I went with the suggestion by Dan Cragin of DC Performance to go with the AC Delco or Interstate battery, they’ve had good experience with these batteries.
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I went for the AC Delco since I’ve had good luck with them in the past on my other vehicles. So far, so good. This is what I have:
AC Delco: Part #75-6YR, 650 CCA, 90 RC, which has the
same specs as my original
Mopar Battery: Part #4763996AC, Catalog #78-60, 650 CCA, 90 min RC.
Here’s a side by side comparison, the AC Delco battery is about 1” shorter in length, but width and height is the same:
Comes with a removable carrying handle too.
I didn’t go with the Optima Red Top because I thought I might have some clearance issues with their dual-posts, mainly with their top posts touching the frame. I did a search on the Optimas and I found that some have shaved the top posts too far down which then resulted in the battery going dead. Once you’ve done any "modification" to the battery, this would then void the warranty. Others have used a bottle jack to stretch the tray for more clearance. Yet many have just replaced it without clearance issues. I measured mine and it would only give me only 1/4" of top clearance for the Optima. That seems a bit close for me.
The Odyssey battery is another sealed "dry cell" technology. But only a few sizes available, no mounting base for the bottom hold-down bracket (the battery is all smooth), and you would have to use a custom bracket to hold it down. Too much hassle.
By the way, on the original Mopar battery,
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRY OPEN THE CAPS!!! I tore the seams prying them open and there is not a hook or tab to lock it back into place, at least as far as I can tell. Take a look closely to see what I mean...
Yes, dummy me, I know it says "Maintenance Free," but I was fooled thinking those caps were removable. I only wanted to check the battery acid level since I noticed some acid spilling onto my garage floor after a spirited drive. I know I could have just epoxy’d it back into place, but I didn’t want to take any chances of any more acid spilling and the battery going dead, so I went out and bought a new battery. $90 for the AC Delco battery at the Chevy dealer.