Technical Side post batteries?

I've been converting some of my battery cables to copper ring terminals, with adapters for top post batteries, for ease of maintenance and removal. Thinking of starting to just buy side post batteries and eliminate the extra corrosion prone terminals. Makes jump starting harder, any other things to consider?

 

Whatever you prefer.....


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Someone will no doubt scream that they aren't traditional but they have been around longer than half of this brigade is old. They first came out on 71 Pontiac Grand Prix and other Pontiacs with a 455. On other GM cars a bit later. I remember a couple of old farts wanting to remove the from their Chevy pickups and put in top posts in the early 70's because they couldn't hook jumper cables to them easily enough.

 

Be sure to use the correct length bolts on the side post. Too long and you'll puncture the battery and it will leak.

 

I switched to side post many years ago. I run a top post in my one car that has bias ply tires in it, and also in the car that takes a narrow battery that I can't get in side post.

 

My 69 Camaro I bought new had side posts.

 

I believe the side post battery was invented for the '70 Vega. Many cars are shipped from the factory by rail. Most are shipped horizontally, usually double decked. The Vega was shipped standing on it's nose, ass in the air, and needed the side post battery so that it would not short out on the hood during shipping.

 

Giant jumper cables clamps itty bitty little bolts to attach to

 

been a long time since I needed to jump start a car. Replacing batteries every 5 years might have something to do with that.

The "correct" side terminal bolts are easy to clamp on with jumper cables, anyways.

 

If you believe production stats, they first appeared on the plastic fantastic early 1969, some say by car 22,000.

 

When I don't have the correct length bolt for side posts, I use a long bolt and just run a nut down on it. Makes it easier for jumper cables too.

 

Some batteries like the Exide 78DTC have both side and top posts to solve your dilemma. Jack E/NJ

 

Some jumper cables have inner clamps that swing out and snap onto the side terminals.

 

3/8-16"? Stainless studs maybe, to save battery threads and lesson corrosion. Seems like the side posts corrode less already.

 

They make a setup just for plugging your jumper cables into for later model cars, it works both ways, if you are going to jump you plug the cables in and hook them to the other car but if your batter is dead the electricity will also flow in the other direction.

Side post batteries were something that I didn't like when they were new. I think most of us did, but they are pretty much the standard today. I just use whatever I got now and am just happy that I don't have to kick start my car. LOL

 

I don't like them, never have.
I would never willingly replace a top post with a side post.

 

had a buddy who thought it would be a good idea to put a side post battery in the metal battery box under the floor in his old truck. posts were 1/4" from the metal box. how could a person do that and not consider that it will short out on the first bump?

 

LOL that's what rubber is made for.

Sometimes we do things and learn that we may have made a mistake. "I sure could have planned that better" comes to mind. I am afraid that the story that goes with that quote isn't truly HAMB friendly though.

 

I use side post only unless clearances won't allow a side post. I use a little longer bolt and tighten it up with a nut. Easier to hook up a battery charger if needed.

 

seems like GM is the only ones in the world that use side post, My only thoughts of side post batteries are a jumble of muttered curse words.
Honestly never even thought of switching to a side post.
Interesting concept.

 

wife got a 5 year old GM truck, it has a top post battery as original equipment. Lots of corrosion on the terminals. I guess they forgot why they went to side posts way back when.

 

Easier to add extra lugs to side posts, as in kill switches etc.....

 

So that was the reason for side posts? I'm all for that. I always thought that tapered terminal lug was needed for high current but the other end of the cables goes to a bolt or stud anyway.

 

All my late model stuff has side posts.
Back when I did have some vehicles with them, they still got corrosion due to lack of maintenance

 

If your not using the factory bolt, your defeating the "corrosion free" concept of the design. Most people ruin that with jumper cables too. If you don't mess with it or know how to take care of it, it's pretty maintenance free design.
Ground is easy to find. For positive just wire in a jump terminal like the factory should have on every car they ever put side posts in.

 

Had a buddy once tell me he was getting some on the side, been so long since I had any at the time I had no idea they had moved it . [/QUOTE]

 

Most of the newerish vehicles I've owned lately have an extended stud at the other end of the negative cable, where it mounts to the body. Then right in the owners manual it says to connect the negative side of the jumper there (last), away from the battery and any chance of spark igniting vapors. That's half the battle and easy enough to retrofit if you don't have it. A stud extension with a removable, slip on sleeve can be done on the positive side terminal for the other half of the equation. Easy peasy jump. The more you have to use it, the more accessible it should be.

 

I know this is a older thread .... now that I have ran a sidepost battery since 2017.
The other day have been very pleased it has been maintenance free .... until the other day.

No crank issue, I found the negative cable slightly loose, could turn it with effort. Tighten up and end of problem.
I had to walk 1 mile to get the wrench & wife car to go back and fix it.

Anyone else have issue with sidepost cables coming loose? Neighbor said he use to use teflon tape on the bolts to keep them tight. The threads would pierce the tape and make connection while keeping it tight.

I am wondering if it is a problem, or if I did not get the bolt tight enough last time messed with it 2 years ago. Or if there is something better then teflon tape?

 

I would not put teflon tape there.

You might look at the battery cable routing, see if there is a clamp holding the cable to the body, before it goes to the engine. If not, the constant vibration of the cable, from the engine motion, might cause the bolt to loosen?

But I have had trouble finding good quality bolts to use with side terminal batteries. That's the one failing of them.

 

I still prefer the top post battery's, My daughters car has a side post and I for a couple of weeks I had to jump her car off on a regular basis, it turned out that sometimes her brake light on one side stayed on all night and drained the battery.

Problem is fixed now but I will stick to the old top post for my old cars. HRP