Lifting/Replacing battery in 2018 RTL

[Peter Aawen]

Admittedly, the following article is from Optima, but it is arguably still pertinent:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...tery-terminals

Certainly in my experience (albeit mainly with car, 4WD, & truck batteries) there is probably no worse way to lift a battery than by the terminals! You might be lucky & THINK you've gotten away with it because things didn't spark or short out immediately, but usually the internal damage that is almost always caused will show up when you least need/want it to!

I really do hope you don't find out the hard way, but I suspect (or is that expect?) that you just might....

[Flamewinger]

Admittedly, the following article is from Optima, but it is still pertinent:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...tery-terminals

You're kidding!!! This is how not to lift a CAR battery as it's much heavier than our M/C batteries and the hooks I'm talking about go into the terminals and easily HELP to lift out. Not carry, not continue to handle, just enough to pull the battery out as it's very difficult. Jeeze!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Admittedly, the following article is from Optima, but it is arguably still pertinent:

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-u...tery-terminals

Certainly in my experience (albeit mainly with car, 4WD, & truck batteries) there is probably no worse way to lift a battery than by the terminals!

IIRC, about 60 years ago there were carrying straps made to carry 6 volt car batteries by the terminals. Were batteries just made much more rugged back then, or did nobody really recognize the potential for damage?


Edit: O'Reilly Auto Parts has a strap for carrying golf cart batteries by the terminals.

[Peter Aawen]

Idaho, I suspect that there might be some truth in your thought that batteries were just made that more rugged back then, but even so, those straps were only ever used for a short period before their failings became obvious! Check out the article - it was just the first on the list of many that came up on a simple search.... But in any case, they were very rarely used in manufacturing &/or by those who handled batteries a lot. In fact, the frequency & severity of injuries to the user &/or damage to the batteries was so bad that those straps were banned as being 'dangerously unsafe' by the automotive industry here in Aust (aka the Nanny State that legislates to protect the lowest common denominator! )

[sandeejs]

You can easily fashion a "strap" for the new battery with some duct tape, avoiding terminals.
I had a hell of time trying to remove a battery from my Spyder. Maybe my hands just aren't strong enough.
Admittedly, I removed used, dead or dying batteries by the terminals for years. Didn't worry about the damage done, because it was going in the trash anyway.
YMMV

~Sandee~

[Flamewinger]

You can easily fashion a "strap" for the new battery with some duct tape, avoiding terminals.
I had a hell of time trying to remove a battery from my Spyder. Maybe my hands just aren't strong enough.
Admittedly, I removed used, dead or dying batteries by the terminals for years. Didn't worry about the damage done, because it was going in the trash anyway.
YMMV

~Sandee~

Exactly, I didn't need the strap for the new one just to get the old one out. Good idea to use duck tape on new battery so when it needs to be replaced it will be easy to get it out.

[UtahPete]

You can easily fashion a "strap" for the new battery with some duct tape, avoiding terminals.
I had a hell of time trying to remove a battery from my Spyder. Maybe my hands just aren't strong enough. ~Sandee~

Good idea.