Pure Motorsport: JDL Turbo BRZ Track Build

[gramicci101]

I know Antigravity batteries were swelling due to undercharge or overcharge conditions (link, post 10). They're also LiFePO4, although they have different internal construction than the Shorai batteries. Is there a battery management system that would regulate the charge and discharge of your battery to ensure it didn't exceed specifications? Is it even necessary with Shorai batteries?

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

I know Antigravity batteries were swelling due to undercharge or overcharge conditions (link, post 10). They're also LiFePO4, although they have different internal construction than the Shorai batteries. Is there a battery management system that would regulate the charge and discharge of your battery to ensure it didn't exceed specifications? Is it even necessary with Shorai batteries?

I'm not sure but @KCMachine could probably speak to that with more validity.

Originally Posted by KCMachine

Battery Tenders:
If you let your car sit for more than 5 days at a time, it is recommended to use a tender. These batteries can be used on normal battery tenders, as long as your battery tender DOES NOT have a desulfate mode. Battery tenders should only be used to charge the battery, do not let it sit for an extended period of time.

Shorai does make their own battery charger, which works very well, especially for over-discharged batteries. It is the only recommended way to bring a battery to life after being over-discharged, as it balances the cells internally.

I would recommend checking out the OP here: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60560 .

Some good info about Lithium Iron batteries and their safety/durability. All the reviews from customers in that thread have been overwhelmingly positive from both track and DD street applications; even with underdriven alternators via aftermarket pulleys.

[ATL BRZ]

I've just been invited to instruct with Just Track It for their upcoming 7/26 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway around the road course configuration!



The road course has been rarely used for HPDE's over the past several years but this will be both JTI's and my first time running it.

I'm pretty excited to get to experience the banked NASCAR turns. It will be like a mini-Daytona

[KCMachine]

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

Interesting data and findings about the battery! I've read several other good reviews about it being able to hold a charge over multiple weeks just fine. I don't plan on over-discharging the battery but the car sometimes sits in the garage for a week, rarely two weeks but never much longer than that. In the rare case I ever find it to be weakened over time past it's cranking ability I have 450 amp jump box/compressor in my garage to get it started and then go on a drive to recharge.

I'd actually not recommend jumping it. I have no conclusive evidence on whether it's bad or not, but I'd try to avoid it if possible.

Just grab a "Battery Tender" brand tender, they're pretty cheap, and if you let the car sit for over a few days, just hook it up.

I've found that the FRS/BRZ's limit for sitting is about a week.

Originally Posted by gramicci101

I know Antigravity batteries were swelling due to undercharge or overcharge conditions (link, post 10). They're also LiFePO4, although they have different internal construction than the Shorai batteries. Is there a battery management system that would regulate the charge and discharge of your battery to ensure it didn't exceed specifications? Is it even necessary with Shorai batteries?

I've not had any reports of swelling on the Shorai batteries. But yes, Shorai has a dedicated charger that balances the cells, it's not necessary but is recommended for the longest life out of the battery.

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by KCMachine

I'd actually not recommend jumping it. I have no conclusive evidence on whether it's bad or not, but I'd try to avoid it if possible.

Just grab a "Battery Tender" brand tender, they're pretty cheap, and if you let the car sit for over a few days, just hook it up.

I've found that the FRS/BRZ's limit for sitting is about a week.

Cool, I'll probably just buy the Shorai charger if I end up needing it.
I checked it out and it looks like it has specialized connectors and features that are worth it.

[ToyoburuBRZ]

Originally Posted by ATL BRZ

Cool, I have access to a Battery Tender that will trickle charge and float after fully charging.
My dad used to put one on his race car which is gone now. Great product. I'll grab it from the shop next time I'm there.

Be careful what kind of trickle charger you are using. With LiFePO4 batteries, certain chargers can destroy the battery as well. My team destroyed two batteries as we did not know what we were doing.

I highly recommend picking up the shorai charger to be safe. It has two modes - one for charging and one for storing the battery. The nice thing about the charger to is that you don't have to hook it up to either of the leads. It simply plugs in the socket between the two leads.

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by ToyoburuBRZ

Be careful what kind of trickle charger you are using. With LiFePO4 batteries, certain chargers can destroy the battery as well. My team destroyed two batteries as we did not know what we were doing.

I highly recommend picking up the shorai charger to be safe. It has two modes - one for charging and one for storing the battery. The nice thing about the charger to is that you don't have to hook it up to either of the leads. It simply plugs in the socket between the two leads.

Haha I just edited my post as you were replying. Thanks, I'll definitely get the Shorai charger.

[ATL BRZ]

Installed my @KCMachine lightweight battery kit today!











23 pounds lost off the top half of the car

[ATL BRZ]

Before and after engine bay pics.





The stock battery looks HUGE now!

[OICU812]

Sure does what a difference wow.

[gramicci101]

There's a whole lot of room where the intake used to be. A supercharger would fill that space nicely. Just saying...

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

There's a whole lot of room where the intake used to be. A supercharger would fill that space nicely. Just saying...

Now accepting donations!

I really want to finish off this season with the engine still NA and explore the limits of this new suspension and brake setup.

Next year I may be ready to pull the FI trigger.

[chanomatik]

That's the way to do it. So many people just throw EVERYTHING on the car as soon as possible, never quite learning it or appreciating each piece purchased. I've always been leery of the idea of purchasing a bunch of suspension parts all at once and installing them. I've always wanted to just piece it out by installing and playing with it for a couple hundred miles at least before doing the next piece.

Unfortunately it costs money to have parts purchased and installed or you need the time/opportunity to learn to install them yourself. I've swapped coil overs several times on other Subies, so I'm thinking I could do that, but I just don't know about control and trailing arms and such. Those seem like a PITA to install.

[ATL BRZ]

Originally Posted by chanomatik

That's the way to do it. So many people just throw EVERYTHING on the car as soon as possible, never quite learning it or appreciating each piece purchased. I've always been leery of the idea of purchasing a bunch of suspension parts all at once and installing them. I've always wanted to just piece it out by installing and playing with it for a couple hundred miles at least before doing the next piece.

“On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit'. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.” -Ayrton Senna

I don't aspire to be a professional racing driver, but I've always enjoyed that quote from the best of all time. The experience part is what I'm working on right now. I want to be 100% comfortable at the limit of this car to the point where I'm consistent within a couple seconds on track. Suspension/brakes are ALWAYS first before big jumps in power and I've learned that my choices in those two areas will have the greatest impact to how the car will respond on track with more power.

I want to use the track time I'm getting wisely and really get the car behaving just the way I want it, knowing in the back of my mind that more power through FI is possible.

Originally Posted by chanomatik

Unfortunately it costs money to have parts purchased and installed or you need the time/opportunity to learn to install them yourself. I've swapped coil overs several times on other Subies, so I'm thinking I could do that, but I just don't know about control and trailing arms and such. Those seem like a PITA to install.

Rear upper control arms are a PITA, the rest aren't too bad. As with most suspension parts, high torque values are involved. Having the right tools at your disposal make all the difference between a PITA install and an easy breezy one.