Experience with Antigravity Lightweight Battery??

[Ivan 5.0]

Has anyone tried the Antigravity YTX12-20? 600 cranking amps and weighs only 5 pounds! That's a quick 25lb weight reduction from the OEM battery, and costs $370 retail.

http://shop.antigravitybatteries.com/antigravity-batteries-ytx12-20/

 

[fdjizm]

Damn, so many cranking apps from that little shit?
Nice, but idk if I would be in for a $400 battery. lol

 

[Vorshlag-Fair]

Yes, $400 is a tough sell, but these Lithium batteries are getting cheaper every year. They were $900 about a year ago, and at $250 I'm probably a buyer.

I still like my AGM lead-acid gel cell lightweight Odyssey PC680. We used the same unit in our Mustang for 3 years of daily driving and track abuse, and just finally replaced it earlier this month (we leave the car sitting for days or even weeks at a time between races and it was getting drained too quickly). New unit fires right up again. I think this 14 pound battery is $125 or so? That's nearly 1/4 the price, but is 9 pounds heavier. The stock battery + box weighs 35 pounds, so we saved roughly 20 pounds for $125.

The question you have to ask yourself - is that extra 9 pounds worth another $275? It might be to some... for a race car that is not an outlandish amount to pay for a 9 pound weight savings.

Will these Lithium batteries work well for a daily driven car? Will they last over 3 years? You could be the S197 tester, Ivan, so let us know how it works!

 

[fdjizm]

^that odyssey pc680 sounds like the battery for me.
Does it come with the terminals we need for our cars?
Wouldn't mind a light battery just for track days.

 

[Sky Render]

So if you use one of these lithium batteries, you have to have a special charger/tender, right?

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[Gray Ghost GT]

Why not relocate all that weight to the passenger rear of the car with a quality battery relocation kit that allows you to use a regular AGM battery ($$) and tender vs. lithium technology for $$$; especially if your car is a 'daily driver' not a dedicated race car?

 

[Roadracer350]

What about the Optimas?

 

[dontlifttoshift]

Why not relocate all that weight to the passenger rear of the car with a quality battery relocation kit that allows you to use a regular AGM battery ($$) and tender vs. lithium technology for $$$; especially if your car is a 'daily driver' not a dedicated race car?

Have you weighed battery cable lately? No one would argue that moving weight to the back is good on these cars but adding more weight overall is not worth it.

What about the Optimas?

Heavy. I have had good luck with all of mine but some have not. I think the next hot rod might get a braille.

 

[Roadracer350]

The Braille 3 cell is what I have in the bike and it's bad ass!

 

[DTL]

I run an Odyssey PC680 and I haven't had any problems with it. I don't daily-drive my car, so it goes on a Battery Tender when it's parked. For the expense and weight of the cable to relocate the battery to the trunk, I think the PC680 (or Braille, etc. equivalent) is the best option.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Another vote for a Braile... Great battery, weighs little (more than the Li, about the same as the Odyssey). They do NOT like being discharged flat, though! If you don't DD it, either keep it on a charger, or pull a cable end.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

Have you weighed battery cable lately? No one would argue that moving weight to the back is good on these cars but adding more weight overall is not worth it.

How much weight do you think the battery cable is - less than 5 lbs.? - and do you think its significant since it's not unsprung weight compared to not running four two-piece brake rotors and lighter wheels? How do those small batteries perform in the winter re: CCA? I doubt anyone driving a non-race car on the track - with either setup - would notice any difference. I have the battery relocation kit and I have no voltage or other issues. Swapping batteries for winter?? More money...

 

[dontlifttoshift]

You're right, 5 lbs is not significant enough to worry about.

I don't see a reason to spend money and time moving weight rearward and ending up with a net gain in weight and VERY little change in weight bias?

As for cold start, it would be easier to swap the battery in the winter months if that was something one was worried about it.

 

[Vorshlag-Fair]

^that odyssey pc680 sounds like the battery for me.
Does it come with the terminals we need for our cars?
Wouldn't mind a light battery just for track days.

Nope, but most Batteries Plus stores (that carry this PC680) also sell this "SAE post kit" for $8.99. These brass posts come with the M6 SHCS bolts needed to screw them into the motorcycle style threaded terminals on the PC680 (and most other lightweight AGM batteries), which adapts them for automotive use in most cars (exception: not for goofy GM side post terminals). These screw in terminals are different sizes to fit the positive and negative post clamps.

Why not relocate all that weight to the passenger rear of the car with a quality battery relocation kit that allows you to use a regular AGM battery ($$) and tender vs. lithium technology for $$$; especially if your car is a 'daily driver' not a dedicated race car?

Two reasons: 1) Moving the battery to the trunk is a huge PITA, mostly due to the power distribution block on the S197 Mustang, shown below. And 2) Because moving 14 pounds to the rear isn't going to make a big swing in front to rear balance, plus it will take +5 pounds of proper battery cable to do it (and you will see a loss of voltage at the starter when you move it 9+ feet away).

If there is a kit that has a clean/easy way to replicate this mess above with an all new positive battery cable that runs to the trunk, then that would be worth doing... if you don't mind the costs.

 

[Sky Render]

Two reasons: 1) Moving the battery to the trunk is a huge PITA, mostly due to the power distribution block on the S197 Mustang, shown below. And 2) Because moving 14 pounds to the rear isn't going to make a big swing in front to rear balance, plus it will take +5 pounds of proper battery cable to do it (and you will see a loss of voltage at the starter when you move it 9+ feet away).

This.

And I'm still waiting on an answer to my question. Do lithium batteries require any additional circuitry or different types of battery chargers/tenders to avoid thermal runaway?

 

[2013DIBGT]

This.

And I'm still waiting on an answer to my question. Do lithium batteries require any additional circuitry or different types of battery chargers/tenders to avoid thermal runaway?

What's a matter...afraid of BBQ'ing your car from the invisible flame of a runnaway Li battery being overcharged?

 

[FordFan]

I've been runnning the Braile for 3 years
@ 19lbs for only $180, I purchased from either Jegs or Summit - fits like OEM

 

[o2sys]

The odyssey pc680 has a cca of 170. Would that be too low for a daily driver in the northeast states? Or any cold winter states in general?

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[jmauld]

This.

And I'm still waiting on an answer to my question. Do lithium batteries require any additional circuitry or different types of battery chargers/tenders to avoid thermal runaway?

Not only that, but they also need to be protected against too low of a voltage, which can cause issues when you try to recharge them.

The antigravity batteries, may have a built-in circuit to protect them. If not, I would pass.

 

[2011/5.0]

Dont happen to have the model number of that braille