Chris Hansen
UPDATED! We just received our brand new Red Top Optima Battery to add to Project JKU. Packaging was as we expected with little movement during shipping so that the battery was not damaged. It looks great upon inspection and we will be installing soon and updating this post with our review shortly.
The install of the Optima RedTop Battery was uneventful, but surprisingly not as easy as I would have liked. Granted I have an OnyxBox that controls all the accessories and fuses for ProjectJKU, but the challenge of the installed wasn’t that.
The issue is the design of the battery in relation to the location and length of the positive and negative cords for the Jeep Wrangler. The Optima RedTop Battery positive and negative terminals are located nearly in the middle of the battery as opposed to the edge of the battery. This placement makes it extremely difficult to properly connect the Jeep battery cords to the battery itself. The only way to achieve this is to loosen the cords slightly from their secure locations. This took a little creativity and maneuvering, but once connected and all other accessories also attached to the battery it works like a charm.
Lastly, the battery base extension that is sent with the battery is great to lift and position the battery, but with the Jeep Wrangler the bracket to secure the battery in place it is worthless. Ideally, Optima and other battery companies should consider creating a base that is more secured to the battery for situations and vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler.
All that being said, the battery itself powers our accessories (winch, multiple LED light bars, etc.) effortlessly and as we get into the colder season I expect it to easily start our Project JKU without any difficulty.
If you are interested in purchasing the RedTop or any other Optima Battery you can do so by clicking the button below.
