I have tried to research this but haven't quite seen what I am looking for. First off, its an '86 runner. I have looked in my Chilton and Haynes manuals but haven't seen what sizes and suppose to be used. Does anybody know if a Group Size 34 battery will work? I have measured it out and it should fit dimension wise, but has anybody tried it? I have also seen things about group 24 batteries, but I am not sure of the difference because they seem to be similar sizes.

 

I use the highest cranking amps I can get That fits

Pretty much in all my Toyota`s this one was in a 87 Pick up

1000Cranking Amps Group 24 Interstate battery.

This is my personal choice because of my life style.

More output is better then to little

 

Alrighty, sounds like a good option. Thanks

 

I use a Duralast 34-DLG in my 86 4runner. I recently had to replace it and autozone waived the price increase over what it cost 3 years ago and I walked out the door with a new one. One of the cells had gone dry (my fault) but they still honored the warrantee.

You can also get the 34-DLG with dual posts of you run lots of accessories.

 

34/24F works or a 27F depending on where the terminals line up. All of them are rated 700cca or better usually depending on manufacturer.

Try and stay away from batteries with external caps such as exide and interstate. The caps leach acid out overtime and cause corrosion which can require alot of attention. I run a 800cca 24F in my T100

 

What about DieHard or Optima YellowTop?

 

You would never say this if you lived in the hot southwest.
I would never buy a sealed battery that I could'nt add water to.
Sealed free acid batteries have a short life here.

I don't know enough about the gel type batteries to comment on their use in desert conditions. I do know some people who use them.

 

You do realize the summer in NJ is about 85-100F most of the time with 80% or more humidity right? Last 3 summers its been over 90F nearly every day.

Trust me I sell batteries for a living, they arent totally sealed-they have vents on the ends instead and yea you cant add water to them.

Same sealed side vent type battery has been in my t100 for 4 years now..not a single issue.

Diehard arent all that great anymore, dont last. optima is ok but they also took a dive in quality last few years. If you can find a diehard platinum that works get it, its a gel battery and super heavy duty.

 

The factory battery has the ground next to the inner fender. Over the years, new batteries get installed with the postive next to the inner fender. Keep the negative by the fender. I helped a guy on the road one time where the battery slid the postive post into the fender.

I suggest buying the highest COLD Cranking Amp battery you can find of afford, but that depends on where you live.

 

I grew up with batteries with caps!!!

I have had more battery problems since we went to the new sealed batteries.

Leaking acid no big deal if your checking under the hood like you should.

I use acid a few times a week to clean Aluminum maybe I am used to it.

That is one of the things I like about making my own battery cables I can always position the battery with the positive towards the engine.

 

Positive next to the fender is just plain stupid. Are there any vehicles stock like that?

Sealed batteries do have vents with caps over them that do allow refilling but by the time you notice a problem its usually fatal to the battery.

Give me removable caps and 5 seconds of time any day

 

I didn't know that I would start such a heated debate!
I don't understand what you guys are saying about where the positive is placed and battery terminal location. Can't you just turn the battery backwards? That's what the PO did, and the battery cables DO move. Right now my battery is so tiny that I barely have it held down with the factory tie down cranked all the way!

In addition to that, I live in northwest oregon. The summers can get pretty hot but not quite like other places of the country and the winters get cold, but wet is the usual description of the weather. It's about 28 degrees outside right now and frosty windows have been a part of life for at least a few weeks now.

But back to my original question, group 34 is good? Or is there a better battery group for getting plenty of power for both running the vehicle and a future (hopefully) of an expanding number of accessories that will fit in the given space, will last longer before going dead, and be rated for high CCA?

 

Take your pic there for instance. If you had to turn your battery around theirs no way that that red cable could reach the front left... It's already stretched to its maximum as it looks.

34s fit perfect in the old trucks and Runners. Get the dual terminal for even more ways to power accessories.

Vented Vs. Sealed I think is more of a division between us gear heads who do our own maintenance compared to those who replace what their car came with and couldn't change their own oil if their life depended on it.

 

I use a group 25 on my '89 Runner.

 

What on earth is that in your 4runner? a Group 26 or 25??? Replace it with a 34, fix the hold down so its actually holding it and fix the cables. Those cables are something someone has already messed up-they aint factory and they did a poor job of fixing them. I can see your battery moving and the terminal contacting the fender or hold down and creating a fire!

 

Horrible late night cell phone pic but here's my Group 34 1,000CA/800CCA

 

This thread blows battery questions way put of proportion. These trucks fit tons of batteries, just aim for the right post configuration so your cables work in there stock location, or move then if they don't. Stick a battery in there and make sure it doesn't hit the hood and is secured, then it won't matter if the positive is next to the fender. Don't try to build strategies that avoid common sense and you won't have any problems.

Obviously this isn't a stock mounting location.

 

The cheap ass wal-mart everlast battery s ain't bad

 

Check out Mark's (Chefyota4x4) thread. He just got a new Battery. I liked the Diehard Gold (Mark got Platinum) specs and price but my battery developed a leak around post and died on road so I was stuck with AAA road service's size 34 (I think).