HYDE16
Ready to race!
- Location
- Morris County, NJ
After rounding out the suspension upgrades on my car, I wanted to continue shaving weight off of the car when replacing OEM parts or worn out components (exhaust, control arms, brakes, battery, etc). As my trusty 40+ pound LEAD-ACID battery was getting near the end of its service life, I wanted to be proactive in replacing it before it could eventually leave me stranded (2010 build date). This was the perfect opportunity to drop some front end weight while adding an efficient and powerful lithium battery for an upcoming dyno test of the Ignition Projects (Okada) Ignition Coil Packs and Plasma Lift kit. I read over a few reviews of the Braille and Deka lightweight batteries and then scoured feedback on proven battery options that wouldn’t leave me stranded in the harsh New Jersey winters. Several friends have had success with Braille batteries but said that the harsh winters and below freezing temperatures can be a little tricky.
Most recently, Braille released the GU1R Lithium ION battery which is their first model for automotive use that is not geared directly toward the professional racer or high end exotic/sports car market. I was interested to hear more about the improvements in lightweight lithium technology and how this would be suitable for a daily driver and weekend warrior car. When I was ready to place the order I got in touch with Gary Savage at Braille who gave me an amazing technical rundown of their batteries in addition to their latest achievement, the GU1R. After a long conversation I purchased the Braille GU1R Green Lite Lithium Battery Combo (battery and lithium charger).
GU1R Lithium ION Battery Product Description:
The GU1R model is designed specifically for the Import Tuner market (4 & 6 cylinder) for street/track vehicles and has enough cranking power for V8 race cars and hot rods with low to moderate electrical demands/accessories. This unit comes from the popular U1R Group size (Mazda Miata), so it's small & light enough to mount in a variety of locations. This combo is the best "bang for the buck" in a lithium upgrade on the market and incorporates the same technology as our race winning batteries used by nearly every OEM in their factory race cars and champions ranging from SCCA to Formula 1. The GU1R offers excellent off-season storage performance, brass terminals, high amp deesign, RoHS and is environmentally friendly. All of Braille’s lithium products are DOT approved and offer a 1 year FREE replacement warranty and up to an additional 2 year pro-rated warranty depending on model.
GU1R Weight = 6.6lbs / 3kg
Length = 7.68" / 195mm
Width = 5.13" / 130mm
Height = 7.13" / 182mm
Polarity = Right Side Positive
Voltage = 12
Full Charge Voltage = 13.8
Pulse Cranking Amps (PCA) = 947
Amp Hour (AH) = 13
Lithium Amp Hour (LAH) = 39
Reserve Capacity (RC) = 32
Life Cycle @ 10% DOD = 5000
1232 Lithium ION Battery Charger Product Description:
Output Amperage = 2a
Amp Hour = 2
Voltage = 12
Voltage Output = 13.8-14.4
Voltage Input = 110/220
Output Connectors = Med. Clamps & Ring
Battery AH Usage Range = < 200ah
Reverse Polarity Protection = Yes
Microprocessor Control = Yes
Unboxing:
Size Comparison:
Installation:
To my surprise, all Braille lithium batteries are hand built at time of order, so I was told it would be a 5-7 business day production time. This gave me some time to figure out how to mount the battery in the OEM battery box with the 9” J-hooks I purchased as well. Since the TyrolSport Master Cylinder Brace uses the OEM battery tray, I decided to keep the Braille GU1R battery in the battery box to hide the wiring, protect the brass terminals and to retain the OEM look. Installation was easy but started with a trapezoid work out when removing the OEM anchor of a battery. With access to the battery tray, I mounted some L brackets back to back with short self tapping screws on each side of the battery so the J-hooks had a solid mounting point. I cut a sheet of foam to protect the bottom of the battery, wedged the battery in place and tightened the J-hooks down. The universal 9” J-hooks don’t work very well with this specific battery as they only hold the battery from moving forward or back as per the pictures below. Now, on any other battery this would be a huge concern, but once the battery terminals were connected this battery wouldn’t budge due to its extremely light 6.6lb weight. After everything was fitted, I used a dremel to trim the top of the J-hooks so the battery cover would lock into place. Here’s to a clean and stealthy weight reduction, all from a battery!
Most recently, Braille released the GU1R Lithium ION battery which is their first model for automotive use that is not geared directly toward the professional racer or high end exotic/sports car market. I was interested to hear more about the improvements in lightweight lithium technology and how this would be suitable for a daily driver and weekend warrior car. When I was ready to place the order I got in touch with Gary Savage at Braille who gave me an amazing technical rundown of their batteries in addition to their latest achievement, the GU1R. After a long conversation I purchased the Braille GU1R Green Lite Lithium Battery Combo (battery and lithium charger).
GU1R Lithium ION Battery Product Description:
The GU1R model is designed specifically for the Import Tuner market (4 & 6 cylinder) for street/track vehicles and has enough cranking power for V8 race cars and hot rods with low to moderate electrical demands/accessories. This unit comes from the popular U1R Group size (Mazda Miata), so it's small & light enough to mount in a variety of locations. This combo is the best "bang for the buck" in a lithium upgrade on the market and incorporates the same technology as our race winning batteries used by nearly every OEM in their factory race cars and champions ranging from SCCA to Formula 1. The GU1R offers excellent off-season storage performance, brass terminals, high amp deesign, RoHS and is environmentally friendly. All of Braille’s lithium products are DOT approved and offer a 1 year FREE replacement warranty and up to an additional 2 year pro-rated warranty depending on model.
GU1R Weight = 6.6lbs / 3kg
Length = 7.68" / 195mm
Width = 5.13" / 130mm
Height = 7.13" / 182mm
Polarity = Right Side Positive
Voltage = 12
Full Charge Voltage = 13.8
Pulse Cranking Amps (PCA) = 947
Amp Hour (AH) = 13
Lithium Amp Hour (LAH) = 39
Reserve Capacity (RC) = 32
Life Cycle @ 10% DOD = 5000
1232 Lithium ION Battery Charger Product Description:
Output Amperage = 2a
Amp Hour = 2
Voltage = 12
Voltage Output = 13.8-14.4
Voltage Input = 110/220
Output Connectors = Med. Clamps & Ring
Battery AH Usage Range = < 200ah
Reverse Polarity Protection = Yes
Microprocessor Control = Yes
Unboxing:
Size Comparison:
Installation:
To my surprise, all Braille lithium batteries are hand built at time of order, so I was told it would be a 5-7 business day production time. This gave me some time to figure out how to mount the battery in the OEM battery box with the 9” J-hooks I purchased as well. Since the TyrolSport Master Cylinder Brace uses the OEM battery tray, I decided to keep the Braille GU1R battery in the battery box to hide the wiring, protect the brass terminals and to retain the OEM look. Installation was easy but started with a trapezoid work out when removing the OEM anchor of a battery. With access to the battery tray, I mounted some L brackets back to back with short self tapping screws on each side of the battery so the J-hooks had a solid mounting point. I cut a sheet of foam to protect the bottom of the battery, wedged the battery in place and tightened the J-hooks down. The universal 9” J-hooks don’t work very well with this specific battery as they only hold the battery from moving forward or back as per the pictures below. Now, on any other battery this would be a huge concern, but once the battery terminals were connected this battery wouldn’t budge due to its extremely light 6.6lb weight. After everything was fitted, I used a dremel to trim the top of the J-hooks so the battery cover would lock into place. Here’s to a clean and stealthy weight reduction, all from a battery!