I'm looking to put a lighter weight battery in the 996TT.. Has anyone used the Braille 21. If so, any issues or there other good choices out there.
I haven't weighed the OEM battery but aren't they like 50+ pounds. It would be nice to lose 30pounds out of the front end.

 

Braille has been exposed here as rebadged Deka batteries with higher price tags. There is a big thread on it from a while back if you search. Most people go with odyssey. I've gotten some batteries from batteries and bulbs that have a 2 year warranty that are pretty good. 15-28 lbs is the range for a useful battery. You will need a trickle charger though as always.

 

My experience - It's nice to lose the weight, but you also lose peace of mind. I tried two, they are marginal and if you use too much battery, you can be left looking for a jump start. They also did not hold up long term very well. My end result was going back to a full weight battery and no hassle...that said, if you want to always be on a trickle charger and then watch your step with accessories when out and about, it can work out ok. It was not worth it to me...

 

I run the Braile 21. Works fantastic. Car starts easily even after sitting for 2+ weeks. I always lock the car however, which puts it to "sleep" and minimizes battery drain. I can't tell any difference in cranking power between the Braile and the full size 46 lb. DEKA it replaced... I chose the Braile, because on paper at least, it had much better specs than the Odyssey batteries...

 

This is the one we use as well. Works great.

 

Maybe the Braille is the one to get. I had two Odessy's that were not the best and both became useless in just under 2 years.

 

Get a group 47 battery. The stock tray has 3 width positions. The 47 will use the smallest position and fit perfectly with breather tube and all.

These are readily and cheaply available everywhere. They weigh in right over 30 lbs, with enough reserve and cranking power without compromise for a daily driver. Heck, I got mine at Costco for I think less than $50. (Note that Costco recently switched to Interstate branded batt’s so take that with a grain of salt)

Best value ‘mod’ to date.

Note that I’ve played with my fair share of odyssey batt’s in various small sizes for years. Just not worth the cost and marginal reserves for a daily driver, especially when it gets cold.

 

Pic I found on web which is the same exact setup I have:

 

Yep, just found it and ordered it. The Deka replacement for the Braille 21 is the Deka ETX-30L. The going rate on Amazon is $98 with free shipping which is a lot cheaper than the Braille. I've tried Odyssey in the past and had nothing but issues after a year. I'll give this a shot and report back over the winter.

Pwdrhound, what brackets did you use for mounting the Braille? I want to replicate something similar.

 

This is how I attached the battery:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...y-install.html

I wonder if the Deka ETX30L is the same exact battery as the Braile. The specs on the Deka are lower than the Braile (26Ah v. 31Ah). I wonder if the guts of the Braile are manufactured by Deka to be better and that is why the Braile is more expensive. Externally the packaging is the same but what about the insides? The only way to know would be to put them both side by side with an identical load and see if they are truly the same or just "look" the same.

 

Thanks for the info. That was my fear of getting stranded somewhere because I didn't have enough juice to crank it over. My car seems to need a fair amount of cranking amps to turn it over.

 

i think messing with a battery that might have a lower cca on anything other than a track dedicated car is foolhardy. these things as we all know are voltage HOGS. but i applaud the weight savings and am as curious as anyone.

does anyone DD their car in city stop/go condition with these deka/braiiles?? just seems like a weird place to try save ( weight ) given what might be lost ( on demand mobility lol )

again, if its a track car? i get it. nice.

 

Thanks for the DIY! I'll start collecting the parts while the Deka is in transit. Regarding the Deka vs. Braille, I've found a ton of threads but this Lotus post is pretty good about the inside info:

"I just got off the phone with Lou at East Penn Manufacturing. Here's the deal per our conversation.

East Penn manufactures the Deka battery. We know that. Braille then takes that same East Penn Deka battery and does "some fancy stuff" to it (specific to the model apparently like putting it in a carbon case, fancy copper terminal) and does some fancy marketing. None of the "fancy stuff" changes the performance or specs of the battery at all. The inerts of both the Braille and the Deka remain identical."

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f321...40/index2.html

My car is a mix of track and city driving so we'll see if I have any issues with the cheaper battery this winter. I'm on a weight loss mission so 30lbs. is a huge bonus for ~$100.

 

i hear you and would love the benefit myself with that option. hope it works well. subscribed

add: i'm *about* to finish my rwd conversion by removing the front diff, which is just hangin there so getting rid of my oem battery and diff would save me about 100lbs upfront!
pure joy.

 

Great info...but I have a quick question. Where did you purchase and did the revised bracket come with the sale?
Thanks