Ok,

So my D250 I've run for years flooded traditional batteries group 31. But now my cable terminals are gone... I figure there maybe broken strans in the positive terminal- and heck they are not overly expensive to buy new custom or comercial grade cable assemblies. Is there any advantage of switch over from post terminals to screw top? What's every one run these days as a decent battery. I'm always a little affraid that running the mega high CCA batteries will overheat them -it's been suggested that something with 800ish CCA amps might work bettery. Asking the forum, as I've never gotten more than 2-3 years from my batteries. Everything seems solid and I always attributed it to the harshness of the grid heaters.

AGMs work better? They are nearly 2.5-3 times the money....


Love to hear some opinions. Any particular brands- feel free to throw them in the discussions.

 

I've come across a few trucks like your over the years on forums, only 2-3 years out of a battery, not sure what is causing the pre-mature death of your battery? Myself I usually get close to 7 years out of a battery and I usually just buy the Costco brand (Kirkland) battery in the largest CCA they have in top post that will work.

 

Are you sure that your alternator is not over charging, even a little? I had a recent bout with that, but it wasn't just a little. I am running a 900 cca agm and it starts fine...Mark

 

I made up cables with 2/0 welding cables and tinned copper lugs from grainger. I'm running a DEKA lead cell, got it at through lowes of all places item #599932. Cost me 127 bucks and its for a tractor, same battery napa sells for over 200. It's got 1,100 or so cca. I can't justify buying agm, the battery I replaced of the same brand was 9 years old and still going fine.

as for overheating, that doesnt make any sense a larger cca battery should tolerate high stresses better than a smaller battery because you're tapping less capacity.

 

I've never been a fan of batteries with the screw lugs sticking out because screws can corrode and become useless. Instead I got the military style clamps with the bolt that allows ring terminals to be used. My rig had 4/0 cables so I got the ring terminals and some shrink tubing and a hydraulic crimper. I put it all together and I couldn't be happier.

The overcharging issue I had was because the VR gets it's signal from the ignition switch which has a lot of voltage drop. Instead I used a relay to get the signal directly from the battery. Now the charging voltage is rock solid and no more of the pulsing in the headlights which many have reported.

Edwin

 

I do #2/0 welding cable, hammer-crimped lugs, and military connectors on std post-style terminals.

For batteries I have caved and now go with Interstate's group 31 from the only parts store on my island. (I can have it *now* and makes warranty easy.)