Let’s be honest, we’ve all used a bungee cord or two for a “temporary” fix that likely becomes permanent later. They have so many uses, they fit nicely in the repair kit alongside zip ties and duct tape. As for a battery hold down, for safety, they should be very temporary.
Batteries are not only heavy, but they pose a sparking fire danger if they are introduced to freedom as bungee cord releases its hold. This is very common after they dry out and crack. When you work on a lot of older stuff as I do, the factory battery hold down parts are often missing or broke. If you plan on modifying the battery size, the stock hold down parts may no longer work.
On my Bronco, as well as everything I build, I use Optima batteries. When treated correctly, they provide great power and last longer than most liquid batteries. The Bronco build uses a Yellow top Deep cycle/Starting battery up front and a Deep cycle Blue top in the rear. The standard Optima batteries are a bit smaller than the stock battery that most Fords use which keeps the factory hold down parts from working. Luckily, Amazon had the answer, the MSCRP Billet Aluminum Battery Holder Tray kit, yes, the name is still too long even after I shortened it.
They kit comes with the base plate, two lower flange clamps and all needed bolds and nuts. The parts are of great quality and the hardware is decent as well. Most Optima mount kits have metal plates that go over the top between the posts. I’m not a fan of those due to the difficulty of trying not to short the battery out on the hold down strap when working around them. This kit clamps the bottom flanges between the cells for a much cleaner look.
The installation was easy, remove the old tray, set the new tray where you want it, mark and drill the holes. Use the supplied hardware to mount it down however I did add my own fender washers against the nuts for strength.
Like many Amazon items, these come with no instructions, but the kit is pretty straight forward. One tip would be: if you mount the tray next to a wall like my inner fender and can’t get your hands in there to start the bolts, loosely attach the inner clamp and hardware then slid the battery in from the opposite side.
For a score, I’d give it a 9/10. It delivered on what it promised, looks good, fits good and is well machined. On Amazon, these come in several colors and start at $45.88.
Stay tuned in for more as I continue to clean up the wiring on this old Bronco.
Almost Overlanding with Craig Cooper and Family 