12V or 16V

dab1550 · 10-18-2022, 05:31 PM

I'm currently building a dragster to run S/C, Bracket race & the occassional foray into T/D. Would I be better off with a 12V AGM battery or a 16V Lithium? What are the pros & cons of each?

Tom Goldman · 10-18-2022, 10:41 PM

I have a couple of my Stock Eliminator customers running 16V Lithium batteries from AntiGravity Batteries with good success. one has been using them for almost five years , his first ones lasted almost 4 years . I should mention he runs 2 batteries.
Charging recovery time is a concern although he has not had problems when hot lapping.
That said , I still prefer 12V AGM batteries . The Lithium batteries are great for Class cars where every pound counts to get to minimum weight .
In classes where hitting minimum weight is not a concern I like the 12V batteries because they are far less expensive ,you can charge them at a much faster rate ,and the big one , if you have one fail its far easier to find a replacement at the track or the nearest Walmart .

Keith 944 · 10-19-2022, 06:02 AM

I’m with Tom on this, I like my 12v agm I get the biggest, heaviest one I can find. I need to add weight anyhow. The one in car now was new in 2018, I will replace now and use that one in my ramptruck for another 4-6 years lol. I have also heard that a 16 v gives no warning when it goes, but they say it spins motor over nicely. Although I had people say I was using 16v when they here my meizere starter. And I believe cost is another factor. You have to buy a charger to go with the 16v. It’s all whatever you want to do. I’m sure you will be fine either way.

sst5167 · 10-19-2022, 09:10 AM

Funny you should ask this now, as I literally just came back from my first race after switching from 12v to 16v. Since the first day I raced, I have run nothing but Optima Red Tops. I have always gotten long life out of them and they never let me down at the track, so I could never see any reason to change. My current engine however, has always fought me to fire up after the engine gets hot. After a run, it would crank very slow and hard. I did A LOT of research on 16v batteries and decided on the super light weight Go Lithium batteries. My biggest fear with a lithium battery was the obvious, FIRE! Go Lithium uses lithium iron phosphate which is incombustible. So that solved my first and biggest fear. Second, I've heard horror stories of 16v batteries failing without warning. Go Lithium claims 10 year battery life, so I spoke to several racers that run them. A couple of these guys have had them in there cars for 7 and 8 years without a problem, and they're still going strong.

Now for my own personal experience.....I know, it was just one weekend, but I now see what I've been missing out on! The hard starts completely went away, and I swear my cooling time between rounds got cut in half! The fan and water pump run much faster now. My car would go from 185* down to 120* in 15 minutes, and the temp outside was 92*. The batteries would be back to a full charge in 18-20 minutes.

I am definitely a believer. So much so, that I'm now going to start selling them. If you have any more questions, please feel free to hit me up.

dab1550 · 10-19-2022, 04:51 PM

Thanks for all the reponses. I'm leaning towards the Lithium as weight is a concern.

sst5167 · 10-20-2022, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dab1550

Thanks for all the reponses. I'm leaning towards the Lithium as weight is a concern.

If you decide to go with Go Lithium, send me a DM. I can send you promo code for a discount onthestopworkshop.com/shop

Lenny5160 · 10-20-2022, 12:42 PM

I've been a 12v guy forever in both of my cars. This season I ran a couple races in a car equipped with two Go Lithium 16v batteries.

I don't know if I'll make the change, but I'm at least doing some thinking about it.

voltdr · 10-23-2022, 12:43 AM

I’ve been running (2) GoLithium 16V batteries for a couple of years now and would never go back. I run SC and have zero issues with starting, oolong or hot lapping.
Dan Foley
SC 44

Chip THELEGEND Johnson · 10-23-2022, 03:11 PM

Been using Rock 16v for nearly 15 years. I use 2 with no alternator

Average Joe · 10-23-2022, 06:54 PM

I have 2 go lithium 16V and would never go back to 12V. I like the weight savings and how it spins the starter.

10-18-2022, 05:31 PM	#1
dab1550 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	12V or 16V I'm currently building a dragster to run S/C, Bracket race & the occassional foray into T/D. Would I be better off with a 12V AGM battery or a 16V Lithium? What are the pros & cons of each?

10-18-2022, 10:41 PM	#2
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,454 Likes: 821 Liked 776 Times in 221 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V I have a couple of my Stock Eliminator customers running 16V Lithium batteries from AntiGravity Batteries with good success. one has been using them for almost five years , his first ones lasted almost 4 years . I should mention he runs 2 batteries. Charging recovery time is a concern although he has not had problems when hot lapping. That said , I still prefer 12V AGM batteries . The Lithium batteries are great for Class cars where every pound counts to get to minimum weight . In classes where hitting minimum weight is not a concern I like the 12V batteries because they are far less expensive ,you can charge them at a much faster rate ,and the big one , if you have one fail its far easier to find a replacement at the track or the nearest Walmart . __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK

10-19-2022, 06:02 AM	#3
Keith 944 VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Dela-where? Posts: 2,158 Likes: 1,078 Liked 1,754 Times in 554 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V I’m with Tom on this, I like my 12v agm I get the biggest, heaviest one I can find. I need to add weight anyhow. The one in car now was new in 2018, I will replace now and use that one in my ramptruck for another 4-6 years lol. I have also heard that a 16 v gives no warning when it goes, but they say it spins motor over nicely. Although I had people say I was using 16v when they here my meizere starter. And I believe cost is another factor. You have to buy a charger to go with the 16v. It’s all whatever you want to do. I’m sure you will be fine either way. __________________ KEITH MAYERS 2 X somebody many X nobody

10-19-2022, 09:10 AM	#4
sst5167 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 52 Likes: 17 Liked 17 Times in 9 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V Funny you should ask this now, as I literally just came back from my first race after switching from 12v to 16v. Since the first day I raced, I have run nothing but Optima Red Tops. I have always gotten long life out of them and they never let me down at the track, so I could never see any reason to change. My current engine however, has always fought me to fire up after the engine gets hot. After a run, it would crank very slow and hard. I did A LOT of research on 16v batteries and decided on the super light weight Go Lithium batteries. My biggest fear with a lithium battery was the obvious, FIRE! Go Lithium uses lithium iron phosphate which is incombustible. So that solved my first and biggest fear. Second, I've heard horror stories of 16v batteries failing without warning. Go Lithium claims 10 year battery life, so I spoke to several racers that run them. A couple of these guys have had them in there cars for 7 and 8 years without a problem, and they're still going strong. Now for my own personal experience.....I know, it was just one weekend, but I now see what I've been missing out on! The hard starts completely went away, and I swear my cooling time between rounds got cut in half! The fan and water pump run much faster now. My car would go from 185* down to 120* in 15 minutes, and the temp outside was 92*. The batteries would be back to a full charge in 18-20 minutes. I am definitely a believer. So much so, that I'm now going to start selling them. If you have any more questions, please feel free to hit me up.

10-19-2022, 04:51 PM	#5
dab1550 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2022 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V Thanks for all the reponses. I'm leaning towards the Lithium as weight is a concern.

10-20-2022, 12:42 PM	#7
Lenny5160 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Inver Grove Heights, MN Posts: 898 Likes: 604 Liked 432 Times in 225 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V I've been a 12v guy forever in both of my cars. This season I ran a couple races in a car equipped with two Go Lithium 16v batteries. I don't know if I'll make the change, but I'm at least doing some thinking about it. __________________ S/ST 51 S/C 53

10-23-2022, 12:43 AM	#8
voltdr Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 704 Likes: 77 Liked 92 Times in 49 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V I’ve been running (2) GoLithium 16V batteries for a couple of years now and would never go back. I run SC and have zero issues with starting, oolong or hot lapping. Dan Foley SC 44 __________________ Dan Foley SC 4698

10-23-2022, 03:11 PM	#9
Chip THELEGEND Johnson Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 284 Likes: 223 Liked 280 Times in 79 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V Been using Rock 16v for nearly 15 years. I use 2 with no alternator

10-23-2022, 06:54 PM	#10
Average Joe Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 33 Likes: 17 Liked 18 Times in 8 Posts	Re: 12V or 16V I have 2 go lithium 16V and would never go back to 12V. I like the weight savings and how it spins the starter.