxxis MT-753 Bravo
Maxxis MA-751 Bravo
Maxxis MA-S2 Marauder II
Maxxis MA-S1 Marauder
Maxxis MT-762 BigHorn
Nitto Mud Grappler
Nitto Terra Grappler
Nitto Dura Grappler
Nitto Dune Grappler
Nokian Vatiiva MT
Pit Bull Rocker Extreme
Pit Bull Maddog
Pit Bull Growler
Goodyear Wrangler MT/R
Pro Comp Xterrain
Pro Comp All Terrain
Pro Comp Mud Terrain
Pro Comp Xtreme AT
Pro Comp Xtreme MT
Toyo Open Country MT
TrXus Mud Terrain
TrXus STS All Terrain
Michelin LTX A/T²
Michelin LTX AT2 Press
Michelin LTX AT2
Mickey Thompson MTZ
Mickey Thompson MTX
Mickey Thompson Baja Claw Radial
Mickey Thompson Baja Claw Bias
Mickey Thompson Baja Crusher
Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ Radial SLT
Competition Claw
Dunlop Mud Rover
Federal Couragia M/T
Nitto Dura Grappler
Yokohama Geolandar
  
Dick Cepek's 2008 F-250 Super Duty Project Vehicle – Project CRUSHER
 
Mud Tire Reviews
Product Reviews
Tire Reviews
 
  
 
ATV Tire Index
Carlisle 489 Titan
Dunlop Quadmax
Dunlop Quadmax Sport
Quadmax Sport Development
Highlifter Outlaw
ITP Holeshot
ITP Holeshot MX
ITP Holeshot ATR
ITP Holeshot XC
ITP Holeshot XCR
ITP Holeshot MXR
ITP Holeshot XCT
ITP Mud Lite
ITP Mud Lite XTR
ITP Sandstar
Kenda K538 Executioner
Tubeless Bearclaw K299
Kenda Klaw K532
Kenda Klaw K533
Kenda K534 Sand Gecko
Maxxis M961/M962 Mud Bug
Maxxis Rooster Paddle Tire
Maxxis M917/M918 Bighorn
Maxxis M966 Mudzilla
Super Swamper TSL ATV
Super Swamper TSL Vampire
Super Swamper Vampire EDL
Swamp Lite ATV Tires
 
ATV Tire FAQs
ATV Tire Mounting
ATV / Quad Links
 
Quad Tire Reviews Index

 


Off-Road Lights
by LightForce Product Review / Installation.
from Off-Road Lights

 


Jeep Dana 300 TeraLow - 4:1 Gearset for the Dana 300 Transfer Case

Jeep Trans Swap
T-18A Transmission Rebuild & Short Shaft Conversion
  


Black Diamond Suspension Lift install for CJ-7

 

From the
Department of Cheap   Tricks and Useful Tips

  
Ultra-Cool Hand Throttle for Free!

Jeep V8 Swap Tips

The Exploding Clutch

Radiator Protection using 6 bucks worth of material

Cracked Under Pressure - Fixing a smashed fingernail

A Cheap, effective alternative to undercoating

Home-built Saginaw Gearbox Brace for the cost of lunch!

Ammo Box Storage - Mounting Them for Quick Disconnect

Home-built Serious Skid-Plate protection for the Oil Pan for under 20 bucks!