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Mike_ZN6 · 12-04-2020, 04:57 PM

My battery recently died so I took the opportunity to upgrade to a lightweight battery. I couldn't decide between the Antigravity ATX20 with the MeLe mount (https://meledesignfirm.com/collectio...-battery-mount) or the Shorai LFX36L3-BS12 with the KMC mount.

I wanted the ATX20 for the restart capability, but when I spoke with someone at MeLe they suggested I get the ATX20 HD (not the Re-Start version) because I live in an area where the winters get cold. I don't know if it would have actually been an issue, @Route is running the ATX20 Re-Start and he is in Canada.

Since I only really wanted the ATX20 for the restart feature and I already had the sleek Kinetic Custom Machines mount on hand, I just went ahead and got the Shorai. The KMC mount has been discontinued for a while and I am lucky to have one. I think it is the nicest looking battery mount ever made.

The stock battery weighed in at just under 28 lbs and the Shorai came in at 5 lbs. So the Shorai ends up being about 23 lbs lighter than factory. I wish I had remembered to weigh the KMC mount before installing it. It is all aluminum and felt super light anyways.

The Shorai battery will not connect to the cables on the car without SAE adapters. I used XS Power 558 I-BAR adapters with XS Power 580 posts. This setup fits perfect with the exact amount of clearance needed for the terminals.

The hardest part about the whole install was reinstalling the bracket that holds the battery tray down. The KMC tray attaches to the bracket shown in the pics. You have to remove the bracket to secure the KMC tray to it. One of the bolts that attach the bracket to the car ends up being covered by the new battery tray. I ended up bending a 10mm IKEA box wrench I had so that it could fit under the tray and turn the bolt to attach the bracket. I included some pics of how I bent the box wrench to fit.

It is starting to get pretty cold here now, so we will see how this battery hold up to the winter conditions.

12-04-2020, 04:57 PM	#48
Mike_ZN6 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Drives: 2016 Toyota 86 Location: Orlando Posts: 458 Thanks: 254 Thanked 211 Times in 141 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	My battery recently died so I took the opportunity to upgrade to a lightweight battery. I couldn't decide between the Antigravity ATX20 with the MeLe mount (https://meledesignfirm.com/collectio...-battery-mount) or the Shorai LFX36L3-BS12 with the KMC mount. I wanted the ATX20 for the restart capability, but when I spoke with someone at MeLe they suggested I get the ATX20 HD (not the Re-Start version) because I live in an area where the winters get cold. I don't know if it would have actually been an issue, @Route is running the ATX20 Re-Start and he is in Canada. Since I only really wanted the ATX20 for the restart feature and I already had the sleek Kinetic Custom Machines mount on hand, I just went ahead and got the Shorai. The KMC mount has been discontinued for a while and I am lucky to have one. I think it is the nicest looking battery mount ever made. The stock battery weighed in at just under 28 lbs and the Shorai came in at 5 lbs. So the Shorai ends up being about 23 lbs lighter than factory. I wish I had remembered to weigh the KMC mount before installing it. It is all aluminum and felt super light anyways. The Shorai battery will not connect to the cables on the car without SAE adapters. I used XS Power 558 I-BAR adapters with XS Power 580 posts. This setup fits perfect with the exact amount of clearance needed for the terminals. The hardest part about the whole install was reinstalling the bracket that holds the battery tray down. The KMC tray attaches to the bracket shown in the pics. You have to remove the bracket to secure the KMC tray to it. One of the bolts that attach the bracket to the car ends up being covered by the new battery tray. I ended up bending a 10mm IKEA box wrench I had so that it could fit under the tray and turn the bolt to attach the bracket. I included some pics of how I bent the box wrench to fit. It is starting to get pretty cold here now, so we will see how this battery hold up to the winter conditions. Last edited by Mike_ZN6; 01-22-2021 at 09:56 PM.