1951 F1 Battery Relocation
 

Has anyone got creative and found a better place to mount their battery rather than under the hood on the passenger side?

I would be interested in hearing your ideas!

You can always put it under the floor of the cab on the passenger side front.

Thats where the battery was in my 49 chevy pickup. Was the ford supposed to be there or under the hood?

48-51 trucks with 239 flatheads and all 52 trucks (OHV I6 or Flathead V8) had the battery tray mounted on the right frame rail close to the cowl inside the engine compartment. 48-51 trucks with flathead 6 engines had the battery tray mounted on the left side of the frame frame next to the cowl. It was just a mirror image. The trays for the 48-51 flathead 6 were shorter than the trays for 48-52 V8 and OHV I6.

I believe that in 1953 (through 56) the battery was moved under the floor.

EDIT: The original battery trays for the V8 and OHV I6 are being reproduced. However, I have several original trays that are solid. I may even have one for the fllathead 6.

The stock location is under the hood against the firewall on the passanger side. Ford located the battery there for many years. If the mounting brackets on yours are in bad shape, the are available from after market suppliers like Sacremento Vintage Ford and others.:-X06

I went a different route and found an old foot locker from the late 40's and mounted it to my bed. I bolted a plastic vented battery box inside the trunk and ran my wires through the bed floor. As an added bonus, it gave me a boat load of "trunk" space for small swap items, small tool kit, etc...and it is all out of plain sight. It sits low enough that you got to be pretty close to the truck to see it. More recently it has become a holding place for straps as I have been working my truck a little. I should have taken pics for the working bonus built thread on here!

The down side...the trunk will eventually wear and break due to the weather. I did not think about how water and the weather would harm the leather corners much until recently. When I first got it the corners were stiff as a board from decades of crappy paint jobs, they have now started to soften up. I am sure the wood won't last for ever either...but then again I don't park outside on a regular basis...and I seldom drive it in the weather...and it's just another part I can replace.

If you keep the gas tank in the cab, you can easily mount the battery under the floor. If you moved the tank, you can mount the battery in the truck.

I like what bobbytnm idea of putting it in the under the bed with a battery door You can see it here, front right corner...
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...148608.520.390
I hope to pick his brain and see how low it sits under the frame so I can see if it will work with my turn outs. Bobby care to chime in?

I plan to put mine in a tool box in the bed along with the air ride compressors, tank and valve body.

I found a diamond plate aluminum box at tractor supply that's 48 inches wide and has locks on it. Only need to cut a vent into the side of it between the box and bed bulkhead for venting. Moves the weight to the rear and secures it from theft.

I plan to put my battery disconnect switch there too.

As Moe noted, mine is under the bed floor in the right front corner of the bed. It should be noted though that I was able to do this because the replacement bedfloor is approx 2" higher than a stock bed floor. Right now my battery sits directly on top of the running board.

It would be simple enough to modify the running board (the running boards on the 48-50 trucks have a large horizontal flange that runs under the cab and bolts to the frame) to accomodate a battery.

I also contemplated mounting the battery under the right front fender behind the tire.

Bobby

I seem to remember reading somewhere about a battery tray that bolts to the frame under the bed in front of the rear fender and it has one bolt that you remove to lower the tray to service or change the battery. I don't remember where I read it though.

You've probably seen them in many of the parts catalogs...

Classic Haulers F-1 Parts - Battery Box, Drop Down, Hinged, Size 24

I think some late model Ford vans had a drop down battery box from the factory but I don't remember which years.

I think 51Dueller mentioned it a time or two

Bobby

Did some one mention me?:D I don't know what years but going by the part number on the sticker its around a 2004 E350/450.

http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/a...ller/001-1.jpg
http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/a...ller/003-4.jpg

4 bolts hold the box to the frame and two hold the retaining straps. To remove the box just loosen the three boltsand remove one, grab the two handles on the bottom, slide the box sideways and pull off the frame.

Best of all only cost me $20.

Where did you get that bettery box for only $20? I would be interested in something like that to mount to the frame somewhere.

Wow, my old memory was right???? Holy cow! thats amazing and sure doesn't happen very often.....LOL

Thanks Nathan for posting the pics

Bobby