ho0n

Materials
Braille B2131 Carbon Fiber Case Battery
Braille Lightweight Universal Mount Kit FRP 8" J-hooks (package price: $264.99)
Allen wrench (I don't remember the size)
Hammer
Adjustable end wrench
Electricians' pliers

So before the step-by-step, here's the comparison (it's not a great picture--my little brother took it with some of the original battery cut off).


Step 1: Take one of the J-hooks from the Braille Mount Kit and bend it using the adjustable wrench and pliers. This step takes some muscle, but you don't need to pull it too much. The bottom hook is the original.


Step 2: Using the allen wrench, screw the posts into the side holes.


Step 3: Remove the old battery leads (positive, then negative), then the J-hook and bracket. Remove the plastic tray, shake it down, and give it a nice wipe, then replace the tray


Step 4: Dissemble the positive lead and hammer each side SLIGHTLY. The existing lead is too large for the included post. Re-assemble it once you're done.


Step 5: Locate the hole in the frame where you'll be placing the home-straightened hook.


Step 6: Place the battery on its side, give it a small turn, and place your mount assembly over it. The untouched J-hook goes in the hole for the original hook, and the home-straightened one goes in the other. Alternatively tighten each end, making sure that the mount doesn't spread too much. Cross the leads over carefully so they don't accidentally touch the posts. Place the negative lead on its post and tighten. It may need to be hammered in. Mine did. Put the positive lead on and tighten, then cap the whole thing


Fin.



You can see that the new battery is less restrictive to my SRI, and it's 21 lbs, compared to our 40-something stock unit.

Grumpa72

What is a blind guy doing changing a battery anyhow, or even driving for that matter? Braille battery?

Chpsk8

Nice write up.
I've seen these batteries used in racing applications. Should be interesting to see how it holds up in an everyday application. I heard they are for more warm climate applications so keep that charger handy for those cold NY nights.

ho0n

Ha ha ha. I don't know where the name came from--I just bought from the company.

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

Can someone educate me please. The $264.99 battery is better than the $70 battery because of....?

TunedRX300

Braille battery is almost 30 lbs lighter. With today's gas price, anything that helps mpg justify some premium.
Braille 100% sealed battery won't emit to fumes and is maintenance free.
Dual post configuration allows the battery to be vertically or side mounted. I use the second mounting posts to bolt down SUN HyperVoltage.
Carbon fiber casing won't get everyone to pay for it, but who is to judge that given folks are willing to pay for RX330 price for essentially Highlander (same engine, tranny, and drivetrain).

biff44

Sears diehard gold south:
28 lbs
RC: 80 minutes
Cold Cranking: 495 A
$80

Braile B3121
21 lbs
RC: 75 minutes
Cold Cranking: 550A
$250

The braille is smaller. But physics is physics. You need a certain surface area of lead plates to generate current and store energy. You can do some fancy machining of the plates to get more surface area vs weight, but you can only do so much because if you get too fancy you get problems with led chips/sulfation that shorts out the battery. So it is not that much lighter than your standard car battery.

So is an additional $170 worth picking up some volume under the hood? Up to you.




RC: is the number of minutes a fully charged battery at 80° F (26.7° C) can be discharged at a constant 25 amps until the voltage falls below 10.5 volts

TunedRX300

I like cold cranking at less weight with a sealed battery. For Braille, there is no negative feedback from the end users, big plus for me.

I also want to give kudos to those who take time to DIY to help other members.

ho0n

Thanks. The big thing for me, though, was more the effect of the smaller battery on the intake. I didn't want my stock battery blocking my intake from air any longer. I'm looking for places to pipe near the bumper to get a quasi-cold-air effect, but it seems that the front is almost entirely blocked off. And yes, weight is weight. I want to lose as much of it as possible. It isn't for performance alone, but in combination with gas mileage. I know..."why do you drive an SUV then?" It was a more practical choice when I got the car, and I'm not looking to take the dip of getting a new one just yet. This one drives fine still.

benzo555

iTrader: (11)

props to ya man. But I hear people in the Supra forums that use this battery normally have to keep it on a battery tender which I wont do on a daily driver. Let us know how you're doing in a month or two.

billy44bo

Glad it works for you but its not for the gulf coast.

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

I wonder how many hundreds of years of driving and gas saving would it take to recover your $200 investment in order to make your car 30 lbs lighter. I can see the space saving issue.

SEXC

iTrader: (2)

Nice mod. I have an oddessy (sp) pc680 in my car and I have to drive my car atleast once a week since I don't use the battery tender. By the way in your step 3 you're supposed to disconnect your negative before the positive

TunedRX300

Quick math on break-even for the lifeline of a Braille battery vs regular 50 lbs $70 battery:

Difference is $110: if one has drive to a local auto store to replace a near dead battery vs. haveing the non-carbon fiber model mailed.

For RX300, my battery is dead every 3.5 years (182 weeks) with OEM/Johnson Controls batteries. This means if the driver saves >1% ($0.70) of the $60 per week fill-up during the time Braille is alive, he is ahead.

If gas price goes up or more fill-ups per week, Braille will make $. Less weight means brake pad will be used up less and more $ saved.

A rough rule of the thumb estimate if one believe mpg correlate positively with the weight: 30 lbs off 3500 lbs SUV: ~1%

arnieosp

iTrader: (1)

Don't meen to be **** here, but the Braille battery costs $264.99.
$264.99-$70=$194.99, not $110. Also, I have a Costco battery with 70 months warranty on my Mercedes. It's over 5 years old and I never had a problem with it.

Also, I don't think that 30lbs less weight will give you a 1% fuel saving. So, if you like the Braille battery and are willing to pay extra $$$ for it, that's fine. Just don't try to justify it with that fuel saving thing, its laughable.