Don't want to shake you up, but those dribbling batteries like ot explode. Makes a mess. They also can dribble down the fenders. Takes the paint off. How do I know all that

 

My Mopar batteries were two years old (Exide), and were starting to require weekly maintenance, especially when it started getting really hot (128 on the over head). I just installed two Mopar spiral wound batteries which are similar to the optima. I've seen these batteries go a long time with no sign of corrosion. If I didn't work at the dealer, I would have most likely gone the Optima route.

 

Been there, seen that happen.

 

I just put a couple of "yeller tops" on mine......Duralast Gold. Eight yr. warranty, first three yrs with no adjustment(if I remember right) We'll see

 

The red topps are great. hd one in my yote trail rig for 10 years. Yes ten years, I had one of the origanels. But because of price I went with iterstate and found them to be the cheapest around... Evan cheaper than any of the wallyworld ones.

 

I agree with this. I'm no electrical engineer (wish I was), but here's my view. The wire from the passenger side to the drivers side is 1/0, but the wire from the drivers side battery to the starter is 2/0. The wire from the passenger side is smaller AND longer, which theoretically translates into higher resistance across the board. Seems like the passenger battery gets the short end from the start. If they used 2/0 from the passenger side to the drivers side, then 1/0 to the starter it would make more sense, from a wire length point of view.
Considering this, I will probably start swapping my batteries. When I put new cables on my 96 I will probably go all 2/0, marine cable (tinned to prevent corrosion).

Chris

 

The reason the cable from the driver's side battery is larger than the one from the pass side is because it's carrying the juice from both batteries.
I've seen batteries go out on both sides, don't think which side the battery is on makes a bit of difference in life.

 

If anything, there would be more draw off the right battery than the left. Seems to me anyhow. Where the cables attach to the left battery, are also connected to the right battery. Now, from the posts of the left battery to the posts of the right battery, you have an extra(however long)six? feet of cable to figure in on the branch current that the right battery is on. Voltage stays the same, if resistance goes up, so does current(however small it might be) I dont think it would be enough to worry about. Then again, I might be over thinking this whole thing, or it could be something as simple as I dont know what I'm talking about

 

I can't argue the wire thing from a engineering standpoint either but I do know for a fact that both sets of batteries in my 95 and my 99 barfed the right side battery first. The drivers side battery out of the 95 went in my sons truck and lasted another four years while the right side one went stone dead. I have had several friends that had the same thing happen also.

 

would there be any disadvantages to running just one battery and how exaclty would I do it, just take off the passenger side ground and positive cable?

 

Take out one battery and insulate the cable from ground, the cable is hot at all times.

 

could I take the long positive cable off from the drivers side cable and take loose the negative cable from the block

 

Yep, that would work too.

 

There are a lot of 1st gens out there limping around on one battery. Mine's never given me any trouble.

I've seen several twinned trucks that have ditched the passenger side battery for more space.

I don't know if I'd try this anywhere that the winter temps get below zero, but one battery seems to work fine where I live.

 

My truck fired off on several cold days over the recent winter. Never had a battery problem on the below zero days. Gelled up at -20, but it fired right up on what was in the pump---then quit and out came the hair dryer
g