Vauxhall Owners Forum banner

What's the point of relocating a battery?

704 views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  Jamie_F 
#1 ·
What are the benefits wether it be for a road car or for a rally/track day car?
I can't see the point?
 
#4 ·
how about on a rwd car? more weight you can get out of the front I guess and put in the back has to be better whilst cornering (the whole pendulum effect)?
 
#6 ·
Nope

The current travels the same distance - from the coil to the spark plug ;)

As long as its done properly any electrical effects will be so small they will be unnoticible.
 
#7 ·
P.s. electricity travels at almost the speed of light - an extra meter or two isnt going to make that much difference in a car.
 
#9 ·
Dom said:
P.s. electricity travels at almost the speed of light - an extra meter or two isnt going to make that much difference in a car.
wasn't thinking about the speed... and i didn't mean the voltage to the plugs... :p

they work by earthing on the engine, which then goes through the earth strap at the front of the car and to the battery... surely the resistance of the chassis will increase (as the battery will be grounded in the boot) making it harder for the spark.

also there must be more of a risk of interferance.

:confused:
 
#10 ·
astrasport said:
wasn't thinking about the speed... and i didn't mean the voltage to the plugs... :p

they work by earthing on the engine, which then goes through the earth strap at the front of the car and to the battery... surely the resistance of the chassis will increase (as the battery will be grounded in the boot) making it harder for the spark.

also there must be more of a risk of interferance.

:confused:
Eh? Whether the earth is strapped in the boot or at the front makes no difference, earth is earth wherever is connected, same with welding, put the clamp at the back of the car to weld on the front and it won't make any difference.
 
#12 ·
Rusty 16v said:
Well the longer cable would = more resistance, so there would be a small voltage drop. So use thicker cable, and you're back where you started :D
yeah, but you can't increase the thickness of the bodywork, so surely it'll make a difference as it travels back to battery...

i know we're only talking a small amount here, but every little helps :eek:
 
#14 ·
astrasport said:
yeah, but you can't increase the thickness of the bodywork, so surely it'll make a difference as it travels back to battery...

i know we're only talking a small amount here, but every little helps :eek:
The bodyshell is pretty much the same thickness all over 2mm - 5mm. Plus it covers a massive surface area, so the current will shoose the easiest route to do its job without heating anything up like with a wire.
 
#16 ·
In the simplest terms, the battery is only there to start the car. Once you're running, the important bit is the alternator and the earthing between the engine and chassis. Obviously there's upto 3-400A whilst your starting and the return path to the battery is important, but it's far less critical than the positive cable. I always mention 500A oxygen free welding cable as it's really flexible, got good thick insulation and the voltage drop along it's length isn't worth worring about. Imagine 50mm2 cable flattened down to 2mm thick. It's not as wide as your car, so the current carrying capacity of the metal in the car is massive compared to the cable.
 
#18 ·
16vmanta said:
In the simplest terms, the battery is only there to start the car. Once you're running, the important bit is the alternator and the earthing between the engine and chassis. Obviously there's upto 3-400A whilst your starting and the return path to the battery is important, but it's far less critical than the positive cable. I always mention 500A oxygen free welding cable as it's really flexible, got good thick insulation and the voltage drop along it's length isn't worth worring about. Imagine 50mm2 cable flattened down to 2mm thick. It's not as wide as your car, so the current carrying capacity of the metal in the car is massive compared to the cable.
Agree, 500 amp welding wire is the way to go. That is what I am using and the car starts fine (though the starter is a bit slower on cold days). Once started no probs at all.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top